Northwest Florida small towns has tons of charm, awesome attractions and features including restaurants, mom and pop shops, caverns, fishing, water sports, and so much more.
The small-town charm is an attractive tourist bonus! Less time is spent in traffic and lesser time waiting to be seated in a restaurant.
Here are some small towns in Northwest Florida that you should scope out and visit.
Contents
- Ponce de Leon
- Chipley
- Marianna
- Blountstown
- Mexico Beach
- St George Island
- Havana
- Monticello
- Wrapping our Discussion Up
Ponce de Leon
Ponce de Leon, FL, has one of Florida’s best state parks, Ponce de Leon Springs State Park named after Juan Ponce de Leon, who led the 1st Spanish expedition to Florida in 1513. The story is told that Juan Ponce de Leon was in search of the fountain of youth!
Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
is widely known for its beautiful natural springs with a year-round temperature of 68 degrees! How cool is that! Well, I realize that’s a play on words, but it really has double meaning! Its light greenish blue spring waters are awesome to swim in and to be captivated by its beauty.
The park offers 2 self-guided trails which are perfect for hiking and biking. Its picnic areas make an ideal spot to relax and enjoy the serenity of this special gem.
Anglers can fish in areas not designated for swimming.
Vortex Spring Adventures
Vortex Spring Adventures, one of the largest diving operations in Florida is located in Ponce de Leon. If you are into diving, you don’t want to pass this one up. The 520-acre recreation facility also offers camping and lodging accommodations. Vortex Spring is a treasure trove for scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming adventures and hiking in their nature trails. They also offer scuba diving instruction with their trained certified instructors. Reach out to them for their hours of operation, rates and scuba diving training information and cost.
Chipley
Chipley, Florida is a town that has many awesome attractions. In and near this town, attractions include the Falling Waters State Park, Seacrest Wolf Preserve, a performing arts center named Spanish Trail Playhouse, and a gator farm.
Falling Waters State Park
Falling Waters State Park has Florida’s highest waterfall!
Take Sink Hole Trail, the boardwalk that leads to the majestic 73-foot-high waterfall.
Visit their butterfly garden, go birding, camp, swim in the lake, go hiking and picnic with the family. See nature’s beautiful landscape, towering trees and the majestic waterfall of this special 171-acre State Park.
Orange Hill Gator Farm
Orange Hill Gator Farm is a wildlife sanctuary and nature preserve. They have alligators, turtles, pygmy goats, lizards, rabbits, potbelly pigs, coyotes and more. They only offer private tours so reach out to them for time and prices.
Main Street Market
Stop at the Main Street Market for fresh farm produce and vegetables. They also offer, when in season fresh oysters, and crawfish. Grab some hot boil peanuts while there! Reach them at (850) 638-7755.
Skins & Bubbas
Chipley has several awesome eateries. One of my favorites when in Chipley is Skins & Bubbas. They have a wide menu selection as well as a buffet. Their cuisine includes fried chicken, hamburger steak, BBQ pulled pork, chicken tenders and much more! And I should not fail to mention that their Sweet Tea poured in Ball Mason Jars is some of the best around! It’s out of this world! Reach out to them at (850) 638-4227.
Marianna
Marianna, located in Jackson County, has many outdoor adventures including hiking, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, cave diving, birding, fishing, and horseback riding.
Take a hike on the many hiking trails in Jackson County. There are two state parks in Jackson County.
Florida Caverns State Park
The 1500-acre Florida Caverns State Park has many hiking trails but is more recognized for its thrilling cave tours. Take a 45-minute guided tour of the Caverns, the only air-filled walking cave tour in Florida! Inside the caverns you will see many unique limestone rock formations.
Visit and browse through their visitor center and take the self-guided museum tour. Get a bite to eat at their restaurant. Browse the Gift Shop to purchase a keepsake to take home.
They also offer a 38-site campground for RVs and tents. Other amenities include a equestrian trail, picnic pavilions, playground, and much more.
Three Rivers State Park
Three Rivers State Park is a hiker’s dream! It has one of the steepest trails of all the Florida State parks providing a rugged hiking experience. The park also offers fishing, camping, birding, picnicking, wildlife and plant life viewing and much more.
Blountstown
Blountstown offers a small, charming southern atmosphere filled with awesome artistic murals painted on storefront buildings throughout its downtown area.
Enjoy water attractions on the Chipola River. Rent kayaks, tubes, rafts, canoes, and angler gear and enjoy your day on the Chipola River!
Blountstown Greenway
Visit the Blountstown Greenway, a part of the Florida National Scenic Trail that stretches more than 1,000 miles from the Georgia border to the Everglades. The 3.325 miles of naturally landscape trails extends from Sam Atkins Park to the Apalachicola River is popular with hikers, skaters, and bicyclists!
Panhandle Pioneer Settlement
At the north end of the Blountstown Greenway. visit the Panhandle Pioneer Settlement. Learn how life was many years ago. The Pioneer Settlement offers 18 historic structures that are available to walk in and examine how people lived in times past. Browse the old General Store, blacksmith shop, doctor’s office, cobbler shop, grist mill, smoke house and much more. Buy some keepsakes from the General Store to take home as a reminder of how it was during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
M&B Train Park
At mid-trail of the Blountstown Greenway is the M&B Train Park. The train park consists of the M&B Railroad Depot Museum, the site of an old railroad line, the shortest railroad line in Florida – only 29 miles! The railroad ran from Marianna to Blountstown. The museum carries artifacts including train tickets, old typewriters, telegraphs, and much more. The M&B Railroad Depot Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. Admission is free.
Out front of the museum is the railroad’s original steam locomotive #444 with its red caboose.
Recommended Restaurants
Grab a bite at Blountstown mom and pop eateries including Fiddler’s Steam House & Oyster Bar or Lindy’s Chicken.
Mexico Beach
With its beautiful white beaches on the Gulf, Mexico Beach is the perfect setting for a peaceful soothing environment of a small beach town. With not even a traffic light, Mexico Beach is a place for relaxation yet fun!
Mexico Beach’s numerous local eateries serve up cuisine including fresh local seafood, chicken, pizza, tacos and burgers. Make sure your sweet tooth is taken care of and visit Mexico Beach’s ice cream, sweets, and donut shops!
Check out my post on Florida’s Panhandle beaches and read more about this special beach gem!
St George Island
St. George Island, there’s nothing like it! Rated by Dr. Beach as America’s #1 Beach in America for 2023. St. George Island is just incredibly amazingly beautiful!
With blue sparkling blue waters and white sugary beach sand it’s the beach town that you need to visit.
St. George symbolizes the ultimate in comfort and relaxation. Just like Mexico Beach, no chain establishments are lining up on its beaches. Its unspoiled natural beauty is breathtakingly undescribable.
Visit St. George Island State Park and enjoy all its amenities.
Take a read of my post on Florida Panhandle Beaches to know more about St. George Island.
Havana
Havana is located near the Georgia State line and just minutes north of Tallahassee, Florida, the State’s capital on U.S. Highway 27 in eastern Gadsden County, Florida.
It is an amazing small town providing awesome downtown shopping experiences at its many quaint shops including vintage antiques and collectibles, home decor, furniture, jewelry, artwork and eateries.
Havana lives up to its motto as “Florida’s Friendliest Small Town” with its friendly smiles and hometown atmosphere.
Havana’s early days as a tobacco farming town transitioned into what it is today for tourists seeking an awesome day trip getaway to hunt antiques, browse mom and pop shops, and to relax in a peaceful setting while enjoying cuisine at one of its local eateries.
Browse vendor’s antiques and vintage collectibles at the old Planter’s Exchange building, a 14,000 s.f. National Historic Landmark and Wanderings, now a gallery of art, jewelry, furniture, home décor and crafts that was once a former railroad depot.
While in Havana, put down on your itinerary the Shade Tobacco Museum and the Gadsden Arts Center & Museum in the Quincy Historic District in nearby Quincy, Florida. The Gadsden Art Center, a former hardware store now renovated art center has work by local and national artists. Admission to the Art Center is free.
Reach out to the Shade Tobacco Museum, located at 204 2nd St NW at (850) 270-7315.
Monticello
Monticello, Florida, the county seat of Jefferson County is named after Thomas Jefferson the 3rd President of the United States.
The County Courthouse, built in 1909, sits at the center hub of downtown Monticello.
Monticello has many historic homes and structures with more than 600 built before 1920. A self-guided walking and driving tour to 26 of those structures is available. A brochure outlining the tour’s path with the historic history of the 26 structures is available at the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce.
Opera House
Watch murder mystery dinner shows at the renowned Monticello Opera House, built in 1890 where musical performing arts theatrical presentations are performed.
Browse a variety of mom-and-pop downtown shops! Search for vintage antiques and much more.
Grab a Meal at Some of Monticello’s Best Eateries
Jackie’s Brickhouse Eatery
Jackie’s Brickhouse Eatery serves up a wide choice of breakfast food including a full breakfast meal with eggs, and choice of grits, hashbrowns, bacon, sausage, toast. For lunch they offer shrimp, chicken finger and fish baskets, sandwiches, hamburgers, and premium sides. We had lunch there and it was one of the best! They’re located to the left of the courthouse downtown at 190 N Jefferson St. Phone is (850) 997-2100.
Johnston’s Southern Style Restaurant
Johnston’s Southern Style Restaurant is another one of Monticello’s best restaurants. They serve sandwiches, salads, and plates. Their sandwich selections includes pulled pork, smoked pulled chicken, chicken tenders and hamburgers. Their plate menu includes pulled pork, smoked 1/2 chicken, beef brisket, chicken tenders, rib eye, ribs, fish of the day selection and a smokehouse platter composed of ribs, pulled pork and quarter chicken. Their sides include baked beans, mac ‘n cheese, collard greens, baked sweet potato, fried okra and more. They offer kids meals and an extra-large plate just in case you are real hungry! Reach out to them at (850) 997-2377.
Bed and Breakfast Inns
Select from the many bed and breakfast Inns in Monticello. We enjoyed our stay at the 1872 historic Denham Inn. This 6-room bed and breakfast Inn is awesome, and we enjoyed every minute of our relaxing stay! Each morning we were served a hot breakfast around a decorative dining table. They provide outstanding customer service!
Check out my article on 10 Reasons to stay at a Bed and Breakfast (B&B)!
Take in a Haunted Ghost Tour
Monticello is known as the “Most Haunted Small Town in the U.S.” The Monticello-Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce offers ghost tours throughout the year at select times. They offer Victorian Haunted History Tours and Moonlight Cemetery Walks. Reach out to them at (850) 508-1353 by voice or text.
See the Childhood Home of Ray Charles
Top off your adventure to Monticello, by traveling to nearby Greenville, Florida to see history, the childhood home of Ray Charles, one of America’s great sight-impaired musicians.
Ray Charles, born in Georgia, spent his youth growing up in Greenville, Florida.
The Ray Charles Childhood Home in Greenville, Florida may be toured by appointment.
Contact Greenville City Hall at 850-948-2251. Site Location of the home is at 443 SW Ray Charles Avenue, Greenville, FL 32331
Wrapping our Discussion Up
Small towns are incredible destinations for a day trip or weekend getaway. While they do not offer the chain store conveniences of more populated areas, they make up for this with a slow-paced relaxing lifestyle from life’s hustle and bustle. It is not uncommon when driving down roads in small towns for people to offer a friendly wave of the hand to fellow travelers. Friendly greetings such as “hi neighbor” are often expressed by small town residents to its tourists. Small towns offer exciting attractions, including many agritourism activities and many mom-and-pop shops to browse through.
Northwest Florida has many small towns that are worthy of a visit by you. I have only mention a few, yet there are many more that I haven’t mentioned with fascinating adventures as well.
So as I commonly do in my posts, I want to encourage you to pack a bag and visit some of these small towns that I have listed.
Most of all have FUN and be SAFE in your travels!