Perdido Key
- Florida
Beach Overview: Discovered in 1693, this natural paradise with
its powdery white sand beaches, bays, estuaries and wetlands is home to abundant
native wildlife and sea life. The crystal clear emerald green waters and miles
of soft white sand make the perfect backdrop for sunbathing or watersports. Rated
one of the top swimming beaches in the USA, Perdido Key boasts miles of protected,
unspoiled shoreline and dunes. It's located in the Perdido Key State Park, surrounded
by the Gulf of Mexico and the Intercoastal Waterway.
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Perdido Key Local
Activities: This well kept secret offers many activities for all ages. One
can go sport fishing, deep-sea and fresh water fishing, sunbathing, surfing, golfing,
sailing, motor boating, camping and simply sitting back and soaking up the sun.
Visit Perdido Key State Park a true jewel. Great Florida golf is less than two
miles away
Major Perdido Key Area Attractions: The National Museum
of Naval Aviation is only a short drive away. Here you'll find more than 130 of
the finest Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aircraft on display, an IMAX theater
and the opportunity to experience the thrill of flight in a 15-passenger full-motion
flight simulator. Just to the east on Hwy. 98 is The Zoo, The Zoo has 50 acres
of botanical gardens and nearly 700 animals in their natural habitat.
Major
Perdido Key Area Events: One just has to slip into nearby Pensalcola for events
such as Blues on the Beach at the Gulfside Pavillion, Paradise Autumn Wine Festival,
Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival, Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show, Fiesta of Five
Flags, Springfest Music Festival, Pensacola Seafood Festival, Jazz Fest, and Crawfish
Festival.
Pensacola Beach - Florida
Beach Overview: Although
Spring Break in Pensacola is said to be a tad tamer then what goes on in Panama
City Beach, it still serves up its share of bikini contests, Jello wrestling and
foam dance parties. Pensacola has matured a bit - drawing an estimated 500,000
(mostly grad students) looking for a fun, but relaxed vacation, rather then one
for out of control college freshmen. This makes Pensacola Beach equally interesting
to families with kids, snowbirds and those trying to elude the spring break hedonism.
Accommodations: Pensacola Beach and area has Lodging for all budgets
- quaint B&B's, chain hotels and resort condos on the beach. Pensacola
Beach Local Activities: Pensacola Beach encompasses Casino Beach, Gulf Islands
National Seashore, Langdon Beach, Opal Beach and Quietwater Beach. Enjoy free
concerts at the Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach. Gulf Islands National Seashore
offers camping, swimming, biking/hiking and surfing. Major Pensacola
Beach Area Attractions: The National Museum of Naval Aviation displays over
170 vintage aircraft. The onsite IMAX Theater features films daily. The T.T. Wentworth
Jr. Florida State Museum recreates Pensacola-past. Try the Pensacola Chamber of
Commerce for holiday tips. Major Pensacola Beach Area Events:
Polar
Bear Dip (January 1st) - After a chilly dip warm up with music and Southern black-eyed
peas.
Mardi Gras (January/February) - Family-oriented with parades, contests
and food. Navarre Beach
Beach Overview: Eglin Air Force
Base Reserve (Eglin AFB) has offered a safe haven for nude beach bathers for decades.
The clothing optional portion of the beach is found at the east end of Navarre
Beach, which technically lies on the property owned by Eglin AFB, located on a
barrier island near Pensacola in northwest Florida. Santa Rosa County has had
a long-standing and unfriendly attitude with nudists over the years, and authorities
at Eglin Air Force Base used to grant refuge on their beach until recently. According
to many naturist websites, the base now arrests any trespassers using their beach.
To this day you will still find many nude sunbathers on the east side of Navarre
Beach (be advised to dress quickly if you see patrollers approaching).
Navarre
Beach Local Activities: Navarre Beach is the least developed beach in the
Pensacola area so wildlife, secluded sunsets, nude swimming, nature kayaking and
hiking are prevalent activities. Navarre Beach Area Attractions:
Visit historic Fort Pickens - built in 1834 and used until WWII. According to
legend Fort Pickens is haunted by Geronimo's Ghost. The famed Apache Chief was
once a prisoner of the Fort. Nature-lovers will discover paradise at the Gulf
Island National Seashore, Florida's largest tract of protected shoreline.
Fort
Walton Beach - Florida
Beach Overview: Natural breathtaking beauty
is Fort Walton Beach's biggest attraction. Snow-white sandy beaches and clear
emerald-green waters continue to draw families year after year. Twenty-four miles
of pristine beach is blessed with a slightly slower pace and charming southern
hospitality. A favorite beach activity is watching dolphins play offshore. Unlike
the rest of Florida, Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island are on Central
Time Zone. Accommodations: From luxury to economy, Destin and Fort
Walton Beach offer more than 18,000 rooms in hotels, condominiums, private cottages,
a new bed & breakfast inn and beach homes. You'll enjoy reasonable rates year-round,
but greater savings occur between Labor Day and mid-October when rates dip by
one-third. Even better savings can be had from October to February. Try the Fort
Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce for some great ideas. Fort Walton Beach
Local Activities: Visitors will enjoy hiking, 1,080 holes of sensational golfing,
fishing from Florida's largest charter boat fleet, sailing, tubing down rivers,
sun bathing, swimming, snorkeling, exceptional diving and shelling. The area is
considered on of the top five shelling destinations in the world. If you're into
seafood this is the place to be, with the harbor offering over four times more
types of fresh fish per season than any other destination in Florida, with the
exception of Key West. Major Fort Walton Beach Area Attractions:
Gulfarium, one of America's original marine parks; Emerald Coast Science Centre;
Indian Temple Mound and Museum; and the U.S. Airforce Armament Museum.
Seaside
Beach
Beach Overview: Seaside, Florida was born out of a notion steeped
in romance. Seaside was launched by Miami land developer, Robert Davis, who dreamt
of reviving Northwest Florida's wood-framed cottages, narrow streets and white
picket fences. Seaside's foot-friendly design was the first of its kind, bringing
the market, art galleries, shops and restaurants right to its guests. Seaside,
boasting a half mile of fine white sand, is the perfect romantic getaway for couples.
Imagine a Florida wedding ceremony on a brightly white-washed wooden pavilion
which opens like a picture frame onto a panoramic unspoiled beach, perfect for
those beach wedding photos. Seaside's Gulf-front, Victorian-style cottages seem
designed especially for honeymooners. But snowbirds and those looking to relax
will be swept away by Seaside's wistful charm. Accommodations: Seaside
Beach has vacation homes and Gulf-front cottages, a motor court and bed &
breakfast. No towering resorts or buildings more than 4 stories tall are permitted
in Seaside.
Seaside Local Activities: Spring and summer bring jazz
concerts, beach parties and arts festivals. Fall welcomes seafood sampling, nature
and historic tours. Winter months feature tree lighting ceremonies. Major
Area Seaside Attractions: In Seaside – the town is the attraction. Seaside
is an architectural curiosity, a planned beach community of post-modern homes
and cottages are situated around the town's amenities. The Seaside Interfaith
Chapels bell tower is 68-feet, making it the highest building in Seaside...a great
place for a Florida beach wedding ceremony. Seaside is best known as the film
locale of the Truman Show, starring Jim Carey. Pieces of the set have been incorporated
into Seaside's charm.
St. Vincent Wildlife Refuge
Beach Overview:
For Naturists who enjoy bathing in the buff, St. Vincent Wildlife Refuge is the
ideal. This virtually uninhabited location is only accessible by boat and consists
of over 12,000 acres of lake, marsh, dune, pine and hardwood. The St. Vincent
Refuge was established in 1968 as a waterfowl sanctuary, today it is home to more
than 260 bird species, endangered bald eagles, red wolves and sea turtles. The
closest town is sleepy Apalachicola, so well known for its love of oysters and
fishing that it's not unusual for shops to close on Wednesday afternoons to let
Apalachicolans go fishing. Accommodations: Primitive camping is
offered for hunters on St. Vincent Island. Apalachicola offers cozy cottages,
inns and B&Bs in restored homes. Try the Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce
for great bed and breakfast ideas and impressive area guides of St.Vincent Island.
St. Vincent Local Activities: Fishing, boating, hunting, wildlife
observing, hiking and nature photography. St. Vincent Area Attractions:
From March to May ospreys nest around the lakes. During June, July and August
loggerhead turtles lay eggs along the beach. September to November is the ideal
span for viewing peregrine falcons in St.Lucie Inlet. In the winter months (from
December-February) alligators bask in the warm sun.
St. George Island
State Park
Beach Overview: This 1,962-acre barrier island park consists
of 9-miles of pristine beach and dunes, surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola
Bay. If you enjoy walking for miles without seeing another soul, St. George Island
is the place to be. Almost half of the beach is accessible only by foot. Accommodations:
The park has full-facility camping (60 campsites) all equipped with electric and
water hookups. Nearby Apalachicola and Eastpoint have small hotels and motels.
Try the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce for great Florida holiday accommodations.
St. George Island Local Activities: Swimming, canoeing, kayaking,
shelling and hiking are favorite park activities and rentals are available. The
meandering 2-½ mile trail to Gap Point, through a pine flatwood forest,
is a pleasant hike. Major St. George Island Area attractions: St.
George's Bay is shallow, but small offshore boats can surf and fish for flounder,
redfish, sea trout, pompano, whiting and sometimes Spanish mackerel. John Gorrie
State Park & Museum, in nearby Apalachicola, will further satisfy nature buffs.
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Beach Overview: Straddling the
Florida Panhandle (from Santa Rosa Island) and lower Mississippi (to Cat Island
), Gulf Islands National Seashore invites nude beach bathers and eco-tourists
with its long stretches of deserted beach. Be ecology-kind and resist walking
over dunes to find your private stretch. Accommodations: There's
no better way to experience nature at the Gulf Islands, Fl. then to stay there.
Primitive or full-serviced sites with water/electric hookups are available at
Davis Bayou Campground, Fort Pickens Campground and Fort Pickens Group Area (on
Santa Rosa Island ). Horn, Petit Bois and East Ship Islands are accessible only
by boat. Naval Live Oaks Youth Group Tent Area offer sites as well. Try the Pensacola
Chamber of Commerce for beach hotel or beach condo rentals and general visitor
information. Gulf Islands National Seashore Local Activities: Visitors
can explore 19th century forts, enjoy shaded picnic areas, swimming, bike riding,
snorkeling, fishing, hiking, beach combing, wildlife watching, boating, and camping.
Gulf Islands National Seashore Area Attractions: Fort Pickens is
a must-see when visiting this area, located just west of Pensacola Beach. This
early 19th century coastal fort features a campground, museum, wilderness area
and archeological site. Catch a boo of Geronimo's Ghost, at sundown, who is said
to haunt the fort.
Shell Island
Beach Overview: Shell Island,
Florida, runs approximately 7 ½ -miles adjacent to St. Andrew's State Recreational
Area. Shell Island is totally uninhabited by humans and only accessible by boat.
Although this barrier island is relatively secluded, its guests will be welcomed
by pristine sand dunes, flocks of colorful seashells and rare ecological delights
preserved from eons past. Visitors are transported from St. Andrews State Rec.
Area to Shell Island via ferry. Accommodations: Camp along Shell
Island's Grand Lagoon which is outfitted with a boat ramp, fishing pier, picnic/grilling
area and restrooms. Shell Island Local Activities: Camping, fishing,
bicycling, bird watching, hiking, boating, snorkeling and diving. The Shell Island
Shuttle departs every 30 minutes from the St. Andrew's State boat ramp and offers
snorkel excursion packages. Try the Panama City Chamber of Commerce for great
surfing activities and tide times. Major Shell Island Area Attractions:
The Panama City area is a reputed ‘wreck paradise'. Dive the historical and
infamous 465-ft. Empire Mica. PCB's waters feature more than 50 artificial reef
sites and a bounty of marine life.
St. Andrew's State Recreational
Area Florida
Beach Overview: St. Andrews State Recreational Area, Florida
was chosen in 1995 by Travel Magazine as ‘The World's Best Beach. It is fondly
known for its ecological delights encircled by soft white sand and plentiful water
recreational opportunities. Nature lovers come to St. Andrews State Rec. Area
to explore approximately 1,260-acres of unspoiled beaches, dunes, pinewoods and
marshes – not to mention boundless wildlife sightings. For example, while
fresh water fishing at the park's Alligator Lake, you may steal a rare peek at
an alligator. Accommodations: Camp at St. Andrews for $24.00 (plus
tax) all year long. Panama City Beach, Florida, offers over 20,000 lodging options
at beach resorts, beach hotels, beach motels, beach rental condos or beach vacation
townhouses. Prices range from budget motels to pricier resorts. Try the Panama
City Beach Chamber of Commerce for great Florida holiday rental ideas. St.
Andrew's Local Activities: Diving, snorkeling, Jet Skiing, swimming and fishing.
The Panama City Beach area has gained its reputation as North Florida's
best dive destination. Major St. Andrew's Area Attractions: Panama City
area's historical wrecks include: a 220-foot WWII tug boat called The Chippewa;
The S.S. Tarpon, a 160-foot sunken coastal freighter; and the Gulf of Mexico's
most infamous wreck, the 465-ft. Empire Mica. In addition, the waters surrounding
Panama City Beach are home to more than 50 artificial reef sites. | 
