We are Ryan and Monica Hoffmann, proud parents of special needs children. It took a long time to get here, but we have been to 33 US states in the past 4 years and we are just warming up.
The Emerald Coast Florida beaches are consistently amazing from Pensacola to Panama City — a stretch of over eighty miles. Showcased along these Florida panhandle beaches are the absolute finest sand and surf in the United States.
This article will feature which are the best beaches to visit, as well as other sights, attractions, towns, and restaurants. We hope it will help you decide what to do on your vacation, other than sit and stare at the impossible beauty before you.
We are the Hoffmann family, a special needs, full-time RV posse that travel the US under the guise of travel nursing. Everything we write about is first hand information or noted otherwise. If you have questions, just leave a comment and we’ll be best friends.
What’s In this Article
1. Weather and Time of Year to Visit
2. What is the “30A Highway”?
3. The Best Things to Do on the Emerald Coast of Florida
4. Where to Stay: Cities, Towns, and Campgrounds
5. An Honest Conclusion
The Emerald Coast of Florida draws millions of annual visitors. As a result, traffic can be hellacious on the US 98 and 30A Hwy during the summer months. In addition to car traffic, people create traffic in stores, restaurants, and out on the sidewalks. This tends to make everyone surly (make a mental note).
June, July, and August are logistically nuts and the humidity is formidable. We understand why folks come at this time of year, but suggest you refrain if you can help it.
Your best bet is to visit in the shoulder season. April and May have perfect weather; September and October are nice as well.
December through March is fine, but you might wear a jacket with your swimsuit.
Between Destin and Panama City is a picture-perfect stretch of road known as the 30-A Highway. Along this road you will find some of the nicest beaches in the United States, in addition to posh beach towns and a pair of beautiful state parks.
The 30-A is one of those places that live in your memory forever — an absolute must-do on the Emerald Coast of Florida.
Some folks complain about how the crowds have increased in size over the years. We aren’t going to lie — it gets busy as hell some days. Parking can be a joke (except for the parking fees — those are not a joke). Thankfully, the 30A Highway is as beautiful as ever, congestion and all.
If you can’t avoid the summer months, just start your days early to get parking and utilize the state parks for your beach excursions. Whatever you do, if you come to the Emerald Coast of Florida, don’t miss the 30-A. We consider it one of the best things to do in the United States.
If you’d like to read more about the 30-A specifically, check out 30A Beaches and Towns.
Your primary purpose is probably to spend time on the beach, so that’s gonna be our focus. If not, good for you! You are gonna LOVE the Destin History Museum!
Half of these recommendations are beaches, but all you really need is one. If you plan on sitting on only one beach for the duration of your holiday we would recommend one of the first five locations.
When it comes to home base for your excursion, our personal preference is Destin/Miramar. The 30-A Highway is 20 minutes away, and Pensacola (west) or Panama City (east) are less than an hour’s drive. Besides all that, Destin is incredibly beautiful and cleaner than the other large cities.
Now that that’s out of the way, these are the 27 best things to do on the Emerald Coast of Florida!
Many of the blurbs below have additional links (in blue) that connect to other articles we’ve written or helpful websites associated with the attraction. We hope you’ll enjoy reading!
This is our favorite beach in the continental USA. However, it is not a public-use beach. The sand and surf get no better than Miramar Beach. Camping on the Gulf (site) is an RV park with a heroic beachfront plot that cannot be beat. They charge about $100/night. You can also access the Miramar Beach by a variety of hotels and condos.
Bubba the Alligator is arguably the best trained alligator in the world — considered a “therapy gator” — Never once has he bit a human! His handler picks him up and holds him like a baby. Kids can pet him, sit on him, give him kisses. Bubba performs at Camping on the Gulf with his hilarious trainer, Dave.
This might just be the best beach in the continental United States. The sand and water are as good as it gets, and the coastline rambles like a Grateful Dead medley. If you’re willing to walk a little ways you can have some paradisiacal real estate all to yourself. We prefer this State Park to the others because of the 30A location, expansive setting, and ease of approach to the sand.
Henderson Beach State Park is a public use beach and campground in the middle of the Destin strip. At $6 a carload this is an incredible value for a world-class beach. Henderson Beach S.P. is one the most Beautiful things to do in Destin, Florida and the Emerald Coast of Florida.
St. Andrews in Panama City is widely considered one of the best beaches in the USA. The breakwater (see photo) creates a calm bay at one end of the beach, perfect for snorkeling and fishing, and the rest of the shore is active with rolling waves. The beach is two-tiered with an elevated sandy bluff. The rest of the state park is impressive with a wide array of nature to explore.
The three-miles of quartz-white sand and aquamarine waters in Topsail Hill Preserve are as good as anywhere else on the coast (and less crowded). The downside is you have to wait for a tram, walk 20 minutes, or ride your bike down a giant hill (and back up), to get to the beach.
If you’re driving the 30A Highway you’re going to visit the town of Seaside. This is the most obvious place to stop along the road, a picture-perfect holiday setting with wood framed cottages and wide bike lanes. We consider this gorgeous little town the single best place to anchor your vacation (if you can afford it).
The National Naval Aviation Museum is the world’s largest Naval Aviation museum and one of the most-visited museums in the state of Florida. The museum is over 350,000 sq. ft. and houses over 150 restored aircrafts representing the Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard. An absolute highlight of the Florida panhandle.
WARNING: Be sure to bring a passport or passport-enhanced driver’s license if you do not have a military ID. The Naval Aviation Museum, Fort Barrancas, and Pensacola Lighthouse are on a Military Base. There is no way of talking yourself on the base without it.
Fort Walton is eight miles west of Destin. At the edge of Ft. Walton is a public beach/restaurant complex called Okaloosa Island. Home to 3 miles of sugar sand and emerald green water, this is the most active beach in the Destin area. Great for boogie boarding and even better for checking out co-eds.
The beach at Pensacola Beach is a tourist-heavy stretch of shore that we don’t necessarily love. However, we do enjoy the Gulf Islands National Seashore, which runs west of Pensacola Beach to Fort Pickens and east of Pensacola Beach to the town of Navarre Beach (MAP).
If you are looking to have one memorable meal on the Emerald Coast of Florida, be sure to visit the Beach Walk Cafe at the Henderson Inn. The restaurant takes itself very seriously — we call the attitude farm-to-table douchery. Mockery aside, the food is amazing and the beach setting is wonderful at sunset. Ask for an outside table and then fight for it when they forget your request.
We found this small museum near downtown Destin highly interesting. A fisherman named Leonard Destin initiated the town in 1835 when he found a world-class fishing hole, told a few people about it, and the rest is history. Much has changed over the years and it is fascinating drama.
The Seville Historic District began in the mid-1700’s when the British took West Florida and laid out the street system and town square. The Spanish then conquered the area, kept the layout, and changed the names. Today we have a gorgeous little community with charming architecture.
Related Article: Who has the better coast, Florida or Alabama? Here’s what we decided!
Pier Park is the biggest shopping center on the Emerald Coast of Florida. An outdoor mall of ridiculous proportions can yield most anything a beachgoer could want. Overpriced tourist food? That’s easy. 100% cotton t-shirts with local prints? Made on demand. Hit up The Yard for killer milkshakes.
This little park was the biggest little surprise thing we did in Pensacola. Also known as Admiral Mason Park (map), the Veteran’s Memorial Park is an intimate memorial garden beside a man-made lake. All major US Wars are represented with ornate statues, placards, flags, and other decorations.
The Indian Temple Mounds Museum is a historical site in Fort Walton. Ancient Indian Mounds were constructed by deliberately heaping soil, rock, or other materials onto natural land surfaces. The mounds first arrived about in the US around 4,000 BC. The museum houses over 1,000 ancient artifacts.
The 30-A Highway has no shortage of fancy towns with posh housing. Rosemary Beach is the major installation on the southern end of the 30A strip, with twice the residents of Seaside yet a smaller congregation of tourists. For one reason or another, Rosemary feels less “fun” than Seaside.
Pensacola Beach is a beautiful place to relax and get yourself wet. While easily the most popular of all the things to do in Pensacola, it is a crowded tourist beach with a pier and lots of young people, (similar to Okaloosa Island without the central location).
If you love to travel, we have something we would like to give you. It is our professionally designed e-book and it is FREE of charge. We think it’s pretty great, and we’re hopeful you’ll like it, too. It’s called, “Cultivating a Lifetime of Travel”. Click HERE. and we’ll send it on over!
A suburb of Seaside, Watercolor is a charming little town full of monied, earthy types that forsook city living for a beachier lifestyle. The architecture is something to behold. We strongly recommend getting lost in the neighborhoods where you’ll surely come across Cerulean Park with its fountains and flowers.
It would be a shame to come to Pensacola Beach and not indulge the historic downtown shopping strip known as Palafox Street. The five blocks between Garden Street and Main are the best part, where the covered walkways and hanging floral baskets create a southern elegance.
Fort Pickens is one of four military forts designed to protect Pensacola in the 1800s. Located on on the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Fort Pickens is accessible by foot and boat and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. If you like military relics this is a must-do on the Emerald Coast of Florida.
Captain Leonard Destin Park is a family park built on the site of Leonard Destin’s original homestead. Just a couple of minutes from the Harbor Boardwalk you will find an impressive, state-of-the-art children’s playground with beach views of Crab Island and water access. Most folk don’t know the park is here — its one of the best kept secrets on the Emerald Coast of Florida.
Related Article: 20 Best Beaches on the Redneck Riviera (Florida and Alabama).
Norriego Point is a sandy beach prominence (map) that helps form the mouth of Destin Harbor. A row of small bays protected by jetties on the east side are the perfect place to families to swim and watch the ships go by. Large birds nest in the dune that runs down the center of the point.
High on a bluff overlooking the entrance to Pensacola Bay, Fort Barrancas stands as a monument to the legacy of America’s early homeland defense. Built with 6 million bricks, walls 4 feet thick and 20 feet high, Fort Barrancas was completed in 1844 and remains an example of military engineering.
WARNING: Be sure to bring a passport or passport-enhanced driver’s license if you do not have a military ID. The Naval Aviation Museum, Fort Barrancas, and Pensacola Lighthouse are on a Military Base. There is no way of talking yourself on the base without it.
The Harborwalk Village is the tourist hub of Destin — a mecca of restaurants, gift shops, water sport rentals, boat ride tours, and other assorted drek. We usually spend an hour or two each time we visit, buy a t-shirt, take some photos, then run like hell. The hallowed Destin Fishing Rodeo takes place here.
If you want to stay near Pensacola Beach but not necessarily in the town of Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach is the next town over (17 miles east). The drive between the two towns runs along a quiet stretch of the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Baytowne Wharf is a golfing community in Sandestin that has its own little Harborwalk Village tourist attraction (with fewer marijuana cigarettes). Here you can zipline and ice skate, buy fancy soap, and eat at Fat Tuesdays in an evening’s time. The possibilities are endless on the Florida panhandle.
Ed Walline is another beach option in a long stretch of options, better than most, but not the best. I’ll tell you what though: We would sit on this beach 100 times before we would pay $170 to sit on a beach in Seaside or Rosemary Beach. Across the street are nice restaurants, an ice cream shop, and candy store.
If your family is looking for a childhood memory, all it takes is lodging near the shore and a double-scoop of bubblegum ice cream. Blue Mountain Beach and Blue Mountain Creamery have you covered. This is the annual vacation made easy: Sand, Sherbet, Sleep. Peel some shrimp. Repeat tomorrow.
In this section we will touch upon the most significant cities and towns to help you decide where to anchor your Emerald Coast Florida vacation. If you are a camper or RV owner, we will list the most significant RV Park/Campgrounds along the Florida panhandle.
The following cities and towns are listed from west to east.
Pensacola is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the Gulf Coast region, population of 50K, and is known for sun, sand, and seafood. Situated on a bay (map), a long bridge extends from Pensacola to the peninsula town of Gulf Breeze, then another bridge exits Gulf Breeze to the town of Pensacola Beach. We find the area beautiful although a headache. To us, Pensacola is a daytrip adventure for variety.
Fort Walton and Destin are about the same size with approx. 20K full-time residents, and they are separated by eight miles and a stunning bridge. The town of Fort Walton is a bit rundown, although the main strip on Miracle Strip Parkway has some decent shops and the Indian Burial Mounds Temple Museum. Okaloosa is just a few minutes away from downtown Fort Walton.
The town of Destin sprawls along US 98 Hwy, and promotes a saturated tourism industry of go-carts, putt-putt courses, and water parks. Forget that noise because everything else is beautiful. The boardwalk downtown by the gigantic Emerald Grande Hotel, is the primary attraction. There is a small public beach on Restaurant Road near Henderson Beach State Park, but the state park is the place to catch your rays.
Destin eventually blends into Miramar, and Sandestin is contiguous to the north. This is our favorite part of the Emerald Coast of Florida. The beaches are not public, but Camp Gulf RV Park is here, and so are an abundance of condos and hotels. Sandestin is home to some fantastic golf courses and Baytowne Wharf as well.
One of two significant towns on the 30A Highway, Seaside is the beach town of your dreams. Everything is white and bright and charming and expensive. Wayfarers stroll along or ride beach cruiser bicycles and golf carts to and fro. Some folks hate this, but not us. This is a lively, crowded hub. All those who stay in Seaside and wish to use the beach will need to rent umbrellas and beach chairs for $160/day (or be relegated to a small section down the beach for those who dare bring their own equipment.
The other significant town on the 30A, Rosemary Beach is even more posh than Seaside. The crowds are lighter, too, because over half the town is hidden over the hillside. We like to spend a few hours sniffing the shops around town. There’s a really good bookstore. If you stay here you will be required to rent your umbrella and beach chairs from a company for $170/day, and then get stacked in 4-5 rows deep before the ocean. We find this unacceptable. Go to Grayton Beach State Park.
The beach stretches for over 20 miles. Along this stretch you will find nice sand and water (perhaps a bit dirtier than other parts of the Emerald Coast of Florida), as well as tourist attractions aplenty. Pier Park, Shipwreck Island Waterpark, Gulf World Marine Park, and restaurants galore all live along this action-packed beach-town USA. We prefer to daytrip here, but it’s a fun place to stay as well.
A big city with office buildings and traffic. There are some things to do here, but we aren’t doing them.
If you’ve always wanted to own an RV, but you’ve been reluctant to pull the trigger, we invite you to read our favorite article we’ve written, “Don’t be Afraid to Buy an RV: Be Very Afraid and Buy One Anyway.“
You’ll have a lot of options for lodging here — the Emerald Coast of Florida is 80 miles long! We cannot recommend hotels as there are too many of them. What we can recommend are RV Parks.
A well-regarded RV Park on the backside of Pensacola Beach.
A well-regarded RV Park in the town of Navarre across from Santa Rosa Island.
Another well-regarded RV Park in the town of Navarre across from Santa Rosa Island.
A massive Okaloosa Island / Fort Walton RV Park near East Pass and Destin.
In the town of Destin. One of the best places to camp/RV on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Very popular — book in advance!
Our favorite campground on the coast. Not cheap — about $125/night. Directly on Miramar Beach. Walk from your RV to the sand in minutes or even seconds. Plus, Bubba the Alligator!
A small RV park in Miramar. Nothing special, but they sometimes have sites when everyone else is booked out. They have access to a fantastic stretch of Miramar Beach, but it’s across a busy street.
On the 30A Highway. One of the best places to camp/RV on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Very popular — book in advance!
On the 30A Highway. One of the best places to camp/RV on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Very popular — book in advance!
Sun Outdoors has a good reputation. Located near the beach in Panama City Beach.
Panama City Beach RV Resort has a good reputation.
On the tip of Panama City Beach. One of the best places to camp/RV on the Emerald Coast of Florida. Very popular — book in advance!
Nowhere in California, Texas, Alabama, or the Carolinas will you find a beach as nice as the Emerald Coast of Florida. There are a few competitive beaches in other parts of Florida, but unless you include Hawaii in the conversation there are no better beaches in the USA than those on the Emerald Coast. You simply cannot go wrong booking your next vacation to the Florida panhandle. Unless there’s a hurricane. Just gotta put that there.
We hope you have enjoyed reading about the Emerald Coast a fraction as much as we’ve enjoyed living it. Consider us fully-converted believers — this is truly one of the best places in the USA. Once you come here, you’ll forget all about old what’s-his-beach.
One last thing before you move on: If you didn’t see the link for our Redneck Riviera Review: Florida Vs. Alabama, here it is again. This is a direct contrast/comparison between the Florida Panhandle and the Alabama Coast. We hope you enjoy!
Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!
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