Most people drive past Sandpiper Bay without knowing what's behind the tree lines and winding roads. I live here. Let me show you what they're missing.
When I was searching for my own home in Port St. Lucie, I toured communities across the entire area. Beautiful neighborhoods, manicured streets, perfectly identical houses. And then I drove into Sandpiper Bay.
What struck me immediately was that no two homes looked alike. Oversized lots tucked behind mature trees. Properties with real character — not the kind manufactured by a developer's blueprint. You could feel that people had lived here, loved here, and built something personal.
Then there's the location. Tucked in the southeastern corner of Port St. Lucie, Sandpiper Bay sits closer to the beaches than virtually any other PSL community. Stuart and Jensen Beach are minutes away. The St. Lucie River winds through the area offering boating, fishing, and some of the most stunning evening skies I've ever seen from a backyard.
I chose Sandpiper Bay because it felt like Florida the way Florida used to feel — spacious, natural, private, and genuinely beautiful. I've never looked back.
I don't just sell Sandpiper Bay — I live here. I can show you the homes, the water, the hidden corners, and give you the honest picture no listing description ever will.
Neighborhood Guide by Cathy | Cathy Sells Paradise | Jensen Beach, FL
Hutchinson Island · Gated Community · Ocean to River Living
I don't just sell homes on Nettles Island. I live here.
That matters more than you might think. When I tell you that this community is something truly special, I'm not reading from a brochure or quoting a listing sheet. I'm telling you what I see every single morning when I walk outside — the Indian River catching the light, the sound of the ocean just across A1A, my dogs happy, my family rooted, and neighbors who have become friends for life.
Nettles Island is one of the most unique communities on Florida's Treasure Coast, and in my experience as a local real estate advisor, there is simply nowhere else quite like it. Let me show you why.
Nettles Island is a gated, resort-style community located on South Hutchinson Island in Jensen Beach, Florida — sitting beautifully between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Indian River Lagoon to the west. That ocean-to-river setting is not just a selling point. It is the defining feature of daily life here.
What began as a campground in the late 1960s has evolved over more than 40 acres into a thriving community of custom homes, mobile homes, manufactured homes, Key West-style homes built on stilts, and RVs — with 1,578 properties in total, connected to A1A by Nettles Boulevard.
Today, Nettles Island is enjoyed by generations — with over 1,578 lot owners who are full-time residents, part-timers, seasonal snowbirds, or investors renting to visitors. The mix creates something rare in Florida real estate: a community with genuine soul, history, and heart.
This is not a cookie-cutter subdivision. Every street has personality. Every neighbor has a story. And the amenities? They rival resorts charging five times the price to stay here.
Living on Nettles Island means waking up to a choice most people only dream about. Do you want your toes in the Atlantic this morning, or a quiet cup of coffee overlooking the Indian River? On most days, you can do both before noon.
Nettles Island is an ocean-to-river, five-star resort community located on beautiful Hutchinson Island, across the street from the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by the Indian River. The private beach access across A1A is exclusively for residents — no crowds, no parking nightmares, just your beach.
Socializing is an important part of everyday life here, especially during the winter months, and residents are genuinely proud of their community spirit and recycling efforts. This is not a place where people wave from their driveways and disappear inside. People here know each other. They look out for each other. They show up.
And the wildlife? It is extraordinary. The Indian River Lagoon is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in North America. Manatees drift past the marina. Dolphins follow the boats. Sea turtles nest on the Atlantic shore steps from your front door from March through October. If you love nature, you have found your place.
Nettles Island amenities include a clubhouse, swimming pool, spa and hot tub, cabana, a state-of-the-art fitness center, game room, billiards room, hobby room, business center, and a library.
Sports facilities include a putting green, tennis courts, pickleball courts, bocce ball, basketball court, and shuffleboard. There is also a playground as well as walking and jogging trails.
The private marina offers a grocery market serving fresh sandwiches and pizza, a hair salon, a boutique, and a Key West-style restaurant.
Here is the full picture of what life includes here:
On the water
Stay active
Community & social
Practical living
One of the things that surprises people most about Nettles Island is the range of options available. This is not a community where you need a million-dollar budget to belong.
Nettles Island is a community of single-family homes and condos in Jensen Beach, Florida, with a range of options priced between $138,000 and $775,000.
The community features an interesting variety of home styles — custom homes, mobile homes, manufactured homes, Key West-style homes built on stilts, and RVs — reflecting the diverse, unpretentious character of the community itself.
What the market looks like right now:
Whether you are looking for a vacation home, a full-time residence, a retirement retreat, or an investment property with strong rental demand, Nettles Island delivers remarkable value for what you get.
"When people see what their money buys here — the beach, the river, the amenities, the community — they always say the same thing: 'Why didn't I do this sooner?'"
Nettles Island sits in one of the most convenient locations on Hutchinson Island. Everything you need is close, and nothing feels rushed.
Minutes from your front door:
Airports:
You are in paradise — and you are still connected to everything.
One of my favorite things about this community is that it truly does not have a "type." Nettles Island is an interesting enclave of snowbirds, native Floridians, new Floridians, wannabe Floridians, and vacationers who found this place by luck and could never give it up.
You will find retired couples who spend winters here and summers up north. Families with young kids who made the leap and never looked back. Remote workers who realized they could do their job from paradise just as easily as anywhere else. Investors who rent their properties when they are not here and enjoy steady, year-round demand. And full-time residents like me, who simply fell in love and stayed.
The community is pet-friendly (with some breed restrictions), welcoming, and genuinely warm. Your neighbors are not just people who happen to live nearby. On Nettles Island, they become part of your story.
Nettles Island is a wonderful fit if you are looking for:
It may not be the right fit if you need a large square footage home — most properties here are modest in size, which is actually part of the charm. Life here happens outside, on the water, at the clubhouse, and on the beach. The home is where you sleep. Paradise is where you live.
As a resident and a real estate advisor, I know this community from the inside out. I know which lots have the best river views. I know which streets feel the most private. I know the questions to ask and the things to look for that only a neighbor would know.
If Nettles Island sounds like your kind of paradise — or if you already own here and are thinking about selling — I would love to be your guide.
Not just your agent. Your neighbor.
📩 Contact Cathy at cathysellsparadise.com
📞 Call or text Cathy directly to schedule a private tour of Nettles Island
"I moved to Nettles Island and never looked back. Every morning I wake up to water views, my dogs are happy, my family is rooted, and my neighbors are friends for life. This is not just a neighborhood. It is a way of life."
— Cathy, Cathy Sells Paradise
© 2026 Cathy Sells Paradise | Jensen Beach & Nettles Island, FL | cathysellsparadise.com Market data sourced from MLS and public records as of early 2026. Contact Cathy for the most current listings and pricing. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
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