Best known for its distinctive emerald green water... The Panhandle
Florida's Northwest coast presents more than a one-of-a-kind beach vacation. The time has come to explore the unexplored, and this area of the Sunshine State will provide visitors from all lifestyles a vacation they never dreamed existed...Perdido Key, typically the first stop for those who prefer to drive to Florida, is the home to unspoiled beaches, water habitats, and a variety of sea life and wildlife.

Accessible by boat or bridge, Perdido Key is flanked by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and by the tranquil Old River on the other.
The Spanish discovered Perdido Key in 1693, and tourists throughout the year continually rediscover its beauty. Maryland geologist Dr. Stephen Leatherman placed it in his Top 20 Beaches in America ranking every year since 1996. Leatherman considers factors including cleanliness, appearance, and weather in making his choices. Boating World magazine has named it among the 100 best "fantasy islands" for boaters to cruise, fish, relax, camp, and entertain. The variety of water settings makes it ideal for family water sports, including fishing, skiing, snorkeling, surfing, and swimming.

What you may not know is... Perdido Key is famous for its out-of-the-ordinary celebrations! Home to regionally and nationally known events, two of which are staged by the Flora-Bama Lounge and Package Store on the Florida-Alabama state line. At the Greater Gulf Coast Interstate Mullet Toss in April, contestants throw a mullet from Florida into Alabama, and the furthest toss wins. While it may sound simple, tossing the slippery fish does require a certain amount of coordination. If mullet tossing isn't your forte, Perdido Key also offers a polar bear dip, and an international songwriters festival, among other family-fun activities.
Pensacola Beach, occupies nearly eight miles of the 40-mile-long Santa Rosa barrier island. Surrounded by the Santa Rosa Sound and Gulf of Mexico to the north and south, and on either side, by the federally protected Gulf Islands National Seashore, one of the first thing visitors notice is the lack of development.

However, don't be mistaken there's a lack of growth in the area. Pensacola Beach offers an array of shopping, lodging, restaurants, beach bars, and entertainment-all with minimum travel, traffic, and cost. The area's event calendar is filled with special events, including Mardi Gras celebrations, a triathlon, wine tastings, a summer music series, parades, and the ever-popular annual Blue Angels air show in July, featuring the Navy's precision flying team.

What you may not know is... One of the newest attractions on Pensacola Beach is the Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and Observation Post. At 1,471 feet, the pier is the longest on the Gulf of Mexico and stretches across emerald-green waters and beyond two sand bars.

Pensacola offers 52 miles of sugar-white beaches, a 450-year history, year-round festivals, outdoor adventures, and a world-class aviation museum, as well as outstanding accommodations, facilities, and professional service. Southern hospitality combined with an uncluttered coast provides you with an ideal setting for your next vacation.
Probably most popular due to its sugar-white sand and emerald-green water of the Gulf of Mexico, the Pensacola area provides a relaxing backdrop for sunbathers, shell collectors, frolicking children, or content beach walkers.
As the first city settled by Europeans in America, Pensacola has changed hands more than a dozen times in actions involving Spain, France, England, the Confederacy, and the United States, giving this destination the nickname "City of Five Flags."

Numerous sites around Pensacola tell stories about the area's engaging history. Historic Pensacola Village offers a peek into several restored homes in the city's downtown historical district. Two forts - Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens - were held by opposite forces during the Civil War. Located on opposite sides of Pensacola Bay, Fort Barrancas was held by Confederate forces, and Fort Pickens, on Santa Rosa Island, was held by Union forces.
Festivals, scheduled throughout the year, add to Pensacola's appeal. The Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival draws tens of thousands to historic Seville Square to view and purchase a range of art. The city's downtown also offers the Pensacola Museum of Art, housed in the old city jail, and the Pensacola Cultural Center, which stages several theatrical performances each season. In addition, local and national musical groups and theater troupes perform at the beautifully restored Saenger Theatre.

Pensacola's cultural experiences don't stop with the eyes and ears. Taste the delectable choices for which Pensacola's restaurants receive acclaim. Sample Southern barbecue, fresh seafood, Cajun specialties, or stick with traditional dishes such as succulent steaks or juicy burgers. The variety of restaurants includes local eateries that have been a part of Pensacola history for decades as well as franchise establishments near the city's two major malls.
What you may not know is... The USS Oriskany, which is the world's largest artificial reef, has already become the dive world's latest "must dive".

The Emerald Coast encompasses the southern sea towns of Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, not to mention the most breathtakingly beautiful beaches. Undoubtedly, the most mesmerizing distraction on the Emerald Coast is the sun-bleached, shocking white sand. Sprawling shores provide seating for performances by dancing dolphins and sandpipers, as well as postcard-perfect sunrises and sunsets over the Gulf -- all compliments of Mother Nature.
Peering over a gentle rise of sand dunes and sparsely scattered sea oats, the Emerald Coast protects its "prima donna" pockets of seaside parks with pavilions, gazebos, and American Disadvantaged-Accessible (ADA) wooden dune overwalks. Although the preferred activity in Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island is "relaxing and doing as little as possible," visitors also enjoy teeing off on 1,080 challenging holes of famous golf, fishing from Florida's largest charter boat fleet for the elusive big blue, sailing in the emerald-flecked surf.
Hailed as the "World's Luckiest Fishing Village," Destin's East Pass is only 10 miles from 100-foot depths. Harboring the largest and most elaborately equipped charter boat fleet in Florida, more billfish are caught each year on the Northern Gulf than all other Gulf ports combined. The game fish are also of the widest variety on the Gulf, from cobia and tarpon to triggerfish and king mackerel. Whether it's for a fishing first-timer or a seasoned "old salt," numerous deep sea excursions -- offshore, bottom, inshore and others -- are available for as little as $35 a half-day. Catches can be cooked up at certain "fish-friendly" restaurants. Freshwater fishing throughout the area is plentiful, reeling in catfish, bass, and bream.

Collections of area attractions celebrate simplicity with fun "flip-flop" museums and amusements from marine to military. Florida's Gulfarium hosts everything from 600-pound gray seals to two-ounce clown fish in 14 intriguing exhibits. The crowd-pleasing "Dolphin Show" features Bottlenose Dolphins jumping 18 feet above the water's surface. Patriotic pleasure is found at the U.S. Air Force Armament Museum. Although somewhat riddled with bombs, it is one of only three American museums dedicated to the display of Air Force weaponry.
What you may not know is... Atlantic Southeast Airlines/Delta Connections, ComAir, Continental Express, Delta, Northwest Airlines, and USAirways Express service Okaloosa Regional Airport. The Emerald Coast is only one hour and 15 minutes from Atlanta and one-hour and 30 minutes from Nashville, when traveling by air, making it the perfect weekend getaway destination!

The Beaches of South Walton is the home to 14 distinctive communities This collection of diverse architectural styles makes travelers feel as though they've traveled the world without ever leaving the area's 26-miles of coastline. Rosemary Beach, inspired by the small, waterfront towns of the Caribbean, incorporates a rich palette of colors with Dutch- and West Indies-style homes and innovative designs. WaterSound introduces styles from the northeast with a "Cape Cod" feel, while WaterColor reveals elegant Florida cracker-style cottages with well-appointed amenities. Seaside, a town that pioneered the new urbanism movement, showcases pastel homes with narrow streets and white picket fences. Leon Krier and Andres Duany are just two renowned architects that contributed to the Seaside style. Communities under development create anticipation of new styles to come including Alys Beach, which brings of a union of English and Spanish architecture. With white stucco walls and white ridged roofs, Alys Beach's look was born from styles of Bermuda, Antigua, and Guatemala.
Each beach community strikes a unique balance between on-going development and careful preservation of the environment. Since the development plan for Walton County includes strict building codes that ban buildings over four stories high, drivers can meander down Scenic Highway 30-A and experience a generous view of the destination's pristine coastline. Many of the beach communities are designed to fit, rather than intrude, into the coastal environment respecting the delicate balance with nature.

Celebrating a richly diverse palette of art and culture, each beach community is home to a variety of galleries that showcase colorful art, unique sculpture, and fascinating furniture. Artists at Gulf Place in Santa Rosa Beach is an unique art community featuring nine local artists who present an array of artwork and invite visitors to meet the creator behind each piece. Walton County celebrates an artist each year through its "Artist of the Year" program.
What you may not know is... The area's 17 coastal dune lakes are so rare that they are only found in Beaches of South Walton and remote portions of Africa and Australia.

Panama City Beach, a favorite destination for travelers seeking an affordable, fun-filled beach vacation, provides its beachgoers with an average of 320 days of sunshine annually, and was recently awarded one of the Most Beautiful Beaches in America by coveted Conde Nast Traveler.
Panama City Beach's legendary pure white sand resulted from quartz crystals washing down from the Appalachian Mountains centuries ago and being bleached, ground, smoothed and polished until the surf of the Gulf of Mexico deposited the millions of grains of sand on the shoreline. To withstand the pounding of the Gulf, the area has made a continuing commitment to beach renourishment.

The renourishment program, undertaken in 1997, has added 50 feet of beach along 16 miles of Panama City Beach, making it the largest project of its kind in state history. The results are stunning. However, Panama City Beach is more than just pretty, white sand. In the 1998 edition of his book America's Best Beaches, Dr. Beach selected Panama City Beach as the "Best Sports Beach on the Gulf." As the host site of numerous triathlon events, including the Isuzu Ironman Florida Triathlon, Panama City Beach takes sports very seriously. However, visitors don't have to take their sports as seriously to enjoy the beach. While volleyball, Frisbee and other beach activities keep beach-goers entertained, the waters of the Gulf of Mexico offer bountiful aquatic recreational activities. Visitors can don snorkeling gear or scuba gear and explore the area's abundant marine life. Playful bottle-nosed dolphins can be counted on to make their appearance when least expected. Sea turtles, manta rays, puffer fish, sand dollars, blue marlin and horseshoe crab are just a few of the other species that inhabit the warm waters. Parasailing, jet skiing, boating and windsurfing are the preferred forms of transportation by visitors and locals alike.
What you may not know is... The Panama City-Bay County International Airport is slated to open in late 2009, and will be located on Panama City Beach's expansive West Bay. With its longer runways, the facility will accommodate larger jets, making possible more flights and more competitive fares.

We Recommend...
A visit to Navarre Beach! Boasting miles of beautiful shoreline, towering sand dunes and powdery sand so pure it squeaks under your toes. Featuring the longest continuous stretch of protected beach in northwest Florida, the area is ideal for birdwatchers, sun seekers and nature lovers looking to connect with the outdoors.
800-480-7263 | www.navarrefl.com

Enrich your child's vacation with a trip to the Junior Museum of Bay County! A place made just for your children, the museum features a pioneer homestead, a 1,500-foot boardwalk and nature trail, and numerous exhibits and special events. Permanent exhibits include Toddler Town, Imagine Me and Body Works.
850-769-6128 | www.jrmuseum.org

Find that perfect souvenir and Panhandle treasure at the Gulf Breeze Flea Market! Featuring covered walkways and more than 500 vendors to choose from, antique and collectible hunters are sure to find exactly what they've been searching for. The Flea Market is open Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. "Rain or shine." New and used merchandise is available.
850-934-1971 | www.gulfbreezefleamarket.com

A luxurious spa treatment in Destin! Let La Renaissance Spa create the most luxurious of treatments in a soothing and serene atmosphere. Specializing in services that include celebrity hair extensions, bride's hair and makeup, facials, and body wraps, clients will be dazzled with any treatment. The La Renaissance Design Staff provide their clients with a dynamic, outstanding customer service philosophy, and a professional who can give you the look you've been wanting.
850-837-5707 | www.destinstudio.com

Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
800-874-1234 | www.visitpensacola.com

Emerald Coast
800-322-3319 | www.destin-fwb.com

Beaches of South Walton
800-822-6877 | www.beachesofsouthwalton.com

Panama City Beach
800-PC BEACH | www.800pcbeach.com