12 Most Underrated Towns in Florida's Paradise Coast
The Paradise Coast stretching along the Gulf of Mexico is all in its name, with everything you can summon for an ideal vacation in the Sunshine State, right on locale. Enjoy waterside dining every day with amazing seafood cuisines like fried gator tail and frog legs, and work it off via a canoe or kayak ride from the launching point into the infamous 99-mile Wilderness Waterway. Ten Thousand Islands is a destination for worldwide anglers to catch tarpon, snook, and redfish from the mangrove estuaries snaking into the Gulf of Mexico.
While the shores are always abuzz with activity and good vibes, these 12 towns do not get enough of the good loving that they deserve with nearby attractions and pursuits for all interests.
Ave Maria
Ave Maria is a newer master-planned town near the scenic shores of Florida's Paradise Coast. The charming landscape with a name emanating tranquility boasts its own Ave Maria University amidst a sprinkling of natural sights, responsible for the growing population, and rising tourism. It is an ideal small-town destination with a youthful ring and a bustling Town Center replete with shopping, dining, business parks, recreational venues, and two scenic golf courses.
"A Big Kind of Small Town" hosts year-round signature events with free admission and live music. There is the popular Winter Festival after New Year, followed by the Blues Brews & BBQ Festival in February, and the imminent Margarita & Taco Festival in March. Visit this modern college town near Immokalee, all about lifestyle, to immerse in feel-good pursuits like arts and crafts, farmers' markets, and trolley tours.
Bradenton
"The Friendly City" with a pair of sunglasses as the unofficial logo, is a truly laid-back respite with a crowd-less landscape that deserves more recognition. Head south from the Tampa Bay area, or north from Sarasota and you will find Bradenton just minutes away from the beautiful Anna Maria Island beaches. Charming Florida’s Gulf Coast town spreads the banks of the pristine Manatee River, with the renowned Riverwalk to enjoy sunsets and strolls with a view.
Bradenton is home to the Arts and LECOM Park where the Pittsburgh Pirates train during spring, as well as host to the Bradenton Blues Festival, one of the US' best blues festivals. Enjoy strolls along streets strewn with art, venues, and beautiful parks, and seek fine dining and entertainment for a memorable evening in this soulful town.
Clearwater
The fun and friendly Clearwater Beach is most recognized for the namesake casual beach, named the US' best multiple times in recent years. While the shores are always abuzz with good vibes, the town is often overlooked by many who seek sand, sea, and sun. Enjoy the sugary sands and emerald waters with shaded cabanas, but venture past the beachside restaurants and hotels into the heart of town with wonderful attractions. The town of Clearwater just west of Tampa, is a cornucopia of vacation opportunities, including the Ruth Eckerd Hall, Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, the Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center, and a baseball field at the fingertips.
Join in the nocturnal music festival with crafts and street performers, or visit for the annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday. After all the day's activities, saunter beach-wards for those sought-after sunsets at Pier 60. There is also a lower-key beach to the north with all the amenities and a large playground at the base of the pier, while the Clearwater Pass leads south to Sand Key Park's pristine acres of undeveloped beachfront. Spend a family day interacting with animals at the Marine Aquarium including photos with dolphins and feeding stingrays, followed by a memorable Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise.
Everglades City
The small village on the edge of the Florida wilderness, bounded by the famed Everglades National Park, is a whole other world. Everglades City is a must-visit for all naturalists, adventurers, and scenically-inclined tourists. Head into the city center for quaint small-town charm with a sneak-back into old Southwest Florida at several notable museums. Visit the Museum of the Everglades and the Historic Smallwood Store with significant insights from when the Native American Calusa tribe occupied this modern-day settlement amidst the wilderness. Find the launching point for fabulous fishing at the Ten Thousand Islands.
You will have to come back to explore the surrounding Big Cypress National Preserve, Collier-Seminole State Park, and the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. The annual Seafood Festival in the first weekend of February is the perfect time to revisit the Stone Crab Capital of the World that processes over 375,000 pounds of crab claws from October through April. Stroll the docks for some freshly-caught Gulf grouper, snapper, and other fresh fish, or head to the nearest restaurant for seafood that will not disappoint.
Fort Myers
If you are looking for fun family time, outdoor adventures, fishing, or a pristine swath of white sand to relax under the sunshine, you have found your match in Fort Myers, along Florida's Paradise Coast. Enjoy boat tours to nearby islands like Cayo Costa, or Sanibel and Captiva beach destinations with shelling a-plenty. Kids love seeing sea birds, raptors, and resident dolphins at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, while the Calusa Blueway is the regional paddling heaven for the kayakers.
America's masterminds Thomas Edison and Henry Ford both sought Fort Myers for a wintertime respite to relax and continue mulling over their greatest inventions. Visit the Edison and Ford Estates today, and stop by the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum for regional natural history. There is also the Lovers Key Beach wedding destination, popular with honeymooners and families who love sightseeing manatees, roseate spoonbills, and bald eagles in their natural environment.
Immokalee
Immokalee is the farming center along Florida's Paradise Coast. The tiny town grows a significant portion of the nation's most-demanded produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, potatoes, and citrus. Many come for the 75,600-square-foot Seminole Casino Immokalee with a large variety of table games, live poker action 24/7 for all types of players, and Las Vegas-style and Native American Indian progressive slot machines. The Collier County small town translating from Seminole as "my home" is an intriguing destination with a cornucopia of history and farmland amidst modern amenities and attractions. Check out the Immokalee Market (locally, the Pinhooker's Market) on a drive along the New Market Road Market for fairly-priced fresh produce, especially during peak fall and winter harvests.
Visit the Roberts Ranch with the Immokalee Pioneer Museum showing life past to modern-day life of cattle ranching, as well as impromptu produce markets from November through May by the old State Farmers' Market building. The nearby Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary protects the world's largest remaining stand of old-growth bald cypress. It is also a top bird-watching spot with a 2.25-mile boardwalk for year-round sightings of rare plants and animals. Visit the 1,500-acre freshwater Lake Trafford for a picnic, part of the Everglades ecosystem, and home to crappie, bluegill, and bass, as well as various birds, alligators, and other wildlife. You can also sight alligators with the Airboats & Alligators airboat tour from the Lake Trafford Marina.
Nokomis
The cute Nokomis with magnificent white sand beaches is often overshadowed by the beautiful, larger neighbors of Sarasota and Venice. Nokomis does not disappoint with the galore of action around the tiny landscape like biking, boating, canoeing, and kayaking through the Intracoastal waterways. Find the nearby children’s playground, free parking, lifeguards, a food pavilion, and all amenities including picnic tables with grills.
The active rejoice along the sunny Legacy Trail and ample fishing with charters and boat launches for personal vessels. Find the pristine Nokomis Beach at the south end of the exclusive Casey Key. Enjoy the beautiful seashore that extends pleasant vibes into the heart of town, with laidback streets lined by local shopping and dining opportunities. Immerse in a real small-town atmosphere and taste the local beach lifestyle along the Gulf Coast on a respite from the city.
Port Charlotte
Set halfway between Sarasota and Fort Myers, Charlotte County with an undulating port town is what vacation dreams are made of. Port Charlotte boasts access to over 165 miles of waterways to Charlotte Harbor, the Gulf of Mexico, and natural shorelines along the Peace and Myakka rivers. Find 21 golf courses in close vicinity, around many beautiful parks and preserves in the area.
Seek unique nature at the Charlotte Flatwoods, or visit McGuire Park with playgrounds and sports courts for groups. There are plenty of public beaches, fields, fishing piers, and boat ramps, embraced by natural ecosystems, that are open for passive recreation and environmental education. The town's Sports Park trains the Tampa Bay Rays during spring, while the Tippecanoe Environmental Park offers your own fill of exercise over 380 acres of scrub and pine flatwoods with hiking trails and wildlife viewings.
Punta Gorda
Another Charlotte County town, Punta Gorda, is full of pure Florida fun amidst the local laidback lifestyle by the beach. Visit the stroll-worthy downtown with interesting shops, restaurants, and access paths to the Peace River and Charlotte Harbor meeting point. The artsy town includes over 30 large-scale murals depicting whimsical works. Visit the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens for more art, and the nearby Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary rescue center, for face-to-face interactions with bears, lions, and exotic animals. The Muscle Car City showcases vintage Camaros, GTOs, and Corvettes, while the A.C. Freeman House Museum is authentically furnished in late Victorian-era style. Seek dining at the Fishermen's Village or Laishley Park with a launch pad for an after-meal sightseeing boat tour or a fishing charter trip. The Fishermen's Village is a unique waterfront with shopping, dining, a military heritage museum, a 98-slip marina, and wistfully-luxurious villas.
Punta Gorda is a lesser-known destination with an infinite nightlife scene veiled in small-town charm with local bars, pubs, tikis, craft breweries, coffee houses, and wine bars. The rum distillery serves inventive cocktails, kava, and ice-cold beer. Spend a lively or tranquil vacation as you like, or visit Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach for both. The sandy shore will hold you captive for days, just chilling with a drink in hand. Enjoy waterside shopping and leisurely strolls along the Harborwalk, or through the historic district lined by huge royal palms and old-Florida tin-roofed homes with verandas, brick lanes, street lamps, and benches. Find nearby golf, boating, and fishing, and discover local nature along right from the while shelling, sunbathing, and swimming in the pleasant south-central Gulf Waters.
Sarasota
The tranquil beach town of Sarasota is a real match made in heaven for nature fans and the active crowd. Take a hike or head on a stroll with a picnic at the water-bound Myakka River State Park. Seek blissful relaxation for all senses at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens amidst an eye-feast of sensual natural sights. Enjoy the artsy town on a cultural stroll-though, with many venues for concerts, plays, and art exhibits throughout the year.
Families love close gatherings and fun splashing at Lido Beach, a crowd-less stretch of sand during the off-season. Visit in the cooler months and bask under sunshine that has not reached its scorching level. Enjoy atmospheric group-picnics and recreation amidst a tranquil beach environment as an ultimate respite before the summer holidays from February to mid-May. Come back from October through November to rid of the fall blues back home.
Siesta Key
The Gulf of Mexico protrudes into the glittering barrier island of Siesta Key, tipped by the Siesta Public Beach. Twice named the nation's best beach destination, the 8-mile-long island offers pursuits for all tastes and levels of activity. Find shopping, resorts, dining, and nightlife just a short stroll from the white quartz sands bounding turquoise waters. Enjoy the beachside with all the amenities on a romantic getaway or with family, where the kids can go ape at an adventurous outdoor playground.
The island paradise is home to the Mote Marine with an aquarium where scientists and explorers take care of manatees, otters, sharks, and other marine residents. Head to the nearby Caspersen Park Beach for sea salt air strolls along the beach with prehistoric shark teeth finds. Enjoy ecotourism at the surrounding parks with hiking trails, and return to recharge at an award-winning restaurant, or at the frequent food and wine fresh air events under Florida's pleasant sunshine. Do not forget to see the old masters at the modern Ringling Museum with spectacular grounds and art inside.
Venice
The enchanting town with two beaches along the scenic Gulf Coast of Florida boasts the notorious nickname of the "World's Shark Tooth Capital." Stroll the famed Caspersen Beach, strewn with shark teeth for instant souvenirs or unique memorabilia to display at home. Venice Beach is a gorgeous stretch of sand with an offshore coral reef where the snorkelers and scuba find their underwater haven. Enjoy sunbathing and swimming amidst views, or practicing water sports, before heading into town for entertainment and nightlife.
Enjoy morning strolls with cafe sits amidst a tropically-infused atmosphere, and spend the day perusing the town. Venice is the former home to two circuses, the Ringling Bros. and the Barnum & Bailey Circus, and the nation's top-rated Venice Theater. The historic district with a pronounced character shines through vibrant colors and magnificent Italian feats of architecture from 1925, for scenic strolls unlike anywhere else.
Paradise Coast is a natural and cultural Southwest shoreline sprinkled with big and small towns in-between well-recognized cities like Naples. These towns are the epitome of destinations in the state with a cornucopia of modern-day meets Old Florida vibes. Enjoy the Gulf of Mexico's sparkling waters and sunbathe along the white sands during the ultimate getaway in the Sunshine State. Venture as far as the wild off-shore islands and return to the vibrant, often-historic centers, filled with heartfelt art scenes, culinary delights, and cultural festivities.
