Florida is a land of islands—over 4,500 of them, scattered like stepping stones along its coasts and through its winding rivers. Some are world-famous, bustling with tourists and resorts. But others remain hidden in plain sight, their stories buried beneath shifting sands, tangled mangroves, and the slow creep of time. These forgotten islands hold echoes of shipwrecks, lost civilizations, and whispered legends—waiting for those willing to listen.
Egmont Key: The Island of Ghosts and Guardians
At the mouth of Tampa Bay, Egmont Key stands like a sentinel against the waves. Its past is layered with history—once a sacred site for the Tocobaga people, then a military stronghold, and later a quarantine station for those suffering from yellow fever. During the Civil War, Union forces occupied the island, and later, it became a refuge for Seminole prisoners before they were sent west on the Trail of Tears. Today, the crumbling ruins of Fort Dade and the lonely lighthouse serve as reminders of lives lived and lost. Some visitors say they’ve seen shadowy figures along the old brick paths, while others swear they’ve heard whispers on the wind.
Hog Island: The Town That Vanished
Few people today have heard of Hog Island, once home to a thriving fishing village on Florida’s Gulf Coast. In the early 20th century, families lived in wooden stilt houses, surviving on what the sea provided. But in 1921, a massive hurricane swept through, submerging much of the island and forcing its residents to flee. The town was abandoned, left to the tides. Today, only fragments remain—buried pilings, broken pottery, and the occasional relic washed up on shore. Some say that on stormy nights, you can still hear the echoes of laughter and the clatter of oyster shells beneath the waves.
Anastasia Island: The Pirate’s Haven
South of St. Augustine, Anastasia Island has long been rumored to hold secrets of buried treasure. In the 1600s, it was a haven for pirates who plundered Spanish galleons along the coast. Legends claim that famous outlaws like Blackbeard may have hidden gold beneath the dunes. More grounded history tells of the Coquina quarries, where Spanish settlers mined the unique limestone used to build Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the U.S. The island still carries an air of mystery—its shifting sands hiding what time has not yet revealed.
Dry Tortugas: The Prison at the Edge of the Sea
Seventy miles off Key West, the Dry Tortugas rise from the ocean like a mirage. Home to Fort Jefferson, an unfinished 19th-century fortress, the islands were once a place of exile. The most famous prisoner? Dr. Samuel Mudd, convicted of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of President Lincoln. Cut off from the mainland, the prison was a place of fever and misery—until Dr. Mudd saved lives during a yellow fever outbreak, earning his eventual pardon. Today, the ruins of Fort Jefferson still stand, surrounded by sapphire waters teeming with marine life, a stark contrast to the suffering once contained within its walls.
Pine Island: The Land of the Calusa
Unlike most of Florida’s forgotten islands, Pine Island is not abandoned—it remains home to a quiet, tight-knit community. But its history is ancient. Once the heart of the powerful Calusa civilization, the island still holds the remnants of shell mounds, canals, and artifacts left behind by a people who ruled South Florida long before European contact. The Calusa were fierce warriors, expert fishers, and master engineers of waterborne cities. Though their empire faded with disease and colonization, their spirit lingers in the island’s waters, whispering through the mangroves.
Fort Jefferson: A Fortress on the Sea
Far from the mainland, in the turquoise waters of the Dry Tortugas, stands Fort Jefferson, one of the largest coastal forts ever built in the United States. Constructed in the 19th century, this massive, hexagonal fortress was meant to protect the nation’s shipping lanes, yet it was never fully completed. Despite its unfinished state, Fort Jefferson became an infamous Civil War-era prison, once housing Dr. Samuel Mudd, the physician who treated John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Today, this remote island is accessible only by boat or seaplane, offering visitors a glimpse into a past frozen in time. The abandoned red-brick walls contrast sharply with the blue of the surrounding sea, creating a haunting yet breathtaking scene. As you walk the empty corridors and peer through arched windows, it’s easy to imagine the soldiers, prisoners, and lighthouse keepers who once called this place home, cut off from the world by miles of open ocean.
Mound Key: The Shell Kingdom of the Calusa
Hidden in the waters of Estero Bay lies Mound Key, an island shaped entirely by human hands. Believed to be the capital of the powerful Calusa civilization, this archaeological site is a testament to the engineering skills of a people who dominated southwest Florida long before European contact.
The Calusa, often called the “Shell People,” built Mound Key over centuries, using discarded shells, bones, and other debris to create towering mounds that still rise above the mangroves. They were fierce warriors, expert fishermen, and master navigators, controlling vast trade networks long before the Spanish arrived. Legends speak of their resistance to colonization, their elaborate wooden carvings, and their ceremonial rituals lost to time.
Walking the trails of Mound Key, surrounded by whispering sea breezes and the distant cry of ospreys, one can almost feel the presence of the Calusa, their kingdom now silent but never truly gone.
Perdido Key: The Lost Island
Tucked away near Florida’s westernmost edge, Perdido Key lives up to its name—Spanish for “Lost Island.” This barrier island remains one of Florida’s most unspoiled coastal retreats, with over half of its land preserved as a state and national park.
Unlike many of Florida’s tourist-heavy destinations, Perdido Key offers quiet, untouched beaches where sea turtles nest, ghost crabs scuttle, and the wind carries the scent of salt and longleaf pines. It was once home to early Native American settlements and, later, Spanish explorers seeking passage through its shifting sands. Some even believe pirates may have hidden treasure among its dunes, their secrets buried beneath centuries of coastal erosion.
For those willing to wander its trails and shores, Perdido Key offers a glimpse into a Florida that feels frozen in time—a place where history, myth, and nature intertwine.
Lost, But Not Forgotten
These islands may not make the headlines, but they hold stories worth remembering—tales of resilience, mystery, and survival against the odds. Whether shaped by storms, war, or time itself, they remind us that history is never truly lost—it just waits to be rediscovered.
Have you ever visited one of Florida’s forgotten islands?