Is Spanish Lakes safe?
Fort Pierce, Florida · safety score updated nightly
Yes — it is one of the safer places in the metro to walk around.
VibeLoco rates Spanish Lakes as “Go”.
Gogo's take on Spanish Lakes
“Go. Spanish Lakes is a collection of quiet, deed-restricted 55+ active-adult communities located in northern Fort Pierce and unincorporated St. Lucie County. Violent crime rates are minimal within the residential enclaves, making it very safe for visiting family or guests, though commercial amenities are spread along arterial highways.”
About the area
Spanish Lakes comprises several master-planned, manufactured-home retirement communities centered around golf courses, clubhouses, and lakes. It is suburban, tranquil, and distinctly car-dependent, catering primarily to seniors and retirees.
- Quiet Suburb
- 55+ Active Adult
- Car-Dependent
- Peaceful
Walking and biking in Spanish Lakes
Walk score: 18/100 · Bike score: 38/100
There are no bike-share programs; internal community streets are safe and flat for leisurely bicycling, but external arterials like US-1 and Kings Highway lack dedicated cycling infrastructure.
Reasons to go, and reasons to think twice
Pros
- Significantly lower violent and property crime rates compared to central Fort Pierce
- Quiet, residential streets with active neighborhood watch and private community management
- High rate of owner-occupied manufactured homes with well-maintained common grounds
Cons
- High car dependency with virtually no commercial services within walking distance
- Surrounding rural-suburban corridors along US-1 and Kings Highway lack continuous sidewalks and streetlights
- Limited public emergency medical facilities immediately adjacent, requiring travel to central Fort Pierce or Lakewood Park
Homelessness: Visible homelessness is practically nonexistent within the Spanish Lakes residential communities, though occasional panhandling may occur around big-box retail centers along US-1 several miles south.
What Spanish Lakes is like at each time of day
- Morning · 5a – 11a
- Peaceful and active with residents walking dogs, jogging, and driving golf carts along private subdivision roads.
- Afternoon · 11a – 5p
- Calm and safe, with light traffic focused around community clubhouses, pools, and tennis courts.
- Evening · 5p – 10p
- Very quiet and suburban with negligible foot traffic and exceptionally low risk of disturbance.
- Late night · 10p – 5a
- Extremely dark and silent with virtually zero street activity; safe within the community gates.
Transit, parking and getting around
Public transit is very limited; Area Transit (ART) St. Lucie provides on-demand microtransit and fixed-route bus service along major corridors like US-1, but service within Spanish Lakes neighborhoods is sparse to nonexistent.
Parking is abundant and free in private driveways, carports, and community clubhouse lots; street parking regulations are strictly enforced by community HOAs.
Things to do in Spanish Lakes
- Play a round of golf at the private resident and guest courses within Spanish Lakes Fairways or Golf Village
- Explore the nearby Savannas Recreation Area for freshwater canoeing, kayaking, and hiking trails
- Take a short drive east to the Atlantic beaches at Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
Local favorites
- Manatee Island Bar & Grill · Seafood Restaurant · 4.4★ (3200)Lively waterfront dining spot nearby in Fort Pierce offering fresh seafood, tropical drinks, and live music.
- Archie's Seabreeze · American Restaurant & Bar · 4.5★ (3750)Historic open-air beach shack serving burgers, seafood, and drinks with a relaxed coastal vibe.
- Moonswiners Bar-B-Q · Barbecue Restaurant · 4.4★ (850)Longtime local roadside BBQ joint serving generous portions of smoked ribs, pork, and classic southern sides.
Scores are safety-driven — recent reported crime and local news plus Census income, poverty, housing, education, household and access data — refreshed nightly. Walk and bike scores are shown separately and do not affect the safety score. A guide, not a guarantee — conditions change street to street.