Cape San Blas, Florida, is one of the few places in Florida that allow your dog to accompany you onto the beach without restrictions to certain times. The Gulf County law governing dogs on the beach is basic and common sense — keep your dog leashed and under your control, and properly dispose of any pet waste.
Many of the vacation rentals on the Cape are also pet-friendly. Barrier Dunes is a gated townhome community up near the state park. You will find many other families traveling with their dog in this townhome complex, and there are even “pet comfort stations” conveniently located throughout the grounds for your use.
In keeping with the pet-friendly beaches, many local businesses cater to dog-loving vacationers as well. Several local restaurants allow you to bring your dogs to their outside patios or outside dining areas. These include Coneheads, near the State Park; The Port St. Joe Marina Restaurant in Port St. Joe; Gracie O’Malley Pub in Simmons Bayou; and Loggerhead Grill, also on the Cape.
Two local events benefit the Humane Society. If you happen to be in the area for Paws in the Park (late September) you can do a 5K fun run or enter your dog in a variety of contests for best dressed or smartest tricks! The evening event is called the Bow Wow Bash, where the pups stay home and the grownups come out for dinner, dancing, lots of fun and a silent auction.
No trip to the area would be complete without a stop over at Petunia’s pet store in Apalachicola. Just don’t expect your dog not to want to make a purchase!
“Okay, great. I can take my dog,” you say, “but what about the rest of my family?”
Cape San Blas is a treat to the people as well as the pets! A dog-legged shaped peninsula, Cape San Blas eis located off the coast of Port St. Joe, Florida, a tiny community south of Tallahassee, east of Panama City and West of Apalachicola. It is very pristine and undeveloped. There are far less visitors to the Cape than traditional beach spots like Daytona, Clearwater, Destin and the like. Located in Gulf County, Florida, the Cape has the Gulf of Mexico on one side and St. Joe Bay, one of Florida’s Pristine Waters and much of which is an Aquatic Preserve, on the other side.
At the far northern end of the Cape is the St. Joseph’s Peninsula State Park. It is about seven miles of unspoiled beaches, dunes, campgrounds and wilderness areas. Also located in the park is the Eagle Harbor Boat Ramp, where you can launch your boat into the bay for scalloping, fishing, or crusing to the tip of the Cape for a day of fun in the sun. You can also launch jetskis or kayaks there.
Just past Stump Hole, on the other end of the Cape, is the St. Joe Bay Buffer Preserve. There’s a public beach access and parking and bathrooms there, and just a short distance away is another free, public kayak launch into the bay. Less than a mile from that spot is the historic Cape San Blas Lighthouse, and they have tours and events at the lighthouse for your family to enjoy.
What else is there to do? Nothing and a little bit of everything! You can choose to never leave your vacation rental home and just enjoy the gorgeous beaches, sunsets, bonfires at night and gorgeous night skies. Or you can be more adventurous and go horseback riding, charter a boat or a sailboat (some pet-friendly), go offshore fishing, learn to scallop, rent a kayak, rent a bike, got to Panama City to nightclubs, movies, the Shipwreck Island Water Park and more! This listing of Things to Do on Cape San Blas will get you started planning what you want to do while you visit this special place in Florida.
There’s no reason to leave your beloved family dog behind on your next vacation. No expensive kennels, no worrying about your dog getting sick or hurt while you’re gone, and no feeling guilty for leaving them behind. Choose Cape San Blas for your next family vacation and you’ll be “dog-gone” glad you did!
Laurel owns Rentals Cape San Blas, LLC on Cape San Blas, Florida. They offer pet-friendly beach vacation rentals for their guests to enjoy with their dog while on vacation in the Panhandle.
