A 28-mile barrier island across the bay from Apalachicola, reached by the John Gorrie Memorial Bridge and a four-mile causeway. The island is narrow, mostly low dunes and slash pine, with the Gulf on one side and the bay on the other. St. George Island State Park covers the eastern nine miles — empty white-sand beach, a campground, and a lighthouse.
The middle of the island has a small village with a handful of restaurants, beach rentals, and ice cream stands; the western end is a private gated community. The beaches are wide and remarkably uncrowded, even in summer. Swimming is excellent — the surf is gentler than the Atlantic coast — and the shelling is good after storms. Day trips work, but staying a night turns it into something better.