Palm Coast celebrates 25 years of incorporation as a city this year. First developed as a Flagler County service district in the 1960s, it has been transformed from a swath of pine forest and swampland with a few farms and a turpentine distillery to a bustling oceanfront locale treasured by locals and favored by tourists. Today, you’ll find posh resorts, upscale eateries, art galleries and state-of-the-art performance venues.
Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa alone boasts multiple recent additions including four pickleball courts at its Yacht Harbor Village and new stops along its Boardwalk Shops. Get your classic video game on at the Beach Arcade, enjoy an authentic Roman styleslice and a scoop at Pizza and Gelato, then finish the day with an artisan cup at the Beach Brew coffee shop.
Travelers can opt for a more private stay, too. Via Casago Vacation Rentals, Jamie and Jesse Karanas offer Coastal Breeze, their luxury Cinnamon Beach condo with a tiled veranda that overlooks the 8th hole of the Signature Jack Nicklaus Ocean Course.
“There is so much to do in our coastal area,” Jesse says. “We have new restaurants and cafes popping up, too: Ragga Surf Cafe, Bartletts Gatherings & Gourmet, Debra Jean’s Organic Coffee & Café.”
A new favorite, he says, is the Marineland Market, a monthly outdoorgathering featuring ocean-inspired art, clothing, jewelry, food and live entertainment.
But the area’s natural elements still thrive, too. New ways to enjoy the sun and surf include Mystic Knot Boat Rentals, Moana Kai Fishing Charters and Backwater Cat Adventures.
No wonder “Two Tickets to Paradise” singer Eddie Money, who had a home in its Island Estates gated community in the early 2000s, called Palm Coast “my place to play golf, be creative, go fishing, go surfing and have fun.”
Stay, Play & Gourmet Less Than One Hour Away!
Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa
hammockbeach.com
Casago’s Coastal Breeze casago.com/palm-coast
Ragga Surf Café raggasurfcafe.com
Bartletts Gatherings & Gourmet bartlettsgatherings.com
Debra Jean’s Organic Coffee & Café debrajeansfl.com
Marineland Market marinelandmarket.com
Mystic Knot Boat Rentals mystic-knot.com
Moana Kai Fishing Charters moanakaifishing.com
Backwater Cat Adventures backwatercatadventure.com/palmcoast
Palm Coast Songwriters Festival (May 2-5) palmcoastsongwritersfestival.com
