hutchinson island

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Hutchinson Island, located on the east coast of Florida, is a long, thin barrier island that stretches from Fort Pierce to Stuart, Florida. There are miles of beautiful, sandy beaches to enjoy with many free public beach access on this down-to-earth island along with cultural events and activities for the whole family to enjoy.

Hutchinson Island is not just a lover's paradise for vacationers. It's also a chosen nesting destination for some of the ocean's most endangered sea turtles and a great place to enjoy Florida wildlife at its finest. 

From April through September Hutchinson Island becomes one of the most important nesting areas for loggerhead turtles in the world. There are 5 species of sea turtles that migrate to Hutchinson Island every year. The nest are carefully monitored and well marked on the beaches and whether you rent a water front condo or hotel room be sure to get up in the morning and look for the turtle tracks! 

Visit our sea turtle page for more information: Hutchinson Island Sea Turtles

With amenities available right on the island such as grocery stores, gas stations, beachside restaurants and more, one would never have to venture to the mainland. However, just across the Indian River are the quaint communities of Stuart, Jensen Beach and Fort Pierce rich in history and culture, great local dining, shopping, and local artist’s galleries.

Even though the island has everything you need, much of the island is left natural as the day it was when discovered, making it a wonderful sanctuary for the wildlife. It's not sculpted by endless rows of hedges like some of the islands just south of us but still very wild and free of man's hands. It has an abundance of public beach outlets welcoming our visitors. And you don't have to pay to park at any of them. The beaches are not overcrowded and most times you'll find you have the beach to yourself. The people are all friendly, courteous and very laid back. You will often see people strolling the beach with a glass of wine.

From presidents to pirates, Stuart, FL has been home to both famous and infamous residents. Historically known as the "Treasure Coast," Spanish galleons once sailed along its calm shores, now frequented by resident golfers taking in the breathtaking views of the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course.

The story of Hutchinson Island and the Stuart area is a colorful one—peaceful Native American tribes, rumrunners, farmers, pirates—all drawn to the area for its unparalleled beauty, abundant fishing, and exotic coastal living.

The waters along the coast of southeast Florida once served as a popular route for Spanish galleons returning from Mexico laden with treasure. While the shallower coastal waters were less dangerous than the open sea, peril lurked in the reefs along the Indian River, St. Lucie, and Martin counties, also known as the Treasure Coast. The area earned its nickname after a Spanish treasure fleet sank here in 1715. That shipwreck and others that followed introduced explorers to the earliest known inhabitants of Hutchinson Island, the Native American Ais tribe.

By the mid 1700s, disease, warfare and slavery had decimated the Ais tribe; so in 1811, the Spanish governor of Florida issued a land grant for the area to James Hutchinson, who moved to the small barrier island to escape raiding Seminoles. Unfortunately for Hutchinson, after whom the island is named, marauding pirates pillaged his island retreat, destroying both his crops and his lush plantation. Elsewhere in the area, fishing and plantations flourished, and the Indian River soon became a highway for pineapples, lemons, fish, and other foodstuffs being shipped north.