Discovering the Best Beaches and Beach Towns in the Florida Panhandle

Where are the best beach towns and beaches in the Florida Panhandle? Well, it depends on what kind of experience you are looking for. Are you looking for family fun, couples retreat, the whitest sand, uncrowded, or a place to relax?

The Emerald Coast, pretty much all of the panhandle, has some of the whitest sand in Florida. Most of the water is a beautiful turquoise, hence "The Emerald Coast". 

Let's get started exploring! (Popular questions answered at end )

Perdido Key

Starting at the western edge of Florida is Perdido Key. It is a barrier island with white sand dunes, turquoise water, and tons of wildlife. Like it's popular neighbor, Gulf Shores (16 miles to the west), the beaches are lined with condos. It is less crowded than Gulf shores and the state parks seem to always only have a few people. 

 

Pensacola Beach

Beautiful beaches and plenty of nightlife. The Pensacola Beach area is always crowded, but on the far east side is a secret paradise (Navarre Beach). Navarre Beach is one of my favorite beaches in the panhandle. Tons of beautiful white sand, turquoise water, watersports, and restaurants, without the crowds.

Check out:

 Pensacola Beach Activity Guide 

 

Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach has nice white sandy beaches and just enough other things to keep you entertained when not at the beach. Great place to relax, but still have things to do.

Check out:

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

Take a trip into Destin (5 miles to the east) and check out the amazing beaches along the way.

 

Destin

What’s not to love about Destin! It has stunning beaches, restaurants galore, shopping, watersports, and anything else you can think of. It is one of my favorite places in Florida. It is also one of the most crowded places. Be prepared to literally crawl in traffic and give yourself about 45 minutes extra to get anywhere.

Check out:

 Destin Activity Guide 

 30A

30A is a 24 mile stretch along Florida’s Scenic Highway 30A, located between Destin and Panama City Beach. This area is amazingly beautiful, especially towards the Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach end. Be prepared to drop some cash if staying in the area and make reservations early. Lodging is limited to mostly upscale condos and homes.

Check out:

Grayton Beach State Park

Aly’s Beach   

Read more about Alys Beach 

Rosemary Beach    

Read more about Rosemary Beach

 

Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach has a reputation as being a college party town. I have been there many times and I like it. I just don’t go during spring break. Beautiful beaches with plenty to do and see.

Check out:

St. Andrews State Park     

 

Mexico Beach

Mexico Beach is a small place that seems to be in the middle of nowhere. If you are looking for uncrowded beaches, this is your place. Lodging is minimal and nightlife is almost nonexistent. Long walks on the white sand beaches, shelling, and relaxing are what this small town is all about.

*The area was hit hard by a hurricane in 2018 and is a slowly rebuilding. We loved the Driftwood Inn, which was totally destroyed. I hear they are rebuilding, so keep a watch for it.

 

Port St Joe

Reaching Port St Joe coming from the west means you have officially found the “Forgotten Coast”. Nature, sand, water, and more nature describe the area. Most lodging consist of beach houses.

Check out:

St. Joseph Peninsula State Park 

Cape San Blas

 

Apalachicola

Apalachicola is small fishing town popular for it’s charming Inns and fresh seafood. It has beautiful waterfront parks, but no beaches. No worries though, St George Island beaches are just a 20-minute drive away.

 

 

St George Island

St George Island is reached by about 15 miles of bridges. You know you have found a special place when you hit the end of the main road to the island and see the lighthouse. The island is 22 miles long and one mile across at its widest point. White sand is everywhere and people are few.

Check out:

Saint George Island State Park

Carrabelle

Carrabelle is small with limited lodging. The beaches are usually empty and there is little to do other than beach related activities.

 

The Rest of the Panhandle

Alligator Point, Bald Point State Park, Mashes Sands Beach, Shell Point Beach, and St Marks are at the far east part of the panhandle. The beaches are not pristine and the water is blue with a brownish tint instead of turquoise. These areas are great for tent camping, fishing, and experiencing nature. I saw my first eagle's nest at St. Marks. They are massive!

So, which one do I like best? All the the towns and beaches along the Panhandle coast are unique and each has things I like over the others. But, here is a quick rundown of my thoughts on questions I have been asked.

Where are the pretties beaches?  I hate to answer this one, but Destin. The sand seems to be whiter and the water a deeper turquoise. It is breathtaking to look at!

Which beach towns are best for families? For an overall experience, Destin. The amount of thing to do and places to eat are crazy. This place is great for all ages. (but very crowded)  Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach are also good choices.

Which beaches are less crowded? Any beach east of Panama City Beach. Think about going off season to beaches on the west end. January through March is a little cool, but you will have the place to yourself. 

Where is the best place to find seashells?   Mexico Beach, St Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, and St George State Park.

Where is the best place to birdwatch?  St Marks

Is Rosemary and Alys beach really that special?  Yes! You will not see and experience anything like it anywhere else in the United States.

Where is the best place to snorkel in the Panhandle? Pensacola and Destin both have a couple of place to snorkel from the beach.

Hope this helps make your trip planning a little easier! 

 Happy & Safe Travels!

 

 

Discovering the Natural Beauty and Charm of Boca Grande, Florida

 boca-grande-gas

If tropical secluded beaches where you can swim, snorkel, fish, and find tons of beautiful shells sounds good to you, then Boca Grande is the perfect place.

Boca Grande was recommended to us by an older couple that spend the winter in Florida every year. They told us that is was absolutely beautiful. Well, they were right! The area is amazingly beautiful and the beaches are loaded with shells. I have found tons of shells every time that I have been there.

 Boca Grande is a small residential area located on the southern end of Gasparilla Island. To get onto Gasparilla Island, you will cross the Boca Grande Causeway where you will stop at a toll both.  There is a toll fee of $6 to get onto the island.

The island is small and has no traffic lights. Bicycles and golf carts are the preferred mode of transportation on the island.

The drive to the beach is simply beautiful!  Most of the homes are surrounded by tropical foliage and flowers.

Just north of Sanibel and Cayo Costa, both know for the great shelling, Gasparilla Island beaches are usually loaded with shells. And the best part is that there are no crowds, so you can look all day and find good ones.

There is a public beach access with parking on the right 2 miles before you get the the lighthouse beach.

This is a great place for swimming. This beach usually does not have many shells.

The Boca Grande Rear Range Lighthouse is located on the beach at this access point.

Around the jetty is a good place for finding shells and fishing.  It is located behind the South Beach restaurant, but you will have to park at the public access just a short distance on the right before you reach the restaurant. 

The main road ends at Gasparilla Island State Park.

 This is the best beach to finding shells. It is also home to the Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and museum.

In addition to tons of large shells, we saw hundreds of starfish and sand dollars this particular day.

My mother is almost as crazy about shells as I am! 😊

Address:

880 Belcher Rd
Boca Grande, FL 33921

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

Lighthouse Museum Hours:

November through May
Monday – Saturday 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Sundays 12:00 pm-4:00 pm

June through October
Wednesday – Saturday 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Sundays 12:00 pm-4:00 pm

Museum Closed all of August



Admission Fee:

$3.00 per vehicle using  the honor box method



Happy Travels! 

Honeymoon Island State Park: A Hidden Gem in Florida

Formally known as Hog Island, Honeymoon Island acquired its current name when a New Yorker purchased the island in 1939 and built bungalows for honeymooners.

The island is a barrier island on the gulf coast of Florida and is home to Honeymoon Island State Park. The beautiful undeveloped beaches make it a favorite place for both visitors and locals.

My favorite shells to collect are the turban shells. I have never seen them on any other beach in Florida, or any beach anywhere. I'm sure they other places, I just haven't seen them.

The main beach area is great for swimming and beach activities. The sand is soft with very few rocks in that area. That is also where the restrooms are located.

The pet beach is on the south end of the island. It is a good distance from the parking area to the beach and we had to walk around several puddles of water to get there. The beach is nothing spectacular to look at, but the fur babies will love it. Unfortunately, I do not have the photos that I took of the pet beach. They were on my brand new phone that I dropped in a pool right after we left the park....😭

A fun thing to do is to catch the ferry to Caladesi Island. You can read about our trip here.

Address:

#1 Causeway Blvd.

Dunedin, FL 34698

Hours:

The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year.

Admission Fee:

$8.00 per vehicle. Limit 2-8 people per vehicle.

$4.00 Single Occupant Vehicle.

$2.00 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers, passengers in vehicle with holder of Annual Individual Entrance Pass.

$4.00 per vehicle: sunset fee, starting one hour prior to sunset.


Happy Travels!