Area Information

St. George Island is a barrier island, 28 miles long and at its widest point approximately 2 miles wide. Behind the island lies Apalachicola Bay which is fed by the Apalachicola River, Florida’s largest river in terms of average flow. 
Relatively undeveloped, the island is divided into three parts. The eastern portion of the island is the Julian Bruce State Park, a strip of the island nine miles long that remains in its natural state. The center of the island contains the commercial district and many homes. The western end of the island is a gated community called The Plantation. 
St. George Island is free from the scourge of highrise condo development, only the lighthouse is allowed to be more than 35 feet tall. 

Across the bay is the fishing village of Eastpoint and the City of Apalachicola (pop. 2,300), the county seat of Franklin County. 
The word Apalachicola comes from the Apalachee Indian language and roughly translated means “the people on the other side of the water.” 
Before the Civil War and the coming of the railroad, Apalachicola was the third busiest port in the Gulf of Mexico (surpassed only by New Orleans and Mobile) where large plantations shipped cotton to market in Apalachicola, where it was loaded onto oceangoing vessels for shipment to Europe. 
Today Apalachicola is home to the local seafood harvesting industry and a unique stroll about town with many interesting shops and boutiques, and a variety of one of a kind restaurants.