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Sights Overview

There are sights in the Panhandle, but sightseeing is not the principal activity here. The area is better known for its rich history, military presence, ample fishing and diving spots, and for being a spot to simply relax.

Florida's westernmost city, Pensacola, with its antebellum homes and historic landmarks, is a good place to start your trek through northwest Florida. After exploring the museums and preservation districts, head east on coastal Highway 98 to Fort Walton Beach, the Emerald Coast's largest city, and on to neighboring Destin, where sportfishing is king. Continuing along the coast, there are a dozen or so family-friendly communities collectively known as the Beaches of South Walton, where sugar-white, quartz-crystal sands and emerald-green waters make for some of the finest beaches in the country. This is also where you'll find some of the Panhandle's newest, most luxurious developments, such as WaterColor, where luxury meets modern seaside chic in smartly designed vacation homes and intimate inns. The next resort center along the coast is Panama City Beach -- just look for the construction cranes -- whereas to the far southeast is historic Apalachicola, the Panhandle's oyster-fishing capital. Just south of Apalachicola, St. George Island, a 28-mi-long barrier island bordered by the gulf and Apalachicola Bay, has vacation homes on one end and a pristine state park on the other. Inland, a number of interesting towns and state parks lie along Interstate 10, which crosses the historic Suwannee River on its long eastward trek to the state capital, Tallahassee.

Scenic Route

Instead of Interstate 10, take Highway 90: it's the less traveled, original, two-lane back road that takes you directly through the cute communities of Quincy, Marianna, Chipley, DeFuniak Springs, Crestview, and Milton.