How Many Islands in Florida? We Have 19 Good Ones
Bahia Honda Key is a great way for children to learn about underwater sea life.Thinking about islands to visit in Florida? Want to know how many islands in Florida?
There is nothing like being surrounded by water on a Florida island visit. Just how many islands in Florida? Wikipedia says there are 4510 over ten acres. However, we would suggest there are thousands more islands in Florida under 10 acres.
Florida has over 4500 islands we document! Of course, many are uninhabited or abandoned. Some islands were havens for Native Americans, pirates, and prisoners sentenced for crimes.
Many more exist in the ten thousand island region in the Everglades. Many more exist on the Florida Bay Map.
So, how many islands in Florida? We doubt there is an accurate count.
Some islands are called keys. Most islands are made from events that occurred thousands of years ago. Keys are a mound of coral deposits formed by living corals.
Can you tell the difference? Not really unless you are planning on major excavations. Our list of 19 islands to visit in Florida explores both keys and land-formed islands.
When planning a visit to a Florida island, we really don’t care whether we are going to a “key” or just a plain old island. It’s the amenities, or lack thereof, that make your island visit in Florida different.
Florida has some plush resort islands and some remote barely inhabited islands. You can choose the level of adventure desired.
Below, Florida Travel Blog gives you 19 islands to visit in Florida.
St. George Island – Panhandle Island to Visit in Florida
If you could choose a beach to just hide away from the rest of the world, St. George Island would be a candidate. Located off the Gulf coast near Apalachicola, the island has some development on the western side, but there are miles of natural beaches on the eastern side of St. George Island.
Best Florida Island For:
- Remote Beach
- Total Relaxation
Chokoloskee – Big History, Small Florida Island
This little island in the Everglades was critically important to survival for Indians, trappers and fishermen in the 19th century.
It was a central point for trading goods and services. Barely known but inhabited by hardcore fishermen, Chokoloskee is a remote inshore fishermen’s paradise. Plenty of redfish, snook, and trout around the area. This is one of the best places to fish in southwest Florida.
Best Florida Island to Visit For:
- Fishing
- History
Marco Island – Luxury Vacation Island
On the other end of the remote and sparse habitation is Marco Island. Located south of Naples on the edge of the Everglades, the island is the winter home of the well-heeled.
Elegant condos surround the island along with the Gulf of Mexico. Nice wide beaches front many of the resorts that offer only the best in service and amenities. If cost is no issue, this is the island to visit in Florida.
Best Florida Island For:
- Couples Getaway Island
- Pampered Hotel Stay
- Beach Going
- Sightseeing in Naples and the Everglades
Amelia Island – Family Vacation Florida Island
Amelia Island is one of the larger islands in our Florida island adventure list. Located north of Jacksonville, the island is one of or favorite road trips while in the northeastern part of Florida. The town of Fernandina Beach is fun and the eastern shore of Amelia Island is covered with resorts along the Atlantic Ocean. If you are counting how many islands in Florida, this is one of the biggest.
Best Florida Island to Visit For:
- Atlantic Coast Island
- Family Vacation
- Couple Resort
- Local History
- Beaches
Fort Myers Beach – Fun Florida Island for the Family
Note – Fort Myers Beach was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. By the end of 2023, there should be new growth on the island. Perhaps one of the more well-known tourist islands on our list. Plenty of shopping on the beach and across the bridge in Ft. Myers. Many water-based activities on both sides of the island. Also the home to The Key West Express, a ferry that takes you to Key West.
Best Florida Island For:
- Catching Key West Express
Siesta Key – Famous Beach, Quaint Florida Island Town
If size matters when it comes to beaches, you must visit Siesta Beach on the island. The public beach is huge and the village nearby supports a dozen different restaurant options. On the north end of Siesta Key there are some upscale homes on a tree-covered drive as you cross the bridge from Sarasota.
Best Florida Island to Visit For:
- One of the biggest beaches in Florida
- Cute small town with good restaurants
- Near Sarasota for sightseeing and shopping
Clearwater Beach – One of the Most Visited Islands in Florida
Whenever we write about Clearwater Beach, we disclose our prejudice – we live there! Probably the most visited beach on our islands to visit in Florida list. This is a family beach with a big marina that supports all types of water activities.
Kids love the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise. Beautiful white soft sand covers 3 miles of beaches. Tons of hotel choices and plenty of shopping make Clearwater Beach a perfect vacation for the whole family.
- Kids & Families
- Sightseeing
- Beach Shopping
- Excellent Seafood
- Wide range of accommodations
Cayo Costa– Remote Florida Island Getaway
In direct contrast to Clearwater Beach is Cayo Costa. This island to visit in Florida is only accessible by boat. There are ferries from Pine Island and other locations that take you to Cayo Costa State Park. This remote island has limited facilities, but a beautiful beach to explore.
Best Florida Island For:
- Isolation and relaxation
- Beach shelling
- Primitive Camping
- Ditching the Cell Phone
Anna Maria Island – Rustic Florida Island Beach Community
Another Gulf Coast island to visit in Florida located northwest of Bradenton, Florida. What makes Anna Maria Island unique is the lack of sky-reaching highrises. You aren’t surrounded by condos, just colorful cottages and homes.
Anna Maria Island is very near Sarasota which is a great place to visit with waterfront and cultural activities.
Best Island in Florida For:
- Gulf Coast Beach
- Colorful Cottages
- Small Island Hotels
The Florida Keys and Key West – The Ultimate Florida Island Vacation
One of the most popular destinations in Florida. Florida Travel Blog has several posts about attractions on the island. If you are going to visit Key West by automobile, you will actually be visiting 48 islands in Florida. That is how many you cross getting to Key West.
It is hard not to like Key West. Duval Street alone is an attraction. Then there is the Hemingway connection, the historical component and the many beaches. World-class fishing too! Key West has become an international destination for tourists, artists and the curious. Of all the islands to visit in Florida, Key West is a must-see.
Best Island in Florida to Visit For:
- Active Outdoor Vacation
- Tons of History
- Beaches are around the island
- Entertainment and Bars
- Watersports
Lido Key Beach – Beasch Community with Big Shopping Habit
Lido Key is just north of Siesta Key and is also accessible from Sarasota, Florida. The beach is generally less crowded, but the real attraction on Lido Key is St. Armand’s Circle. The collection of 140 retail outlets and restaurants brings people from all over Florida. Fun place!
- Less crowded than Siesta Key
- Exceptional shopping
- Sarasota across the bridge
- Resorts on the Island
Sanibel and Captiva Islands – Popular Gulf Coast Island
Note – Sanibel and Captiva were destroyed by Hurricane Ian. By the end of 2023, there should be new growth on the island. These two islands are linked by a bridge but are considered together because there is only one way to get there through Sanibel.
It would be uncommon to visit one island and not go to the other. While Sanibel is known for the numerous shells washed up on the beach daily and Captiva has the South Seas Island Resort, both are the destination for sun worshipers heading to Florida beaches. Your access to these beaches is just north of Fort Myers.
Best Island in Florida to Visit For:
- Shelling
- Long Beach Walks
- Fishing
- Sunsets
Bahia Honda State Park – One of Florida’s Best Island Beaches
For those families that love to explore and camp, Bahia Honda Key is the place to be. A great way to introduce the kids to the saltwater environment on an island just north of Key West.
It can be a busy place, so reservations are required for camping facilities. There are plenty of motels around if you just want to enjoy Bahia Honda State Park Beach. If you are going to consider islands to visit in Florida with a family, this is it.
- Best Beach for kids
- Camping
- Visiting Key West and other Florida Keys
St. Pete Beach – One of Florida’s Best Island Beaches
You could almost duplicate the words for Clearwater Beach for St. Pete Beach. This is an island with long sandy beaches and tons of hotels. The Don CeSar is a classic old hotel that anchors the south end of the beach. Maybe not quite as much to do on St. Pete Beach as Clearwater Beach, but this beach is party central for the younger crowd.
Best Island to Visit in Florida For:
- Beach Bars
- Big Restaurants
- Big Beach
Fort Jefferson – Island and Historical Attraction
About 70 miles west of Key West is truly a Florida island adventure. In the mid-1800s the United States built a prison on an island in the Dry Tortugas. At the time it was a marvel of red brick construction.
Called Fort Jefferson originally, it was converted into a prison to hold Confederate prisoners during the Civil War. Even Dr. Mudd was there! It is a must-see for those who want to see the Tortugas and this historical island. There are ferry and float plane trips daily from Key West.
Best Island to Visit For:
- History
- Snorkeling
- Boat or Sea Plane Trip
If you like history coupled with islands to visit in Florida, you must go to Fort Jefferson.
Boca Grande – Relaxed Island, World Class Fishing!
Just west of Port Charlotte, Florida is a small, but exclusive, island called Boca Grande. For a century the island has been dominated by the rich and famous who want to get away from crowds. We don’t know if the exclusivity continues today, but we do know Boca Grand swells by several hundred people each spring when the tarpon are running. The island is called the Tarpon Capital of the World.
Best Florida Island to Visit For:
- Stately Luxury
- Fishing
- Relaxation
Key Largo – The Largest Island in The Keys
The string of islands off the southern tip of Florida are called the Florida Keys. There are about 47 of them connected by bridges. Key Largo is the largest of the islands to visit in Florida and the Keys. This is the perfect island to visit in Florida.
Key Largo is known for the fabulous scuba diving on local reefs. But in fairness, other places like Islamorada, Marathon and Big Pine Key are equally popular islands in the chain. For the ultimate Florida island adventure, explore them all! There are amazing sights throughout the Keys. Visit all the islands in the Florida Keys!
Best Island in Florida to Visit For:
- Diving and Snorkeling
- Fishing
- Sightseeing
- Resorts on Atlantic Ocean
Cabbage Key – Island on the Gulf Coast
Do you like a little mixture of experiences in your visit to a Florida island? Adventure? How about an island-hopping ferry ride to a small island that supposedly serves up the best cheeseburger in Florida and then a stroll around the barrier island?
That is the agenda for Cabbage Key and the Cabbage Key Inn. Cabbage Key is in Pine Island Sound north of Sanibel and Captiva.
Best Island in Florida For:
- Arriving by boat
- Best Cheeseburger
- walking the shoreline
Cedar Key – Historic Island on the Gulf Coast
At one point in Florida’s history, Cedar Key was a major shipping port on the Florida Gulf coast. Eventually, the island became one of the state’s biggest suppliers of clams and oysters. Quaint shops and a line of buildings with restaurants built right over the Gulf highlight Cedar Key’s appeal. Cedar Key is 45 miles north of Crystal River.
Best Island to Visit in Florida For:
- Haunted Hotel
- Aqua grown seafood
- clams
- Waterfront bars
How Many Islands in Florida?
Those are our favorite 19 Florida islands to visit in Florida. Many have big beaches and plenty of people. Others are remote islands to visit in Florida. All of the islands in Florida are worth visiting.
