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.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Florida Panhandle.
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Glowing an otherworldly aqua and overhung with Spanish moss, the natural spring at the center of this 6000-acre state park feels like something from the set of an exotic adventure movie, and indeed parts of Tarzan's Secret Treasure and The Creature from the Black Lagoon were filmed here. Gushing 1.2 billion gallons of water daily, the spring is deep and ancient: the remains of at least 10 ice-age mammals have been found. Fair warning – this spot can get crowded.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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This park is worth a stop for a dip into the 72˚F crystalline waters of the beautiful eponymous spring. On dry land – a spongy combo of sand and limestone shaded by tupelo, cypress and pine – there's the 8.5-mile-long North End hiking/cycling trail. You can also scuba dive (bring your own gear and register at the office) at the springhead, which gushes 117 million gallons of water per day, or canoe or kayak along the spring run (kayak/canoe $16/20 per hour).
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About 25 miles southeast of Tallahassee you'll find the St Marks National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1931 to provide a winter habitat for migratory birds. It spans a whopping 70,000 acres and has approximately 43 miles of gulf shoreline along its coastal boundary. Within the park's protected marshes, rivers, estuaries and islands, a diverse range of flora and fauna thrives. It's a wildlife photographer's dream, with beautiful contrasts between land, sea and sky.
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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.
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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.