Aunt Martha’s Bed & Breakfast

Aunt Martha’s Bed & Breakfast sits at 315 Shell Avenue SE, on the Santa Rosa Sound waterfront a few blocks from the heart of downtown Fort Walton Beach. The Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber describes it as old Florida summerhouse charm combined with the comforts of new construction.

The house was built around 2000 but designed to feel much older, with the look of a Southern summer home. It is named for owner Martha Jo Garvie, whose grandparents owned Fort Walton Beach’s first hotel and restaurant, and she runs it with her husband, Bill. Common spaces include a library with a fireplace, a living room, a sunroom with floor-to-ceiling windows and a formal dining room with pocket doors. French doors open onto a veranda with rocking chairs that looks out over the sound.

Guest rooms are individually decorated and carry Southern names such as Ivy, Rose and Blue Bonnet, and some have water views. Travel listings count between five and seven rooms, so the inn stays small and quiet. Wi-Fi and parking are free and the rooms are non-smoking. Several rooms are set up for families.

Breakfast is a big part of the stay. It is served family style, and past menus have included egg, ham and cheese grits, stuffed French toast with bananas and walnuts, and fresh fruit cobbler.

The location is an easy walk to downtown restaurants, Fort Walton Beach Landing Park and the Indian Temple Mound Museum, and the Okaloosa Island Pier is under a mile away across the Brooks Bridge. The inn suits couples, quiet getaways and travelers who would rather chat over breakfast than stay in a chain hotel. Guest reviews posted in 2026 show the inn is still welcoming visitors. The Emerald Coast Science Center is about a mile away, a good stop with kids.