Gulf County, Florida Attractions

You'll find Gulf County in the middle of Florida's panhandle, along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf County is about 100 miles from Tallahassee, the state capital. It boasts more than 40 miles of shoreline, including St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, which won a 2002 award for the nation's best beach. Gulf County prides itself on having a variety of water activities and few crowds, so you'll be able to fish, kayak, or scuba dive without being disturbed.

Happy Ours Kayak and Canoe Outpost

At Happy Ours Kayak and Canoe Outpost you'll find a variety of water activities for any age and level of experience. Happy Ours offers a range of guided tours, such as family-friendly guided kayak eco-tours, guided snorkeling trips, scallop diving trips and guided fishing trips. If you prefer to do things on your own, you can rent single kayaks, tandem kayaks, or canoes for half a day or a full day. You'll also be able to rent extra equipment, such as dry bags, snorkel gear, fishing equipment, and coolers. Bring your own snacks or lunch, drinks, sunscreen, and fishing license if you plan on fishing.

Happy Ours Kayak and Canoe Outpost
775 Cape San Blas Road
Port St. Joe, Florida 32456
Tel: (850) 229-1991
happyourskayak.com

Daly's Dock and Dive Center

Daly's Dock and Dive Center offers just about every water sport you can imagine, and caters to people of all experience levels. Certified divers can embark on two-site, half-day trips, and special offers are available for discounts for doing three or more trips. Bring your own equipment or rent it for an extra fee. If you'd like to learn how to dive, Daly's is PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certified and offers a variety of PADI certification courses.
Daly's also offers spear fishing trips (beginners are welcome) as well as trips for snorkeling and scallop diving. You can also rent kayaks, and Daly's offers a rent-to-own program where they'll knock $100 off the price of your kayak if you decide to buy after renting.

Daly's Dock and Dive Center
301 Monument Ave.
Port St. Joe, Florida 32456
Tel: (850) 229-6330
dalysdock.com

St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve

If like hiking and watching wildlife, St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve lets you do so at a calm pace. The preserve consists of 5,019 acres of beach, dunes, marshes, swamps and pine flatwoods. You'll have the opportunity to spot more than 15 species of endangered birds, reptiles and mammals, including bald eagles, black bears, peregrine falcons and a few species of herons.

St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve
3915 County Road 30A
Port St. Joe, Florida 32456
Tel: (850) 229-1787
dep.state.fl.us/coastal/sites/apalachicola/stjoseph_buffer.htm

Article Written By John Leonard

John Leonard is a freelance writer living in Maryland. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and has been writing Web content and travel blogs for over a year. He mainly writes travel articles for Trails or general articles for eHow.

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