Navarre, FL Road Trips

Native Americans inhabited the East Bay River area until 1693 when the Spanish explorers reached the shoreline. They named the city "El Robledal" or "The Oak Grove" and mapped the area during the 1693 expedition. Local government was set up by 1700, and the Axelson family established a homestead by 1850. The family became prosperous toward the end of the Civil War due to their pro-Union stance, and the peninsula was used by Union troops to raid nearby Confederate stronghold Gulf Breeze. The town came to be known as Eagan (after Pensacola postmaster John Eagan) and was home to forty families. Following World War I, US Army Colonel Guy Wyman bought the land upon which Navarre now stands, but sold it during the Great Depression and became an engineer, although the name his adopted child Noelle assigned to the area stuck. The town was small until 1970, when it had merely 1,500 inhabitants, before growing to 40,000 by 2020. It is inhabited by U.S. military personnel (due to the nearby two naval air stations and two air force installations) and civilians who come for the beaches and protected areas. Jaws 2 was filmed in the city. It is part of the Pensacola metropolitan area and the Fort Walton Beach-Navarre Urbanized Area. 1 Santa Rosa County Visitor Information Center, 8543 Navarre Pkwy, ☏ +1 850-981-8900. Visitor information center. (updated Jan 2023)

Navarre Beach, with its distinctive emerald green water, earning it the nickname of the Emerald Coast. This is the narrow strip of land in the sea across the causeway. Navarre's enormous stretch of beach is spectacular, with some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the world. See the 'Do' section and 'Beaches' sub-section for the most prominent beach access points. 1 Navarre Beach Marine Park (first left after crossing the Navarre Beach Causeway from the mainland). The quieter area of the beach; preferred beach by the locals. Two beach access points (with a third being built for summer 2019) with bathrooms, picnic pavilions, wash-off showers, and a lifeguard post that is manned during the peak season. Should you wish to use the beach pavillons, they can be reserved at the County administration's website. (updated Jan 2023) 2 Navarre Beach Marine Science Center, 8638 Blue Heron Court (inside Navarre Beach Marine Park), ☏ +1 850-261-2141. A marine science center and conservation station; often has events and marine science camps for the general public, check schedule on their website for specifics. (updated Jan 2023) 3 Navarre Park. A small park at the mainland shore, just west of the causeway. The park has playgrounds, picnic tables, a basketball court, pavilions and a splash pad. The visitor information center is in the park as well, and the Navarre Beach sign is at the junction of Navarre Parkway and the Causeway. (updated Jan 2023) 4 Navarre Black Hawk Memorial, 8513 Navarre Pkwy (within Navarre Park).

Navarre is famous for its sugar white sand beach and emerald green water. There are over a dozen public beaches with parking boardwalks across the dunes. There are also three beach access areas, with bathrooms, parking, and pavilions for picnics and events, in the Navarre Beach Marine Park (see above section), which is located immediately to your left after crossing the Navarre Beach Causeway. The main beach access points are: 1 Opal Beach (Gulf Islands National Seashore; Opal Beach) (between the main areas of Pensacola and Navarre Beach). A typically quiet area of the beach; part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore; location of the landfall of its namesake, Hurricane Opal. (updated Feb 2018) 2 Navarre Beach (cross Navarre Beach Causeway, continue straight, parking lot for beach will be directly in front of you). This is the main beach access point, often the busiest during the summer months. (updated Feb 2018) 3 Mom's Beach (Soundside Beach at Navarre Beach Marine Park) (enter the Navarre Beach Marine Park, turn left at first left, and proceed forward to parking lot). A quiet beach with calmer waters; popular with families, kayakers, and canoers; avoid visiting directly after heavy rains, due to potentially hazardous conditions. (updated Oct 2018) Golfers will enjoy the area championship courses, Hidden Creek is the only one fully included within the Navarre city limits. 4 The Club at Hidden Creek, 3070 P.G.A. Blvd (off County Road 399, in the Hidden Creek neighborhood). +1 850-939 4604. Open to the public. 18 holes.

Navarre is home to a wide variety of independent restaurants, as well as the majority of the regional and national fast foods chains (specifically: McDonald's, Domino's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Culvers, Taco Bells, Jersey Mikes', Hungry Howie's, Subway, Firehouse Subs, KFC, and Whataburger). The majority are in downtown, and are less than a five-minute drive from the gulf-side beaches. There are few chain, sit-down restaurants, mainly including the regional chain of Shrimp Basket. Nearly all restaurants are primarily casual, with the notable exception of the Beach House Bar and Grill. (See 'Splurge' sub-section below). 1 Tops Burgers (Top's Choice Hamburgers of Navarre), 8072 Navarre Pkwy (westerly on US 98, near Navarre Station Post Office), ☏ +1 850-939-7375, [email protected]. M–Sa 10AM–9PM, Su 11AM–6PM. A location of a small local chain of hamburger restaurants, Top's has some of the best burgers in Navarre, and is a popular little known restaurant with the locals. (updated Oct 2022) 2 Peking House, 8224 Navarre Pkwy (at the Shops of Navarre plaza in Downtown, adjacent to Publix), ☏ +1 850-936-9898. Su Tu–Th 11AM–9PM, F Sa 11AM–9:30PM (closed Mondays). Takeout Chinese food. Chow mein, anyone? (updated Jan 2023) 3 J.J. Chago's, 8476 Navarre Pkwy (just east of the intersection of US 98 and FL Highway 87), ☏ +1 850-710-3760. M–F 6AM–1PM, Sa 8AM–1PM (closed Sundays). A local cafe that's apparently a local favorite. Who doesn't like a Cuban or Mexican breakfast, after all?

1 Juana's Pagodas, 1451 Navarre Beach Causeway (immediately to your right after crossing the Navarre Beach Causeway), ☏ +1 850-939-1092. Daily 8AM–9PM. (updated Feb 2018) 2 The Grey Taproom, 7622 Navarre Pkwy (from the Navarre Beach Causeway, head west on 98 for around two miles, on the right, beside Johnny Houston's). A wine and beer taproom next to a popular sports bar. (updated Oct 2018)

1 Navarre Beach Rentals, 8577 Gulf Boulevard, ☏ +1 850-936-1312, toll-free: +1-866-836-1312. Has a variety of beachfront accommodations including private homes, condos, and town homes. (updated Jan 2023) 2 Hampton Inn and Suites, 7710 Navarre Pkwy (towards the western area of the Navarre area, adjacent to the Holly By The Sea neighborhood), ☏ +1 850-939-4848. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. A mid-sized hotel with free Wi-Fi, an outdoor pool, and a fitness room. Breakfast and free parking are also included, as well as pet-friendly rooms. (updated Jan 2023) 3 Best Western Navarre Waterfront, 8697 Navarre Pkwy (on US-98), ☏ +1 850-939-9400, toll-free: +1-800-807-2303. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. A traditional laid-back waterfront hotel with several of Navarre's important beaches nearby. (updated Jan 2023) 4 Springhill Inn and Suites by Marriot, 8375 Gulf Blvd (on the beach; when coming from Navarre Beach Causeway: turn right, and proceed 1/2 mile, hotel is on left; hotel is on the Gulf of Mexico), ☏ +1 850-939-0010. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. (updated Jan 2023)

While Navarre does not have a commercially served airport, it is easily accessed by 1 Pensacola International Airport (around a 45-minute drive away), and the smaller, Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (which is around an hour's drive away). Both are considered regional hubs and are relatively well served, Pensacola Airport having 19 destinations and Fort Walton Beach-Destin Airport being a focus city for Allegiant (however, many of the flights into Fort Walton Beach are only seasonal). Navarre can be reached by car by several routes. If coming from Pensacola, Naval Air Station Pensacola, or Gulf Breeze, you may use eastbound US Highway 98 on the Fairpoint Peninsula, Santa Rosa County Road 399 beginning in Midway, or Florida Road 399 on Santa Rosa Island (a scenic route going through Pensacola Beach, Opal Beach, and Navarre Beach). Florida State Road 399 has a toll at Pensacola Beach. If coming from Interstate 10 or Milton, you would primarily take Florida Road 87 southbound. If coming from Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Panama City Beach, Eglin Air Force Base, or Hurlburt Field, you would primarily take US Highway 98 westbound. Navarre and Navarre Beach must be primarily traversed with the use of private car. Taxis are available by telephone call or prior reservation online. Ubers and Lyft rideshares are limitedly available; and due to their limited availability, their cost is often times at a premium. Navarre Beach can be accessed by the Navarre Beach Causeway. The Causeway begins at the intersection of US Highway 98 and Florida State Road 399 in Navarre's Downtown area.

Navarre Beach does not yet offer public transit. The best option is to bring or rent a private car; however, Navarre is serviced by most car-sharing services, and also by taxis, but they are more expensive than those that you might find in urban, large cities.

Beaches are a popular draw for visitors, but it is important to stay safe throughout your stay. Lifeguards are the best way to stay safe on the beach. They primarily operate on the gulf side inside the Marine Park section of the gulf beach. Their operating times vary by season. Navarre Beach Lifeguards are operated by Navarre Beach Fire Rescue, one of the two fire departments in Navarre. If an emergency happens on the beach where there are no lifeguards, call 911 for help. Rip tides are powerful currents that occur when water trapped near the shoreline escapes back into the ocean through a break in an underwater sandbar. They can drag even powerful swimmers out to sea for a very long distance. To escape a rip tide, do not panic! If you are near a lifeguard station, you can wave your arms and shout for help. Wait until the rip tide is no longer carrying you out further from land, then swim parallel to the shoreline to escape the current. Then, you can swim back towards shore. To avoid rip tides, don't swim between the shoreline and underwater sand bars, don't swim during low tide, and pay attention to the color-coded flags. At all lifeguard stations, color-coded flags are flown that tell how safe the water is for swimming. If no flags are flying, then there are no lifeguards on that section of the beach. Sunburn and dehydration are the most common ailments at the beach. Although it's tempting to skip the sunscreen, even if you have tanned skin, it's a bad idea in Florida summer.