Emerald Coast

Mexico Beach

The Emerald Coast, also called the Miracle Strip, is in the Florida Panhandle and consists of the coastal regions of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Bay counties. The region is informally known as the "Redneck Riviera". South Walton Beach 30A, a 15-mile beach road between Panama City Beach and Sandestin, is a relatively unknown jewel consisting of first-class development, totally rewriting the idea of "Redneck Riviera".

Cities

See the West Florida page for information on Pensacola, Navarre, and Milton, cities also within the Emerald Coast region.

• 1 DeFuniak Springs
• 2 Destin
• 3 Fort Walton Beach
• 4 Freeport
• 5 Mexico Beach
• 6 Niceville
• 7 Panama City
• 8 Panama City Beach
• 9 Santa Rosa Beach

Other destinations

• 1 Choctawhatchee National Forest
• 2 Gulf Islands National Seashore
• 3 Britton Hill is the highest natural point in Florida. It is in the northern part of the county, about half a mile from the Alabama border. Lakewood Park was built on the spot on the west side of CR 285. It contains a stone monument marking the spot. Oddly, there is not much signage on the roads to help find Britton Hill.

Understand

The Pensacola-Navarre area (Escambia and Santa Rosa counties) is also included in this area, but it is primarily described in the West Florida article.

Get in

There are four commercially served airports in this region.

• Pensacola International Airport, the largest airport in the region, located in Pensacola, primarily serves Pensacola, Navarre, Milton, and Fort Walton Beach; mainly covered and described within the West Florida article
• Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, the largest airport within the counties specifically included in this article (see the above, "Understand" section for details, primarily serves Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Navarre, and Niceville.
• Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, an airport in Panama City Beach, serving the city thereof.
• Destin Executive Airport, a small airport in Destin, only serves small Cessna Caravan flights to Atlanta, Jackson, and Memphis on Southern Airways Express.

See

Britton Hill

Important places to visit include the Apalachicola National Forest and the beach, which is absolutely beautiful on the Emerald Coast in Destin and Fort Walton Beach.

The South Walton Beach 30A, a 15-mile beach road between Panama City Beach and Sandestin, is a relatively unknown scenic route. Key stops West to East:

• 1 Seaside, 2236 E County Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach, ☏ +1 888-732-7433. A master planned new urbanist town with small lots and white picket fences. Visit the small post office and adjacent shops, Ruskin Place Park, Seaside Avenue, The Chapel at Seaside, Seaside Assembly Hall, and the famous Truman Show House located at 31 Natchez Street. (updated Jan 2023)
• 2 Alys Beach, 6-54 Shinbone Ct, Panama City Beach. Residential community undergoing development. Master planned community with houses built in the Moorish Mediterranean style. (updated Jan 2023)
• 3 The Village at Rosemary Beach, 10343 E County Highway 30A, Seacrest. Shopping and dining area (updated Jan 2023)
• 4 Rosemary Beach, 5 Main St, Rosemary Beach. The center of Rosemary Beach is a European style street with shopping, dining, and a town square (Western Green). Note: beach access requires code, granted only to those staying in town. (updated Jan 2023)

Do

There are deep sea fishing and parasailing opportunities in this region.