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Florida Panhandle

The most geographically northern end of Florida is by far its most culturally Southern side.The Panhandle – that spit of land embedded in the left shoulder of the Florida peninsula – is hemmed in by Alabama and Georgia, and in many ways the region's beaches are effectively coastal extensions of those states.

This is a coast of primal, wind-blown beauty in many places, particularly the undeveloped stretches of salt marsh and slash pine that spill east and west of Apalachee Bay. In other areas, the seashore is given to rental houses and high-rise condos.

Inland, you'll find a tangle of palmetto fans and thin pine woods interspersed with crystal springs, lazy rivers and military testing ranges – this area has one of the highest concentrations of defense facilities in the country.

In October, 2018, the area was hit by devastating Hurricane Michael, which decimated many parts of the region. Recovery was ongoing at the time of research.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Florida Panhandle.

  • See

    National Naval Aviation Museum

    A visit to Pensacola is not complete without a trip to this enormous collection of military aircraft muscle and artifacts. Adults and children alike will be fascinated by the range of planes on display: more than 150! That's before we even get to the high-tech stuff like flight simulators and an IMAX theater. You can watch the Blue Angels practice their death-defying air show at 8:30am most Tuesdays and Wednesdays between March and November. Note that the entry for non–Department of Defense identification holders is via the NAS Pensacola West Gate located at 1878 South Blue Angel Parkway.

  • See

    Shell Island

    Offshore from St Andrews State Park, this sandy 'desert' island is fantastic for sunbathing, swimming and snorkeling. There are neither facilities nor shade: wear a hat and plenty of sunscreen. To get here, buy tickets for the Shell Island Shuttle at Pier Marketplace in the park; there's a trolley service to the boat. Snorkeling packages ($28) and kayak rental (single/tandem $65/75 per day) are available – the price includes your shuttle trip to the island. Check website for details and schedules.

  • See

    Gulf Islands National Seashore

    The highlight of the Florida Panhandle, this 150-mile stretch of mostly undeveloped white-sand beach is a prime example of what the Gulf Coast looked like before human settlement (which, to be fair, can often be seen in the form of high-rises in the distance). The National Seashore is not contiguous, but you'll find portions all along the coast: long swaths of sugar-white dunes crowned with sea oats, a perfect example of pristine flatland beach.

  • See

    Grayton Beach State Park

    An 1133-acre stretch of marble-colored dunes rolling down to the water's edge, this state park's beauty is genuinely mind-blowing. The park sits nestled against the wealthy but down-to-earth community of Grayton Beach, home to the famed Red Bar and to the quirky Dog Wall – a mural on which residents paint portraits of their dogs. Locals flock here for nightly sunsets and to wakeboard on the unique coastal dune lakes that shimmer across the sand from the gulf. The park also contains the Grayton Beach Nature Trail (start your self-guided tour at the gate), which runs from the eastern side of the parking lot through the dunes, magnolias and pine flatwoods and onto a boardwalk to a return trail along the beach.

  • See

    St George Island State Park

    St George island at its undeveloped best is found here, in the 9 miles of glorious beach and sand dunes that make up this pristine park. A 2.5-mile nature trail offers exceptional birding opportunities, and throughout the park boardwalks lead to shell-sprinkled beaches, with shallow waters perfect for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing for flounder and whiting. See loggerhead sea turtles from May, when they come ashore to dig nests and lay their eggs, yielding hatchlings that race into the gulf. Camping ($24) is permitted at one of the 60 campsites with hookups, or at the Gap Point primitive campsites, accessible by boat or a 2.5-mile hike.

  • See

    TH Stone Memorial St Joseph Peninsula State Park

    This lovely park, a quilt of beach and pine forest, brackish bays and fuzzy salt marsh, is a fine slice of increasingly rare Gulf Coast wilderness. Visitors can wander amid sugar-sand beaches that stretch for 2516 acres along grassy, undulating dunes, edging wilderness trails. Cyclists, walkers and bladers can set out on the Loggerhead Run Bike Path, named for the turtles that inhabit the island, which runs about 9 miles to Salinas Park.

  • See

    Ponce de Leon Springs State Park

    This park features one of Florida's loveliest and least touristed springs. The spring has clear, almost luminescent waters, like something from a fairy tale, and is studded with knobby trees and surrounded by ladders for easy swimming access. Two short trails skirt the bank of nearby Blackwater Creek. The water temperature remains a constant 68°F.

  • See

    St Vincent Island

    Just a few minutes from Apalachicola, but accessible only by boat, lies this pristine island. Its pearly dunes reveal 5000-year-old geological records, while its pine forests and wetlands teem with endangered species such as red wolves, sea turtles, bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Fishing's permitted on lakes except when bald eagles are nesting (generally in winter). For those sick of the high-rises and bikini-clad crowds of the gulf beaches, it's the perfect getaway for a day of hiking and solitude. The island is home to a family of red wolves, one of the last wild populations in the world. These rust-colored wolves once populated the forests and marshes of Eastern North America, but were driven to the point of extinction by human expansion and hunting. You probably won't see them – the wolves are notoriously elusive, and reserve managers do what they can to keep them from becoming too comfortable around people – but you may well spot their tracks on the beach. To get here, hop aboard the St Vincent Island Shuttle, which can also take your bike ($20), or rent you one of its own ($25, including boat trip). Phone for schedules and reservations; they require a certain number of passengers to depart. The St Vincent National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center is located a few minutes walk from downtown Apalachicola, in the historic Fry-Conter house.

  • See

    Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

    This fascinating park preserves ecosystems that run from wet prairie to sandy shoreline to the eponymous Tarkiln Bayou, an eerie, alluring spill of dark water, brightly flowering plants and thin trees. Peppered throughout are trails, boardwalks, and four species of the endangered pitcher plant, a carnivorous plant that lures insects to death in its digestive, petal-crowned gullet. The park is located about 8 miles north of Perdido Key, and 15 miles west of Pensacola.