The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A true Florida adventure
There’s plenty for the whole family in Navarre Beach.
A cheery sign surrounded by lush palms reads: “Welcome to Navarre Beach: Florida's Most Relaxing Place.” It welcomes locals and visitors alike to gorgeous views of white sand beaches and an ocean that fades from turquoise to deep azure.
Navarre Beach is far from busy amusement parks and hard-partying crowds. That's exactly why people come to this area on Florida's Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico. The unspoiled, uncrowded beaches offer visitors the chance to recharge, surrounded by natural beauty. It's the perfect place to get away from it all and spend time with the people you love most.
During your stay, you'll find that Navarre Beach is more than just a beach. It's a perfect mix of high adventure and hours spent doing absolutely nothing beachside. It's on-trend shopping and the best nature has to offer. It's delicious local eats and familiar favorites. Navarre Beach is the little bit of everything you need to make a memorable stay for you and your family.
Outdoor adventures
Sharing in adventure is one of the best ways to create lasting family memories. Be sure to make the most of your time by taking in all Navarre Beach has to offer.
If you're looking to start your day off nice and slow, try a day at the beach followed by fishing at the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier. Measuring 1,545 feet long and rising 30 feet above the ocean, this pier is the longest pier in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. And the fishing is fantastic. Test your fishing know-how at $7 for adult admission and $4 for the 15 and under crowd. Expect to see and (hopefully!) catch amberjack, red snapper, cobia and king mackerel.
Consider charter boats for deep sea fishing fun. Mahi mahi, sharks and sheepshead are plentiful in these waters. Expect to stay out on the water for four hours for half-day and six hours for fullday rentals.
If you're looking for some freshwater fun, take a float down one of the rivers in the northern part of the county, like Coldwater Creek. Just off the Blackwater River, this spring-fed waterway stays refreshing year-round with cool water and lots of shady spots along the way. You'll find several free access points along the nearly 20-mile stretch. So grab a tube or kayak and enjoy a relaxing float.
Take a hike. Whether you're looking for beautiful forested views or breathtaking coastal habitats, Navarre Beach has you covered. Check out the Blackwater River State Forest with over 210,000 acres graced by 75 miles of hiking trails. If you're a first timer, stick to the trail system at the forest's southernmost border.
If you're an experienced hiker looking for a grander adventure, consider a full-day trip to the Seashore Trail, the only National Scenic Trail section that falls along a beach. Take in the sparkling waters of the Gulf of Mexico until you reach the trail's end 32.2 miles later at Fort Pickens on Pensacola Bay.
Adventures Unlimited offers just what you'd expect: familyfriendly fun and adventure like ziplines and river trips. Adventure Unlimited's four zipline tours are what family memories are made of. With names like “Forest Flight” and “Soaring Stream” these tours are perfect for beginner and novice zipliners. Expect to spend around three hours on a single zipline tour.
If a river adventure is what you're after, Adventures Unlimited has you covered. You can rent paddleboards or spend a day on a 4-mile or 15-mile canoe or kayak trip. You'll paddle through serene forests and alongside beautiful spans of white sand beaches. If you're hoping to spend even more time on the water, reserve a spot on a one-, two-, or threeday overnight canoe trip where you'll cover up to 36 miles.
What to eat… and where
What will fuel your family's great Florida adventure? Answer: some of the best eats around. So when it's time to escape the sun, pull up a chair at one of Navarre Beach's local favorites, featuring the best of American, Asian, barbecue, Italian and Mexican cuisine. And please, don't forget the seafood.
For true Gulf coast comfort food, head to Blackwater Bistro. For more than a century, they've been serving favorites like Mom's Meatloaf and baby back pork ribs in a charming historic atmosphere just steps from the water.
Of course, fresh seafood is the star of the dining scene here on the Gulf, and no place embodies that quite like Dewey Destin's. The Destin family's roots run deep in this community: Dewey's great, great grandfather founded the nearby city of Destin in 1835, and in the nearly two centuries since then they've been leading figures in the fishing and restaurant industries. Enjoy fresh Gulf shrimp and classic fish sandwiches (plus craft beers and family games) at Dewey's beach-side restaurant.
If you're in the mood to do a little Florida-inspired cooking of your own, check out recipes from some of Navarre Beach's most popular restaurants. There's Sal's Pizzeria & Grill's Cozze Fra Diavolo—a palate wetting plate full of mussels and rich marinara sauce. Or TC's Front Porch's take on a breakfast favorite—the Lobster Omelet.
Note: Restaurants, breweries and wineries are open with restrictions on capacity for indoor and outdoor dining. Social distancing, sanitation practices and staff screening measures are in place.
Where to Stay
Navarre Beach offers a wide variety of accommodations, many of which you literally won't find anywhere else. Where you choose to stay becomes another part of the adventure.
Adventures Unlimited is a one-stop-shop when it comes to family adventure and memorable accommodations. They offer primitive and non-primitive cabins, treehouses, comfortably refurbished rooms at Schoolhouse Inn and even a red train caboose endearingly named “Katie's Kaboose.” Adventures Unlimited also offers tent camping sites starting at $30 a night and RV sites starting at $40 a night. And, if you're thinking of bringing the family pet, be sure to take advantage of their petfriendly sites.
Coldwater Gardens is a popular 352-acre destination for weddings and other events. It's no wonder. Their gardens grow flush with colorful flowers and seasonal produce, European honeybees and six different varieties of chickens. It's a picturesque spot of land that also books visitors in their choice of eco-design cabins, modern treehouses or a tiny-house cabana.
Vacation rentals offer families a home away from home with fully stocked kitchens and multiple bedrooms and living areas. Homes and condos are available to rent in Navarre Beach with accommodations to sleep up to 16. These gorgeous rentals offer privacy and relaxation. Try booking early for the best deals.
Looking for a more traditional place to lay your head? Navarre Beach hosts many top national hotel brands, including Springhill Suites by Marriott and Hampton Inn and Suites. These hotels have prime beach side real estate, so a stretch of sand to call your own is really just a few steps out your door.