wess

I am looking for suggestions on a location in the panhandle of Florida for a quiet beach stay. We will be there for 3 days to simply relax. When we are not on the beach we do enjoy biking and biking to shop and to breakfast if available. Any suggestions. We are a family of 4. Our daughters are 21. We are not looking for night life. Thank you for any suggestions.

starrs

Check out 30a.com for ideas. We stayed in Seacrest recently and really like Rosemary Beach next door as well.

wess

Thank You for your reply. I was just going to look at that area. We usually vacation on Sanibel Island Florida and enjoy a quiet pace and like to avoid the high rises. They say Seacrest is cheaper than Rosemary so I will start there.

starrs

It is but it's literally next door. If you don't have to be beachfront, Seacrest has an amazing huge pool that would be great in warm weather. The beach is less than 2 blocks away as is Rosemary. Rent bikes and go see the other communities along 30a, or everything is a short drive away.

wess

Thanks for the input. I came across an area today I have never heard of. Any opinions on Cape san Blas?

starrs

I love Cape San Blas. I used to go every year and stay at Cape San Blas or Indian Pass. It's often called the Forgotten Coast. Truly like old Florida. Great little historic town = Apalachicola. Gorgeous white sand beach at the state park. Pretty beaches all along. Virtually no hotels and only private rentals in houses or townhouses. Not a lot of restaurants, but one of my favorites is there = the Indian Pass Raw Bar. Great scalloping in July in St. Joe's Bay. A fabulous, virtually remote, definitely non-commercial area. Not for everyone and definitely not for folks who like hustle and bustle, but I love it.

starrs

St George Island is nearby and it a bit more commercial.

If you look at my profile page, IPRB is one of the 3 favorite restaurants.

thejadeforest

I second Cape San Blas. I have been there with my family 6 or 7 times. Great quiet beaches, awesome surf fishing, and amazing sunsets that make for great evening beach walks. The only issue I have is there are not very many places to get something to eat. We usually stop on the way in and buy a bunch of groceries. Also, check out Captain Joey http://www.stvincentisland.com/ for cheaper charter fishing. It's a small boat but we always have a blast. We usually catch a lot of smaller to mid size sharks. Based on your criteria, CSB sounds like it would definitely suit your needs!

starrs

cd's trip report is great -
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...as-florida.cfm

cd

Thanks starrs!
We spent 4 winters at the Cape and loved it. It has been nearly two years since we've been there so I imagine some things have changed but they do have a bike path and it does lead to a little hamburger place. You could check at Scallop Cove, one of the two little stores on the Peninsula, to see who rents bikes. Also you could check with them on kayaks to use on the bay side of the Peninsula. Also if you are interested in horseback riding on the beach they would have info on that.
The other little store is Cape Trading Post and we found we liked their pizza. Also, they sell, or did anyway, Bluebell Ice Cream!
Most of the rentals are weekly but check with a Real Estate Company, I have forgotten their names, we always rented VRBO, to find someone that will rent for 3 days. There are a couple Real Estate companies on the Peninsula. You could Google.

gracie

When are you planning to go? The 30A/So Walton area is not quiet this time of year. I think the Forgotten Coast is a better choice if you want quiet. Mexico Beach might be an option if you cannot find anything less than a weekly rental.