13 Coastal Florida Destinations: Treasure Coast
Treasure Coast
The Treasure Coast is so named for the bounty of 11 ships sent from Spain to North America more than 300 years ago to collect wealth for the Spanish empire. On the trip home, the fleet was sunk by a hurricane and scattered gold, silver and jewels across the ocean floor. Today, snorkeling trips to the SS Breconshire are still a popular activity. At Hobe Sound, visitors can see how the area looked before it was settled by Europeans.
Orlando magazine’s dedicated editorial team is taking the guesswork out of your next coastal trip! Check out these important facts:
☀ BOUNDED BY: Sebastian Inlet State Park to Jupiter Island, through Hobe Sound into Tequesta.
⚑ COUNTIES: Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin.
⚐ MAJOR CITIES/AREAS: Sebastian/Pelican Island, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Jupiter Island, Stuart.
♜ HIGHLIGHTS: Treasure hunting, saltwater fishing, airboat tours.
☸ HIDDEN GEMS: Blowing Rocks Preserve (large and unusual limestone formations), Navy Seal Museum (on the training grounds of the original Navy combat divers), Bathtub Beach (calm waters and home to a reef system with more than 500 marine creatures).
☺ OVERALL VIBE: Uncrowded with plenty of wide-open spaces.
The Sunset Pier on Hutchinson Island
©Martin County Office Of Tourism And Marketing
Jensen Beach
Once known as the “Pineapple Capital of the World,” Jensen Beach still sports references to that heritage in the Caribbean colors and flavors that dot the small-town community. One of the best places you can experience it is in its restaurants, which run the gamut from gourmet to Caribbean-inspired to homey mom-and-pop operations.
A prototype Old Florida beach town, Jensen exudes a relaxed, casual feel that’s perfect for exploring. Located in Martin County, it’s part of the most bio-diverse lagoon eco-system in the Northern Hemisphere. It sits on the land side of the Intracoastal Waterway and is accessible by taking the causeway to Hutchinson Island. Here, nature lovers will be in paradise at Sea Turtle Beach, a sandy stretch named for the loggerhead and green turtles that lay their eggs there in late spring. Nighttime excursions can be scheduled through the Florida Oceanographic Society.
Despite Jensen’s under-the-radar feel, it hasn’t been without its notable admirers, most famously, Frances Langford, a singer and actress who got her start during the Golden Age of Radio and was known as the “GI Nightingale” for her frequent tours entertaining the troops with Bob Hope during World War II. The Dolphin Bar and Shrimp House, which was once Langford’s Outrigger Resort, reflected her love of the Polynesian islands she visited on those tours. The restaurant’s panoramic views span from the Stuart Causeway to the Jensen Beach Causeway Bridge.
Langford lived in Jensen Beach for more than 50 years and died in 2005. She donated 20 acres of her land to Jensen Beach in 1948; it is now Langford Park and home to programs for youth and senior citizens.
