Florida, Stuart, FL

Must See and Do in Stuart, Florida

As I am sitting here pondering where to wander off to for my birthday weekend this year, I thought it seemed fitting to finally write up a blog post on my birthday trip from last year to Stuart, Florida.

Here are the things you absolutely must do while visiting Stuart, Florida!

I’m not sure what initially caught my eye about Stuart, but I had heard from several people that it was a cute little beach town and well, I love me a cute little Florida beach town.

While browsing where we would stay for the weekend, I found Sunset Point Cottage on Airbnb (cheaper if you book directly through their website). It was the perfect little stay, right on the St. Lucie River. The rental also came with bikes and kayaks for us to use at our leisure! If you’re looking for a larger place, they have two other rentals on property that come with the same amenities. Highly recommend!

One of the best decisions we made while in Stuart, Florida was waking up early to watch the sunrise at House of Refuge. We parked at Santa Lucea beach and were greeted with the first sight of sunrise between the sea grape walkway.

I really wanted to get a shot of the sunrise behind the limestone rocks at the House of Refuge. It was a bit of a walk from where we parked, so our gentle morning became a jog along the beach with lots of Oooo’s and Ahhh’s as we ran with the sunrise at our side. With a few stops for photo ops of course!

We eventually made it to the rocks at House of Refuge, and suddenly it was like we were on another planet…or at least not in Florida.

If you love snorkeling as much as I do, Bathtub Beach was an amazing spot with tons of fish! The parking lot gets full quickly. I recommend going early in the morning or in the afternoon when people are leaving to snag a spot! From the shoreline, you can see the reef in the distance. Grab your mask and snorkel then wander out beyond the reef and swim alongside it.

We had so much fun snorkeling in this spot and the water was gorgeous!

Another beach we enjoyed was Stuart Beach. It is close to everything, and the beach wasn’t crowded at all. We went during sunset for a beach stroll!

Another fun evening activity is walking along the Riverwalk in downtown Stuart. During summer months they even have a free live music series on a waterfront stage. Check out the schedule here.

We grabbed dinner at Stuart Boathouse and walked along the boardwalk after. It was beautiful at night and we even saw manatees!

On our last day in Stuart, Florida, we made a pit stop at the banyan tree tunnel I had seen all over Instagram. To find the tree tunnel, drive along SE Saint Lucie Boulevard until you approach Bent Banyan Way crossroad. The tree tunnel was so lush. We walked along the sidewalk following the path and spent time soaking in the peacefulness of it.

Stuart, Florida might not be at the top of your Florida bucket list, but it should be. With plenty of outdoor activities, no crowds and beautiful beaches, it is the perfect Florida destination!