3 Florida communities make top 10 list of best coastal small towns in US

Cheryl McCloud, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·3 min read
29

Maybe it has something to do with the letter S?

Three Florida towns — all three starting with the letter S — were included in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards list of the 10 best coastal small towns in the U.S. for 2023.

The towns selected were Stuart, Sanibel Island and St. Augustine.

The 10 communities selected "offer a tranquility and charm that's hard to find in more densely populated areas."

Best coastal small towns: Enjoy waterfront charm at the 10 best coastal small towns in the US

Best zoos: Brevard Zoo voted top zoo in Florida, No. 3 in North America

Best Florida beach: Pensacola Beach voted No. 1 best beach in Florida

Readers cast their votes to pick the 10 best from 20 nominees selected by USA Today travel experts.

Want to include your voice in selecting the 10 best? Here are some of the current contests happening now.

Without further ado, here are the Florida winners in the top 10:

No. 2: Stuart

Stuart, Florida
Stuart, Florida

Part of Florida’s Treasure Coast, with the impressive Roosevelt Bridge to its north, is the under-the-radar town of Stuart. Walk along the St. Lucie River at Flagler Park or Shepard Park, both great spots for picnicking, fishing or otherwise relaxing.

The Stuart Heritage Museum, Road to Victory Museum, and restaurant-lined downtown Stuart are all among the local attractions.

Top family destination: Airbnb rates this Treasure Coast city in its top 10 of family destinations

Best burger: Top 10 Treasure Coast restaurants with our favorite hamburgers

Best beer: Who won best beer on Treasure Coast? See results from March Madness brewery bracket

No. 6: St. Augustine

St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine, Florida

Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is known as the nation’s oldest city, coastal or otherwise. Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas are excellent attractions from which to look out to the sea (they were used in part to watch for attacks coming from boats, after all).

Also along the coast are the historic St. Augustine Sea Wall and Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.

Best small town: St. Augustine named Best Small Town in the South by Southern Living

Best Florida restaurants: Jacksonville restaurants make list of Yelp's Top 100 Florida Restaurants list for 2023

Love is in the air: Romantic places to visit in Florida on Valentine's Day (or anytime)

No. 7: Sanibel Island

Sanibel Island, Florida
Sanibel Island, Florida

Not far from Fort Myers and Cape Coral is Sanibel Island, a Gulf Coast getaway known for top-notch resorts, white sand beaches and a laid-back vibe.

In between beach days, locals and tourists alike enjoy golfing, perusing the local farmer’s market, dining and plenty of time at one of the nearby spas.

Things to do in paradise: 5 places to watch a sunset in SWFL that are not on a beach

Overseas visitors in Florida: Naples ranks as Top 10 ‘most popular’ destination

Rounding out the other top 10 coastal towns

  • Sandusky, Ohio

  • Marblehead, Massachusetts

  • Bayfield, Wisconsin

  • No. 5: Provincetown, Massachusetts

  • No. 8: Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

  • No. 9: Nags Head, North Carolina

  • No. 10: Cannon Beach, Oregon

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Top 10 coastal small towns: Stuart, Sanibel Island, St. Augustine