I need the beach!!!! What do you know about Navarre Beach?

[Ruby2000]

So...we visited Disney at Thanksgiving and now I need a beach vacation!! One where we can just play in the sand and chill!!!

We are coming from Ohio so we were looking at the Florida panhandle area. I want a quiet beach and inexpensive or not-so-touristy would be great. The problem is that when you visit VRBO, they give you so many different areas and/or condo developments????

I thought Navarre Beach looked nice...anybody with thoughts? I am open to other areas in the general vicinity or even gulf shores.

What I want is not a high rise!!! I like the idea of a condo so the kids would have a pool but I would only want it to be 5 floors because I think a high rise is UGLY.

Help me out with some specific ideas so I can quit daydreaming and get some work done.

Thanks in advance.

 

[perdidochas]

So...we visited Disney at Thanksgiving and now I need a beach vacation!! One where we can just play in the sand and chill!!!

We are coming from Ohio so we were looking at the Florida panhandle area. I want a quiet beach and inexpensive or not-so-touristy would be great. The problem is that when you visit VRBO, they give you so many different areas and/or condo developments????

I thought Navarre Beach looked nice...anybody with thoughts? I am open to other areas in the general vicinity or even gulf shores.

What I want is not a high rise!!! I like the idea of a condo so the kids would have a pool but I would only want it to be 5 floors because I think a high rise is UGLY.

Help me out with some specific ideas so I can quit daydreaming and get some work done.

Thanks in advance.

You might want to look at the beaches of South Walton. They have a lot of neighborhoods of houses that share a pool. Also, South Walton is great for bike riding as well.

 

[wiserabbit]

that area is very nice - beautiful white sugary sand - . There are not alot of food options on the island itself though - so you'd have to prepare everything or drive a little....

Check out Pensacola Beach too - there are some good smaller complex condo options - not toooooo expensive - same beautiful water and sand - but with more options for food readily available......

If you want a true old fashioned beach experience - check out St. George Island - there are NO high rises....pet friendly - mostly house rentals and some have pools with them......It's our new favorite place for a relaxing beach vaca.....

 

[sparklynails23]

Are there high rises on Navarre? I can't think of any. It's kind of quiet, but make sure you are in the beach area and not across the bridge along the highway. The beach area adjoins a national seashore and is also great for biking/walking/running. Sounds like what you are looking for, actually. Another nice area is Seaside, but it's pricey.

 

[MattM]

If you want to stay in the Panhandle, then you want to stay in what is known as the "30A" area. (http://30a.com) Side Note: Seaside is part of 30A, where the Truman Show with Jim Carrey was filmed.

Absolutely beautiful area. No high rises. White sugary sand, emerald waters. There are great restaurants in the area too (definitely check out Red Bar http://www.theredbar.com/).

The only thing to consider if you're driving from Ohio, and I assume you would be taking I-75 down, is that it is going to be a good 3 1/2-4 hours each way out of your way to that area (assuming you're going to Disney afterwards, which you may not be). An option would be Southwest Airlines. They fly in to Panama City Beach, which is just a short drive to 30A area. They also offer flights from Panama City Beach to Orlando.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[MyThreeKids123]

Another vote for 30A. There are several small towns along this highway with varying price ranges depending on what you want to pay and whether you prefer on the beach or across the street. This area is gorgeous!! Warning:you might fall in love with this area. Another bonus is that this area is right between Destin and Panama City Beach, about 30 minutes each way, and both cities have tons to do.

 

[loafer74]

Im not saying its a bad thing and Im not saying it is all the time , but the one time we stopped at Navarre we got out of the car and two 60 year old guys in red speedos were oiling each other up in the parking lot , didnt think much of it so we strolled on the little boardwalk out towards the beach. I was ahead of the family and when I got to the end of the walk there were 3 really creepy guys looking over the beach , I dont care what their taste in companionship is , these guys were creepy. On the beach was dudes, lots and lots of dudes. No kids , no women , just dudes. I got the picture and when my little boy got to where I turned around and said he wanted to go to the beach I told him no this beach. We drove down the road to the next beach area and there was a nice man and woman holding hands in the parking lot , my wife says thats not a man and a woman , we drove back to Pensacola. Now this was 9 years ago , and like I said nothing wrong with it , just letting ya know what we saw there

 

[Loveallthingsdisney]

I have never been to Navarre Beach, but I will give a HUGE thumbs up as well for the Beaches of South Walton, specifically Seagrove Beach. Absolutely love it there, great bike riding, and close to some beautiful State parks--Deer Lake, Grayton, and Topsail. Lovely rolling dunes--what the beach looked like before all the developement. Like a previous poster mentioned, the food options are somewhat limited unless you do expensive. Destin and Panama City aren't that far away if you really need fast food. We usually end up cooking some dinners, going out for others, and eating breakfast and lunch at our condo.

 

[Loveallthingsdisney]

Oh, and there are only 2 high rises along 30A. There is a 4 story height limit.

 

[ElizBlair]

I am from the Pensacola area and I really like Navarre. I am not picky, I just want a beach that is laid-back and not crowded. And obviously I am partial to Gulf Coast beaches since I was raised on them.

 

[mom2m2j]

Have to agree with beaches of South Walton along 30A. We live in Miramar Beach, and head that way to get away from the crowds here and in Destin.

 

[sadossey]

Look into Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. Not as crowded as Panama City or Destin but much better dining options and more to do for kids than at 30A area. Lots of good deals on vrbo, many high rises, some not. If you want a bit more secluded and low key look into Ft Morgan area, specifically Morgantown. It is about 12-15 miles from Gulf Shores. Morgantown is a community of beach homes with a few pools spread throughout. Some are right on the beach and some are a bit of a walk. Usually you can get some good deals on vrbo for Morgantown. We like it because it is quiet out there but you can be to Gulf Shore in a few minutes for restaurants, shopping, kids activities, etc