Beach Colony Resort

Beach Colony Resort sits on the Gulf at 8501 Gulf Boulevard on Navarre Beach, close to the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier on Santa Rosa Island. The resort has two high-rise towers: Beach Colony East, a 19-story building completed in 2002, and Beach Colony West, which followed in 2013 with 68 condominiums. Both towers face the water directly, and the beach is reached by a wooden boardwalk over the dunes from the pool deck. Navarre Beach is the small beach town on Santa Rosa Island between Pensacola Beach and Okaloosa Island, reached from the mainland by the Navarre Beach Bridge, and most of its lodging is in condos strung along Gulf Boulevard.

The condos are privately owned two and three bedroom units, with a number of two and three bedroom penthouses on the upper floors. Every unit is Gulf-front with a balcony facing the water, and most have full kitchens, living areas and laundry, so the resort works well for families and for small groups sharing a condo. Beach Colony West offers eight different floor plans, which means sizes and finishes vary from unit to unit, and at least one unit is set up as wheelchair accessible.

Navarre Beach Vacations runs its rental office inside the resort, in unit 1C, and handles check-in, local questions and on-site management for the condos it rents at Beach Colony and a few nearby complexes. Beach chair service is included with most of its Beach Colony rentals. Owners also rent units through other companies, so guests booking elsewhere should confirm their check-in details in advance. The same office also manages rentals at the nearby Caribbean Resort, Belle Mer and Sailmaker Cove, which is useful for larger groups who want to book condos close together.

Resort amenities are built around a large Gulf-front pool, along with a hot tub, tennis and pickleball courts, a fitness room, and a grill and picnic area. Private garage parking is available at the property. The beach in front of the towers is part of Navarre Beach’s long, low-rise shoreline, where the dunes stay mostly intact and crowds are lighter than in Destin or Pensacola Beach.

Beach Colony suits travelers who want a high floor with a wide Gulf view and more room than a hotel suite, including families who plan to cook most meals and spend long days on the sand. The Navarre Beach Fishing Pier, which reaches more than 1,500 feet into the Gulf, the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station and the casual restaurants near the pier are within walking distance, and the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center is nearby on Gulf Boulevard. The Navarre Beach Bridge leads to groceries and restaurants on the mainland, and Pensacola Beach and Fort Walton Beach are each about a half-hour drive.