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Find your corner of the Emerald Coast

Every town on the Emerald Coast has its own character. Choose an area to browse its restaurants, shops, stays, and stories.

Pensacola Bay Area

Fort Walton & Destin

Mary Esther
Mary Esther is a small city tucked between Fort Walton Beach and Niceville on the shores of Santa Rosa Sound: a quiet, residential community with a handful of standout local businesses worth knowing about. Convenient to the beach and the bay, it's a good base for exploring the broader Fort Walton Beach area.
10 places
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach sits at the heart of the Emerald Coast: a working Gulf Coast city with a laid-back beach town soul. Find local seafood joints, independent shops, waterfront bars, and a community that's been living the Gulf Coast life long before it was a destination.
93 places
Niceville
Niceville sits on the edge of Boggy Bayou and the Choctawhatchee Bay, a welcoming mid-size city with excellent schools, a strong sense of community, and a dining and shopping scene that locals are rightly proud of. It's one of the most livable spots on the Emerald Coast, and one of the most overlooked by visitors.
39 places
Valparaiso
Valparaiso is a small, tight-knit city on the shores of the Choctawhatchee Bay, just minutes from Destin and Niceville. Quiet and largely residential, it has a handful of local businesses worth seeking out, and a waterfront setting that reminds you why people fall in love with this part of Florida.
11 places
Destin
Destin has earned its reputation as one of the best beach destinations on the Gulf Coast, and it goes well beyond the famous white sand. From fresh-off-the-boat seafood at the harbor to boutique shopping, craft cocktails, and world-class fishing, this is a town with real depth. Explore the independent businesses that make Destin worth coming back to.
90 places

South Walton & 30A

Panama City Beach

Inland