We say “Florida.” You think Miami. Or Disneyworld. Or Daytona. Odds are, you don’t think Fort Walton Beach.
But we do. And, after a recent visit to Fort Walton Beach, we think deep, powdery sand...water in gorgeous shades of blue and green...splendid seafood just off the boat...stunning sunsets...blissful chillin’...and the lure of natural landscapes.
Fort Walton Beach is a gentle town oozing Southern charm. It sits between Pensacola and Panama City in the Florida Panhandle, 200 miles that stretch along the Gulf coast to the Alabama border in Florida’s northwest corner.
The pristine, white sand is the result of pulverized quartz crystal that washed from Appalachia over thousands of years. The region is far from river systems that produce sediment, so the sand keeps its fluffiness and the water its vivid Caribbean colors.
The Panhandle experiences all four seasons. (Snow is rare, but light flurries have occurred.) While summer is prime time, if you don’t mind a nip in the air, fall, winter and spring are still happenin’ and prices go from reasonable to bargain.
Vacations here are typically hassle-free and just right for the whole family. Pelicans, gulls and sandpipers abound; dolphins may be seen swimming along the coastline. Beer is locally crafted. All sorts of water sports are on offer, including jet-skiing, kiteboarding, parasailing, surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, waterskiing, paddleboarding or just frolicking in the clear, aquamarine sea.
One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, where the friendly staff introduced us to turtles, harbor seals, sea lions, penguins, stingrays, alligators and more. Opened in 1955, the Gulfarium keeps innovating, and its latest section is the two-acre outdoor habitat called Dolphin Oasis, which debuted in the spring after a $20-million build.
We stayed at The Island Resort at Fort Walton Beach, built in 1966 and renovated in 2018. This full-service, Gulf-front property has something for everyone. Our days were happily spent on its stunning beach or in its Grotto Pool with a swim-up bar, so we might have missed a few yoga classes during the day. We had perfect attendance at evening activities, including the dive-in movie, full-moon party, music bingo and live music.
Good eats, too! We savored bites and sips at the Island Resort’s poolside and signature restaurants: A black angus burger at the Island Grill for lunch, mojito snapper at the Coastal Kitchen for dinner, tropical gin fizz at the Tripp Tide Beach Bar for, well, any time.
Sometimes we ventured out for Gulf-to-table catches at nearby eateries, including Stewby’s Seafood Market, where others bought fresh catch to cook at home while we relaxed at a picnic table and dug in.
We also hung out in neighboring Destin, which offers tons of Jimmy Buffet-style amusements, including adventure parks, miniature golf courses, outlet and upscale shopping, fishing and dolphin cruises, and the 208-acre Henderson Beach State Park. Nearby are Navy and Air Force museums.
Although Fort Walton Beach has seen a lot of development since its days as a sleepy fishing village, it still manages to rock an old-time vibe. Pair that with turquoise surf and quartz-sand beaches, and you’ve got a Florida that can’t be beat.
Turquoise surf, quartz-sand beaches and an old-time vibe.