Hobe Sound, Florida

In 1696, a ship carrying British Quakers sank off Florida’s southeastern coast, forcing the religious group ashore. They were the first white men and women to set eyes upon the idyllic area now known as Hobe Sound.

Today, this quiet riverfront town has a cute downtown dotted with eclectic shops, boutiques, galleries and murals. Restaurants include catfish houses, BBQ places, steakhouses and delis. The farmers’ market happens weekly.

Events include the Hobe Sound Art Walk and Stroll and the Sound Festival of the Arts. Residents also have eight or more golf courses on which to play.

Established, organic neighborhoods with small older homes on leafy streets mingle with newer areas dotted with expensive, celebrity-owned waterfront estates. Eaglewood is a 55+ community with single family homes and town homes.

Hobe Sound Beach has lifeguards and showers. A little farther south, Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge features a long stretch of nearly empty sand along the Indian River lagoon. Jupiter Island, just across the Intracoastal Waterway, has miles of undeveloped oceanside beaches with few amenities.

Other local nature areas include 11,000-acre Jonathan Dickinson State Park and Saint Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park, which has a scenic kayak trail. Blowing Rocks Preserve is a popular snorkeling destination.