Northwest Florida - Popular Places to Go in Northwest FL (2024)

Florida's Panhandle is renowned for outdoor adventure, family fun, and its stunningly white beaches. Stretching from Pensacola to Apalachicola, it promises history, charm, a multitude of activities, and an abundance of smiles.

CITIES IN FLORIDA'S PANHANDLE

Apalachicola

Its waterfront isn’t the center of industry it was in the mid-19th century, but some of the brick warehouses once devoted to cotton production remain – shop for clothing and other gift items atGrady Marketfor a taste – and the river’s influence is ever-present. Fishing boats run in place of cotton-laden steamboats, and shrimp and blue crab are tasty here. Though the town boasts more than 900historic sites, it’s an easy walk among most of them.

Blountstown

Rivers run near it – the Chipola to the west, the Apalachicola to the east. Grab a paddle, or a tube, to glimpse limestone bluffs and experience area shoals – a particularly adventuresome one along theChipola River Canoe Trailis known as “Look and Tremble Falls.” Venture into history atFlorida'sPanhandle Pioneer Settlement, an impressive collection of original and replica structures featuring 19th-century log cabins, a farmhouse and a school. The working farm here produces sugar cane and its own syrup, and annual quilt shows and peanut boils capture the essence of Northwest Florida.

Carrabelle

Anglers revel in the area’s bays and grassy flats, which reveal species from tarpon to trout; sun-celebrants and shell-seekers enjoy natural respites such as Dog Island, accessible only by boat. Back in “civilized” Carrabelle, theCamp Gordon Johnston Museumcommemorates soldiers who completed their amphibious training here, including D-Day veterans. Oyster shacks and an annualRiverfront Festivalhighlight the town’s maritime identity, as does the renovatedCrooked River Lighthouse, erected in 1895.

Chipley

Holmes Creek, a spring-fed creek, flows through here with canoes and tubes (boating and fishing tours are popular, too).Falling Waters State Parkstages some drama within its 100-foot-deep, 20-foot-wide sinkhole; when water levels are sufficiently high, a waterfall crashes inside. The annualFlorida Panhandle Watermelon Festivalsweetens the scene at theWashington County Agricultural Center.

Crestview

In 1929, the Old Spanish Trail opened to enable the ultimate transcontinental road trip, connecting San Diego toSt. Augustineby way of cities well- and less-known, including Crestview.Main Streetthrows various events (a cruise-in car show, fall festival, barbeque and Veterans Day parade). A May Day Festival centers onAllen Park, established by the Okaloosa Negro Civic Club in the 1950s, and theCarver-Hill Museum, which chronicles the history of the local African-American community.

DeFuniak Springs

Reviving a century-old tradition, DeFuniak Springs hosts the annualFlorida Chautauqua Assembly. Attendees gather at the renovated 1909 Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood, which presides over perfectly round Lake DeFuniak.Chipley Park, also known as Lake DeFuniak, charms with lighted piers that end in gazebos, what is likely the oldest operating library in the state (established in 1886) and theWalton County Heritage Museum, which occupies a restored train depot.

Destin

The “world’s luckiest fishing village,” as the residents like to call it, was first established by New England fisherman Leonard Destin in the 1840s. What started out as a small fishing village has grown into a popular Florida vacation destination. Visitors flock to its emerald-green waters, bright white sandbeaches, upscale and outlet shopping complexes (theSilver Sands Factory Storesclaims to be “the nation’s largest designer outlet center” based on number of designer-name stores), elegant restaurants, premier resorts and condo rentals. Fishing and seafood are still popular;Destin Fishing RodeoandDestin Seafood Festivaldraw big crowds each October.

Fort Walton Beach

Not everyone knows that Fort Walton Beach hosts its own Mardi Gras. It’s a fun, Florida-style spin on the renowned revelry, but at its heart, this city’s all about the water. Ultra-green Gulf waves lap at blinding-white shores where dunes, resorts and water sports abound.The Boardwalkon nearby Okaloosa Island is afamily-friendly attraction, andGulfarium Marine Adventure Parklets you watch dolphin and sea lion shows and peer into large-scale aquariums. History gets serious at theIndian Temple Mound Museumdowntown and at Eglin Air Force Base’sAir Force Armament Museum, where you can view vintage aircraft for free.

Grayton Beach

This may be South Walton’s original community from the 1800s, but Grayton Beach carefully balances history and culture. Sand dunes resemble snow-capped hills guarding quiet sands, and dense pines and oaks shroud aged wooden homes conjuring up a time when the pace here was even more easy-going. Make time to explore the trails and shores ofGrayton Beach State Park. Colorful cottages all in a row conceal galleries and whimsical boutiques near much-talked-about restaurants.

Gulf Breeze

You can feed giraffes, view twin tamarinds and take in acre after acre of free-roaming animals along the Safari Line express at theGulf Breeze Zoo. Or, look for blue herons, brown pelicans and five-lined skinks inside theNaval Live Oaks Area(and headquarters) ofGulf Islands National Seashore.

Marianna

On the surface, Marianna is all antiques and 19th-century relics.St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, scene of theCivil War Battle of Marianna, still stands. Beneath the town, caverns (both water-filled and dry) invite exploration.Tours at Florida Caverns State Parkreveal limestone stalactites and stalagmites – you also can camp and fish here, and the multi-use trails are popular with horseback riders, cyclists and walkers.

Milton

Blackwater River State Forestreveals trails along its waterway and Juniper, Coldwater and Sweetwater creeks (watch for pitcher plant bogs). Also see the town’s 1912Imogene Theater, Gothic Revival-styleSt. Mary’s Episcopal Churchand theWest Florida Railroad Museum.

Navarre

In a community this size, a handful of restaurants and long stretches of beach (12 miles, precisely) are all you need. Fishing and staging the quintessential day at the beach are top to-dos along these family-friendly shores.

Panama City

Kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, kiteboarding, dolphin-watching trips and shelling are popular activities on the crystal-blue waters of St. Andrews Bay, with world-class beaches just minutes away.Seafood shacks and oyster bars serve up fresh eats almost everywhere you look.

Panama City Beach

This town has a beach persona – with 27 miles of white sand beaches along the turquoise waters of the Gulf – that coaxes out the carefree in all. Swimming, fishing, diving and sunset-watching are popular.Gulf World Marine ParkandZooWorldare fun, and educational, too.St. Andrews State Parkfeatures diving, snorkeling, surfing and fishing.

PensacolaandPensacola Beach

From sky to sea, there’s much to see here. Overhead, the Blue Angels practice from mid-March to mid-November (watch from the viewing area at theNational Naval Aviation Museum).(Note: Admission to the museum is currently limited to Department of Defense ID cardholders and their guests, and veterans with a Veterans Health Identification Card.)History dominates at street level. Take a guided tour of 19th-century homes and the 1832 Old Christ Church atHistoric Pensacola Village, or stroll beneath the oaks to the wooden gazebo atSeville Square. There’s ample water sports activity and classic beach fun to be had alongQuietwater Beach Boardwalk, but you can also access the hushedGulf Islands National Seashorehere. For divers, the world’s largest artificial reef, retired aircraft carrierUSS Oriskany, lies just offshore.

Perdido Key

WithGulf Islands National SeashoreandPerdido Key,Big LagoonandTarkiln Bayou Preserve State Parks in proximity, Perdido Key protects some of the beach’s most fragile and magnificent assets: wispy sea oats, critical dunes and nesting birds and sea turtles. Enjoy hiking, crabbing and surf casting; fishing charters are always available. And, yes, Cajun-style steamed oysters, live music and an annual mullet toss can be found at theFlora-Bama Package and Lounge.

Port St. Joe

Florida’s first Constitutional Convention was held here in 1838, but the area’s legacy proves more natural than political.T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, another America’s Best Beach pick in Northwest Florida, protects some of the state’s oldest and tallest sand dunes. Charters and marinas speak to Port St. Joe’s fishing sensibility, and a charming collection of buildings shares its 20th-century history (hint: lumber has a lot to do with it).Constitution Convention Museum State Parkwill fill you in on 19th-century happenings.

Santa Rosa Beach

InsideEden Gardens State Park, the Wesley House’s stately columns and wrap-around porch transport you to its turn-of-the-century heyday. Grandfatherly oaks and ornamental gardens decorate the grounds, and a notable collection of Louis XVI furniture accents the home’s interior.Topsail Hill Preserve State ParkandPoint Washington State Foresttake you back to nature. Bike the paved roadway to the park’s beach and fishable dune lakes; go off-road cycling or hiking inside the 15,000-acre forest.

Seagrove Beach

Spend time in Seagrove Beach fishing or admiring the distinct ecology.Deer Lake State Parktempers its salty beachfront with fresh coastal dune lakes, which occur only along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The park bordersPoint Washington State Forest, where theEastern Lake Bike/Hike Trailmeanders through a sandhill habitat marked by an airy canopy of longleaf pines. Still, this is a South Walton community – you needn’t venture far to find beach cottages, shops and eateries.

Seaside

You know it by its aesthetic: skinny streets, white picket fences and close-quartered homes painted to match the sky, sand and sea. The result is a calming community where concerts ring out from the amphitheater, art walks highlight local galleries and boutiques and a seasonal farmers’ market provides all you need – and all within walking (or biking) distance.

St. George Island

Cross the bridge from East Point to reach St. George Island. Vacation homes, and water, define the barrier isle. The Gulf, Apalachicola Bay and St. George Sound beckon anglers, paddlers and beachcombers.St. George Island State Parkcaptures the island’s peacefulness along miles of dune-dotted beach.

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