When it comes to things to do in Navarre Beach, Florida you have to include beach time, the fishing pier, and sunset viewing.
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Navarre Beach is known as "Florida's most relaxing place" for a reason. This is an area you can choose to relax on the beach every day with a good book or dive into watersports and attractions.
You can create the Florida Gulf Coast vacation you always dreamed of on Navarre Beach. Located on Santa Rosa Island you are surrounded by outdoor recreation and gorgeous white sand beaches.
There are tons of outdoor activities including kayaking the crystal-clear water of the Florida Gulf Coast, water sports, snorkeling and scuba diving, along with shore and pier fishing.
The whole family will find something they love on Navarre Beach. Don't miss the great Navarre Beach restaurants close to the beach with great food!
Relax on the white sands while gazing at the gorgeous crystal clear waters of the Florida Gulf Coast.
Please remember to bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and shade cover. Speaking from experience the Gulf Coast sun can make you hot pink before you even realize it.
While Jaws 2 was filmed in the area more than 40 years ago shark encounters are rare. If you want to see a local shark we suggest walking the Navarre Pier and seeing if any are hanging out hoping to catch a fishermen or fisherwoman's bait.
While visiting Navarre Beach make sure to pay attention to the Beach Warning Flags! They help visitors and locals know what to expect for surf conditions and water safety.
- Double Red - The water is closed to the public
- Red - High surf and/or strong currents
- Yellow - Medium hazard surf and/or currents
- Green - Low hazard, calm conditions
- Purple - Dangerous Marine Life
Navarre Beach Parking - One of the best things about Navarre Beach is the free parking! You don't have to worry about where to park to enjoy the beach.
There are multiple beach pavilions with free parking next to them. These are located on both the Gulf side and the Santa Rosa Sound Side so you can decide which beach you want to enjoy.
Lifeguard Towers - Lifeguard towers are located between dune walkovers at Tina Drive down to Dune Walkover 40G.
Restrooms - Restrooms are located at the beach pavilions and next to the Navarre Pier.
Leave no Trace - Please remove all personal items from the beach when you leave. Property left after sunset will be removed and disposed of. This is to help keep the beaches clean and protect nesting sea turtles.
Navarre Beach Sea Shells - We suggest heading to the beach early in the morning for the best shelling opportunities.
Look for scallop shells, sand dollars, augers, lettered olives, welks, Scotch bonnets, and more. Please do not remove live animals.
The Navarre Beach Pier is the longest pier in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico! For $1 you can walk the pier looking for marine wildlife and birds.
This is a great thing to do with the entire family in Navarre Beach! There is an onsite tackle shop with fishing pole and bait if you decide you want to try fishing off the pier.
Grab lunch or dinner at Windjammers on the Pier! They have a fantastic menu of food the entire family will enjoy.
Address - 8579 Gulf Boulevard, Navarre Beach, Florida, 32566
Phone - 850-710-3239
Meet Sweet Pea the green sea turtle and the other turtle ambassadors at the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center. This is a great family friendly thing to do.
Enjoy a presentation from a staff member about Sweet Pea and explore the visitor center to learn more about sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico.
Address - 8740 Gulf Blvd, Navarre, Florida 32566
Phone - 850-684-3347
Gulf Islands National Seashore
Just down the road from Navarre Beach you can visit Opal Beach within Gulf Islands National Seashore. This gorgeous white sand beach is amazing.
This beach area is part of the National Park Service. There is an entrance fee if you do not have a National Park Pass.
There are covered pavilions perfect for picnic lunches. Interpretive panels share more information about the ecosystems and natural beauty found in the park.
Address - Santa Rosa Island, Highway 399 between Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach
You can buy a National Park Pass on REI.com and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
Enjoy snorkeling the artificial reef along with shore diving. The Navarre Beach artificial reef consists of multiple piling-mounted eco systems that were made in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
The thin concrete discs are covered in Florida limestone rock and mounted to the composite pilings then driven into the seabed.
They are 5 feet in diameter providing shelter for small fish.
There are multiple snorkel reef sites in the Navarre Beach Marine Park including the East Sound Side reef, West sound side reef, and the Gulf Site.
Marine life on the artificial reefs include colorful fish, sea turtles, rays, jellyfish, octopus, and so much more. We suggest bringing an underwater camera so you can share what you saw with everyone you know.
Learn about the wonderful world of surfing on Navarre Beach! Your instructor will teach you to duck dive under waves, log roll, and nose dive in no time!
You can set up a private session for 1 person or a group session for up to 4 people. All of the gear is included! Just wear a swimsuit and bring a towel and you are ready to learn to surf.
Book Surf Lessons at the best price here
Juana's Pagodas & Sailors' Grill
At Juana's Pagodas you can enjoy a great meal along with beach rentals. They have Sea-D0os, Hobie Wave Catamarans, Kayaks, Stand up Paddle Boards, Pontoon boats, and Beach Chairs with pads and umbrellas.
They also have parasailing!
Address - 1451 Navarre Beach Causeway, Navarre, Florida
Phone - 850-939-1092
These are some of our favorite tours available in Navarre Beach & Pensacola Beach, Florida
Dolphin Tours - Book a dolphin cruise here
Pontoon Boat Rentals - Enjoy cruising the waters of Navarre and Pensacola on a Pontoon. Check out the pontoon boats with slides for extra fun. Book your Boat Rental Here
Parasailing - Check out the epic views as you parasail in the Gulf of Mexico. Look for wildlife and you float high above the water. Book your Parasaiing Trip Here
Jet Ski Rentals - Jet Ski Tours and rentals are a great way to explore the back bays of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Book your Jet Ski Rental Here
Click here to see all of the top-rated tours and activities available in Navarre Beach & Pensacola Beach
Rent a pontoon boat and head out on the Florida Gulf Coast. Enjoy cruising the Santa Rosa Sound, look for Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins, and relax in the gorgeous sunshine.
Set up a pontoon boat rental Here
Cruise along the 3.6 mile bike path and enjoy this gorgeous Florida barrier island. You can park at the Navarre Beach Marine Park.
If you want to do a bit of shopping Navarre Beach has some fun places to check out.
There is fun gift shop at the Navarre Beach Pier.
Check out Fannie's Boutique in a small tiny house close to the Pier. They have sweatshirts, stickers, mugs and so much more in a cute little store.
Make sure to get a photo with the fun murals at Andy D's Restaurant next to the pier. Stop in for a meal and get fun family photos!
One of the great things about Navarre Beach on the Northwest Florida Panhandle is how close it is to other great Florida Gulf Coast Towns.
Navarre Beach is located 25 miles from Pensacola and 15 miles from Fort Walton Beach. You can also drop into Destin or head over to Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama.
We live in Gulf Shores and make the drive to Navarre Beach frequently.
Deb's Coffee Drive Thru is near the Navarre Beach Causeway and a great place to stop for a caffeine fix.
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park has marine exhibits, dolphin shows, sea lion shows, animal chats, and a dive in eatery.
They have discovery programs that you can join to learn more about marine life including dolphins, penguins, sea lions, stingrays, gators, harbor seals, turtles, or choose to become a VIP Trainer.
Buy discount tickets here
Sign up for Animal Encounters here including dolphin encounters, sea lion discovery, VIP trailer for a day, Discover harbor seals, penguin encounter, kids reptile safari, and discover sea turtles.
Address - 1010 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
¼ mile east of the Brooks Bridge on Okaloosa Island.
Phone - 850-247-8575
Gulf Breeze Zoo
Gulf Breeze Zoo offers 50 acres of wild adventures including animal encounters, animal feedings, a petting farm, Budgiery adventure aviary and a new mining sluice.
You can feed an alligator, learn more about giraffes, hippos, gorillas, antelope, deer, rhinos, and so many more animals.
They have a great 15 minute narrated train ride on the CP Huntington Locomotive. Travel through the 30 acre preserve with rhinoceros, deer, and antelope roaming freely.
Address - 5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, Florida
Phone - 866-620-1825
Learn about Naval Aviation including the Blue Angels at this amazing museum. Plan more time than you expect to need!
This free aviation museum is truly amazing! We have gone multiple times and see something new every time we visit.
Address - 1750 Radford Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32508
The National Naval Aviation Museum is located in Pensacola Naval Air Station. You will need to pass through the security gate to access the museum.
Phone - (850) 452-8450
Blue Angels Practice Pensacola - Check out where to watch the Blue Angels practice in Pensacola.
Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum
The Pensacola Lighthouse and Maritime Museum offers the opportunity to learn more about the history of the lighthouse and climb to the top!
This family friendly attraction is great for anyone who loves maritime history and lighthouses. There are kid friendly displays and interpretive panels for adults making it great for the entire family.
Address - 2081 Radford Blvd, Pensacola, FL 32508
In order to reach the Pensacola Lighthouse, you will need to enter through the NAS Pensacola Public Gate with a proper ID.
Public access to Naval Air Station Pensacola is available from 9 AM-3 PM through the West Gate only!
Phone - 850-393-1561
If you are visiting and need to book accommodations, here are our recommendations.
Springhill Suites Navarre Beach - We have stayed at the Springhill Suites in Navarre Beach a few times and really enjoyed it. The hotel is right on the beach and has an epic view of the Navarre Pier. Book HERE
The map below shows the current hotels and vacation rentals available in the area. You can select the dates you are visiting to see current availability.
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Pensacola Beach Boardwalk - Check out the waterfront restaurant options and great shopping on the boardwalk.
Flora Bama World Famous Beach Bar - Kenny Chesney wrote a song about this world-famous beach bar known for their epic Bushwhackers.
Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier - Check out the gorgeous views of Pensacola Beach from the fishing pier.
We also have articles on the Emerald Coast of Florida, including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Panama City Beach, Perdido Key, Pensacola, Sanibel and Captiva Island, and more.
Don't miss our other Gulf Coast destinations, including Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Dauphin Island, Fairhope, Fort Morgan, Foley, Mobile, Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and so many more!
Keep an eye out for articles on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida!
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