The Treasure Coast of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast, is made up of 3 counties—Martin, St Lucie, and Indian River Counties. It was named for the gold and silver treasures that have been found originating mainly from shipwrecks of the Spanish Plate fleet in the 1715 hurricanes. Although treasures of that kind have been and can still be found on occasion on the Treasure Coast of Florida, the TRUE TREASURE lies in the lifestyle and things to do each day, living on Florida’s Treasure Coast!
Regardless of age—young families or 55+ Active adults, The Treasure Coast offers a multitude of fun to a variety of interests!
WATER SPORTS
Naturally, the “coastal” part of the Treasure Coast first brings to mind all of the activities associated with the water. With 3 inlets– the St Lucie Inlet, Ft Pierce Inlet, and the Sebastian Inlet its quite obvious that Boating and Fishing are two of the most popular things to do on the Treasure Coast, but are also a huge part of the economy! As a matter of fact, Boating and the hundreds of miles of waterways including the St Lucie River, The Indian River (part of the Intracoastal waterway), and, of course, the Ocean are the main attractions for 55+ Active Adults and for families when they visit and ultimately decide to relocate to The Treasure Coast.
Stuart, in Martin County, is known as The Sailfish Capital of the World (PIC of sailfish fountain?) and attracts sports fishermen from all over. If inland fishing and boating is your preference, there are hundreds of miles of inland waterways and a canal system to enjoy & take you into Lake Okeechobee and across to the West Coast of Florida if you choose. Marina’s, Boatyards, and Charters are abundant on the Treasure Coast, and Ft Pierce Inlet is the home of a Coast Guard station to provide information and help when necessary.
With beautiful beaches and breezes, other water sports that can be enjoyed are swimming, surfing and windsurfing! Nature enthusiasts can enjoy nature tours along the Indian River Lagoon and Intracoastal waterway as well, spotting manatee, a dolphin at play, a gator or two, and some of the most beautiful waterfowl in the world!
Prefer to be on more stable ground for your water enjoyment? Young and old can enjoy the fun at SPLASH Waterpark in Stuart. Most communities offer community pools and if you prefer to go out your back door—there are plenty of homes with swimming pools to be purchased or rented!
PERFORMING ARTS AND THEATRE
If the Performing Arts and Theatre are what you enjoy watching or participating in, there is much to be found on The Treasure Coast. We enjoy attending several of the shows offered each year at the LYRIC THEATRE in Stuart and THE SUNRISE THEATRE in Ft Pierce. Both bring in acts from all over the country and world as well as provide a venue for local dance and school performances. We have enjoyed seeing the late Kenny Rogers at The Sunrise as well as other famous acts like Tony Benne,t & Paul Anka. THE LYRIC THEATRE entertains us with wonderful Country, Rock ‘n roll, and other shows as well. Both of these theatres were built in the 1920s and have been renovated & updated recently with updated sound and acoustic systems while keeping their original charm.
More Community Theaters on The Treasure Coast
- The Barn Theatre and StarStruck Theatre & School in Stuart,
- The Barn Theater and StarStruck Theatre and School, Stuart
- The St Lucie Community Theatre, & Treasure Coast Theatre, Port St Lucie
- The Indian River State College McAlpin Theatre, Ft Pierce
- The Riverside Theatre and Vero Beach Theatre Guild, Vero Beach—just to name a few.
If large theatre venues are more your thing, in less than an hour from the Treasure Coast you can see Broadway Shows & Contemporary Performers at the Kravitz Theatre in West Palm Beach!
TREASURE COAST RESTAURANTS & DINING
Oh my—The Treasure Coast is so blessed with an abundance of good restaurants in so many different categories! Some you go to because ALL the food is scrumptious. Others—you might have a favorite dish or two you can’t do without on a regular basis and then there are the ones you go to because the atmosphere is just fun, or just peaceful…… The bottom line is you’ll have plenty to choose from on the Treasure Coast! I’ll list a few of the locally owned ones by category and write again sometime, in detail, about all the other fine restaurants on the Treasure Coast. Since we have so much waterfront, let’s focus there on this article.
Waterfront Restaurants: Most of these can be accessed by Boat as well—except the ones on the Ocean!
Sailor’s Return, Stuart–great food and drink specials, breathtaking sunsets, and a marina view of multi-million dollar lots to drool over! Entertainment Thurs-Sunday usually (Picture of sunset at the Marina?)
Dolphin Bar & Restaurant, Special menu- Specializing is seafood dishes but also plenty of other fine choices. Bar and patio overlooking the Intracoastal. Beautiful place & Great attached gift shop as well.
Mulligans-Stuart, Jensen Beach, Vero Beach, and Sebastian on the Treasure Coast. Fun Key West-y casual atmosphere. Menu items are more on the casual eating end of the spectrum. Weekend entertainment
Conchy Joes, Jensen Beach – Unique thatched roof restaurant on the Intracoastal near the Jensen Beach Causeway. Lots of great shrimp, oysters, and clams—mainly raw bar & seafood dishes– Fun, Fun, and Fun and reminds you of the islands. Reggae music playing Thurs- Sunday. (In some places like on the covered porch area, you can see the water lapping beneath your feet under the floorboards).
Shuckers – Hutchinson Island- Jensen Beach –Sits right behind the dunes of the beach. Relax with a tropical drink of choice while watching the waves, sun, and sand…..and people on the beach. Wonderful outside porch area plus 2 bars (indoor and outdoor) and loads of inside tables plus room for private parties. Casual dining with great menu choices. Entertainment is usually Thurs- Sun and in-season special evenings with Big Band groups etc. Another Fun Florida restaurant in the sun!
Kyle G’s Prime Seafood & Steaks—ON THE OCEAN- Hutchinson Island, Jensen Beach. Very upscale — as if you were fine dining on a ship with the same kind of view! The bar and deck is more casual with its own menu. Happy Hour Entertainment is on the deck usually.
Running out of time and space for this writing, but the special mention of other waterfront restaurants of the Treasure Coast that you won’t want to miss:
- Shrimpers, Twisted Tuna,& Manatee Island Grill– -Port Salerno -All American menus with a focus on seafood. All VERY Florida Casual.
- Hutchinson Island Resort -Beautiful & upscale with several bars and dining areas
- The Boat House Restaurant– tiered deck dining on the river in downtown Stuart
- The Hoffman, Jensen Beach- German Cuisine
- Pietro’s on the River– Hutchinson Island–wonderful sunsets over the Intracoastal – Fine Dining,
- Club Med on St Lucie--resort buffet-style dining—fun for groups.
Back Next Time with more restaurants and Things to Do on the Treasure Coast of Florida!