The 10 Best Small Towns in Florida

Florida attracts millions of visitors every year, but the Sunshine State isn't all Miamis and Orlandos. There are plenty of smaller towns — some off the beaten path — with alluring attributes of their own. What they lack in size, they more than make up for in quaint shops, tasty restaurants, easygoing vibes, and enough water and land activities to keep visitors occupied and happy.

• Best tourist destination: Florida Keys
• Underrated hidden gem: Anna Maria Island
• Best for families: Cypress Gardens
• Best for couples: Fernandina Beach
• Best for solo travelers: Palm Beach

Here's a closer look at 10 of the most charming small towns in Florida, all with populations of 17,000 or less.

Florida Keys

The Florida Keys may be one of the Sunshine State's greatest assets, but the cities lining this chain of islands have small populations. Decidedly quirky towns like Marathon, Islamorada, and Key Largo offer visitors a perfectly tropical getaway, complete with great snorkeling, diving, and boating, as well as a laid-back island vibe you won't find anywhere else in the country.

Anna Maria Island

One of the state's best-kept secrets, Anna Maria Island is home to wide white-sand beaches lapped by emerald and sapphire seas. While the Gulf Coast barrier island's shores are wild, natural, and picture-perfect, visitors also love strolling Pine Avenue to check out the shops, galleries, and restaurants. The wooden Rod and Reel Pier, dating back to 1947, is another Instagram-worthy spot to visit.

Cypress Gardens

Technically part of Winter Haven, this small community was home to the very first theme park in Florida. Cypress Gardens Adventure Park originally opened in 1936 — decades before the debut of Walt Disney World — and became world-famous for its breathtaking botanical gardens and impressive water-ski shows. The park closed in 2009, but today, its grounds are occupied by Legoland Florida Resort, which preserves the historic garden portion inside the park. Visitors can also take a Living Water Boat Cruise along Winter Haven's Chain of Lakes to see this picturesque area from the water.

Fernandina Beach

Located on picturesque and lightly ritzy Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach remains a bastion of easy living. It's located in the greater Jacksonville area, and is beloved for its boutiques, restaurants, and thriving wildlife. To top it off, visitors can enjoy 13 miles of quiet beaches, which offer 40 public beach access points. (In other words, you'll avoid crowds, making the beach feel like your personal stretch of sand.)

There's a host of charming hotels and romantic bed-and-breakfasts here, too. The Addison on Amelia Island offers not only luxe accommodations, but a personal concierge service to make your trip perfect.

Palm Beach

While greater Palm Beach County is one of Florida's largest and most popular regions, Palm Beach proper — a 14-mile-long barrier island — sports a population of just under 10,000. With a particularly wealthy zip code, Palm Beach somehow remains approachable, with beautiful beaches and lots to see and do within a few square miles.

Visitors can stay at The Breakers or another hotel — some glitzy, some old-school, all refined and historic — ride bikes along the Palm Beach Lake Trail for a glimpse of the island's multimillion dollar estates, or shop the designer boutiques and art galleries lining Worth Avenue, often called the Rodeo Drive of the East Coast. The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, originally home to the railroad tycoon and hotelier himself, is another must-visit in Palm Beach; the Gilded Age mansion was Flagler's wedding present to his third wife.

Cedar Key

It doesn't get much tinier than Cedar Key, home to approximately 687 people, but this old-fashioned destination in the Gulf of Mexico is worth a detour. You can paddle the waters around Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge, explore artifacts depicting the area's history as a busy port at Cedar Key Museum State Park, or simply stroll the multilevel houses and mom-and-pop stores perched on stilts in this artsy, humble fishing village. Enjoy the low-key, slow-paced vibe that's totally different from anywhere else in the state, and don't leave without sampling fresh local seafood at one of the many on-the-water restaurants.

Mount Dora

Comprising a population of approximately 16,000, Mount Dora is a relatively small central Florida destination with big-time charm. Head to the quaint downtown district for antique shops, eateries, and annual festivals. The Mount Dora Arts Festival, held the first weekend of February, is a perennial favorite, attracting about 200,000 attendees each year. There are also museums dedicated to a variety of subjects, from modern furniture to local history. Peppered with lakes and live oaks, Mount Dora offers a slow pace and a taste of old Florida.

Micanopy

Fewer than 700 people reside in Micanopy, a tiny rural town in the middle of the state. Named for the Indigenous Seminole chief Micanopy and considered to be one of the antiques capitals of Florida, it's not just one of the smallest towns in the state, it's also among the oldest, having been settled in 1821.

Here, visitors can expect to find narrow dirt roads and ancient oaks dripping in Spanish moss. Visit Micanopy to shop at its antiques stores or for the annual Fall Festival with music and crafts. Nearby, check out Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and climb its 50-foot observation tower for the chance to spot bison and wild horses.

St. Augustine Beach

Located about an hour from Jacksonville, St. Augustine Beach is full of small, locally owned cafes and restaurants, creating a perfect small-town-by-the-ocean atmosphere. Stroll or relax along the sand, cool off at the Splash Park, play beach volleyball, or check out the latest catch at the fishing pier. To get in the water, you can try stand-up paddleboarding, surfing, boogie boarding, or kiteboarding, as there are many beachside businesses to rent gear from. With just under 7,000 residents, it's also a 15-minute drive from popular museums, restaurants, and other attractions in St. Augustine's historic district, which dates to 1565.

Cape Canaveral

For a destination with a population of approximately 10,000, Cape Canaveral packs in a lot of action: It's home to the Kennedy Space Center, where visitors are treated to unobstructed views of future-defining space shuttle launches from NASA, SpaceX, and the like on the regular.

However, Cape Canaveral also has beaches, including the Canaveral National Seashore — 24 miles of undeveloped beach — as well as a cruise ship port. Nearby Cocoa Beach (population roughly 11,000) is similarly small, but attracts tons of tourists each year, as it's one of the most popular beaches in Florida.