Visit the 3 Islands Off Florida Coast by Car

Are you surprised to read you can visit islands off Florida coast by car and not by boat or plane? You are no exception; I too am sailing in the same boat and that’s why I took up to study the topic and put my findings in this blog post.

Though islands, in general, are mostly visited by sailing or flying because of their location in the middle of an ocean and are not accessible by road as they are far away from the mainland, it is still possible to reach some of the islands by road. Some of the 4500 odd islands off Florida coast are located just a few kilometers from the seashore and there are bridges connecting them with the land.

We will see which the islands are near Florida that you can visit either by car or by boat.

Islands Off Florida Coast: St. George Island

It’s a fairly large island by length (45 km). Surely, you cannot go to the other side of it by foot. From Tallahassee, the capital of Florida, you can reach this secluded island in about 90 minutes. This remote island is ideal for those who want to spend the quietest 4 hours of their life. I think you could visualize those 4 hours of silence except for the gentle sound of waves.

The bridge that connects the St. George Island runs for 6.5 km.

There are also options to stay overnight in cottages if you want to extend your silence.

I believe there is a small eating joint called Beach Pit where you can eat barbecued meat. In addition, fried oysters are also available, freshly caught and cooked.

What else do you want in a secluded island with a place to stay overlooking the sea, fresh seafood and none to disturb your peace?

In case if you change your mind and would look to spot other life, you will be able to see:

• Dolphins
• Bald eagles
• Sea turtles
• Monarch butterflies (seasonal only)

In the middle of the night, you can wake up to climb to the top of the lighthouse to gaze at the space and look for any extra-terrestrials.

Islands Off Florida Coast: Key Biscayne Island, Miami

Since its area is only about 4 sq.km, I would call it an islet. The geography books say Key Biscayne is a Florida town but located on a barrier island. It is connected with Miami with the Rickenbacker Causeway. Island spotters quickly drive to this islet just to see the Crandon Park and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

Entering a tropical forest from the beach is always refreshing. It will be more so if you are able to see some avian life.

For such a small islet, the population is quite big with over 12000 people who have chosen to build their homes there.

As it is a residential area, Key Biscayne island has several hotels too.

Off Florida Coast: Siesta Key barrier island

From the busy city of Tampa, the barrier island Siesta Key only about 96 km. There are taxis available to traverse the distance that can be covered in a little more than an hour.

Siesta Key is accessible from two bridges that connect it to the mainland; the Siesta Key North Bridge on the north end of the island and the Stickney Point Bridge toward the center of the island.

People drive to these islands off Florida Coast because a rather lengthy white sand beach that is a whopping 13 km long. This barrier island’s beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the United States.