Panhandle Beaches

Not every stretch of Florida coastline features great beaches; some have rough sands, others may find you contending with rocks, mud, and stingrays when you wade in. What's appealing about the Panhandle—especially the Emerald Coast—are beaches that are marked by soft, powdery sands and clear, clean water.

About 20 quiet beach communities are clustered along Route 30A, which breaks off U.S. 98 east of Sandestin and runs along the water for more than 17 mi before rejoining with U.S. 98. Here, sugar-white, quartz-crystal sands and emerald-green waters make for some of the finest stretches of sand and sea in the country. Known as the Beaches of South Walton, many of these beaches are little more than a wide spot in the road, and all are among the least known and least developed in the Gulf Coast area, even though Grayton Beach, near Route 283, is regularly ranked among the country's top 20 beaches.

When to Go

The Panhandle beaches are best visited in the summer months. In late summer and fall, jellyfish can be a problem. Florida's Gulf Coast beaches also have to occasionally endure annoying red-tide algae that can make breathing difficult and cause itchy eyes. For current status on red tide in the area, go to www.myfwc.com, the home page for Florida's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

The Panhandle's Best Beaches

Pensacola Beach

Here you get miles of perfect beach and a convenient location, fringed by a commercial district and just over the bridge from Pensacola itself. Even though it was smacked by Hurricane Ivan and some homes will never be rebuilt, it's part of the Gulf Island National Seashore, and the stretch around Santa Rosa Island to the west and Opal Beach to the east gives you plenty of room to roam, especially with the reopening of CR 399, which is pleasantly absent of development. Just east of Pensacola Beach, it's a lovely stretch of nothing but sand and some convenient pull-outs. All in all, the beaches here provide a nice balance that blends privacy and accessibility, as well as passive lounging and active beach recreation. The sand is white and soft, and water adventures include scuba diving (explore the sunken USS Oriskany), fishing (the Pensacola Fishing Pier is 1,471 feet long!), kayaking, sailing, wave runners, surfing, and swimming. The water temperatures are in the 80s in the summer and in the 60s in the winter. For shopping, there's the Quietwater Beach Boardwalk.

Grayton Beach

This area will take you back to Old Florida, where there were no condos, no strip malls, and no beach concessions. Instead, there's a state park that has preserved the area and its sea oats and miles of walking trails for a laid-back time in the outdoors. The park has even added cabins (sans telephones and televisions), so you can experience Florida's Gulf Coast in its natural state. There are big dunes, camping, ample bird-watching and wildlife viewing, and on-the-water activities like canoeing, fishing, sailing, and swimming. It may be too slow-paced for kids, but just right for adults who want to ditch the schedule and get into the rhythm of nature.

Panama City Beach

If your visit to the Panhandle is based purely on beach access and activities, then this is where you want to be. Granted, Front Beach Road can get crowded, but parallel roads can move you up and down the coast fairly swiftly. Then again, once you check into your condo or hotel you may never need to hit the road. Instead, plant yourself by the pool, which is usually no more than a few feet away from the Gulf waters—reached by stepping over the softest and whitest sands in the state. Paradise. A popular family retreat most times, families tend to steer clear during spring break, when it gets a bit crazy, but arrive in droves in the summer. For a peaceful excursion, arrive in the winter. You won't be able to swim, but the views are still splendid.