Cruising Florida's Panhandle

Florida’s Panhandle is legendary for long white-sand beaches, warm Gulf waters, and interesting bays and waterways leading to fish shacks, old Florida trees, and a relaxed vibe. With nicknames from the Emerald Coast to the Forgotten Coast, the Panhandle is part bustling beach resorts, part rustic and unspoiled.

We discovered two Panhandle places that couldn’t be more different: Destin and Apalachicola. One is discovered, developed and highly entertaining; the other is old-school, salty and authentic. Both are delightful and ideal for visiting boaters. You can also drive this Panhandle coast along Florida’s historic northwest highways.

Coming off the Great Loop to the confluence of five rivers called the Alabama Amazon, you boat into the head of Mobile Bay. The resurgent city of Mobile is worth a visit — including a must-tour of the USS Alabama at Battleship Memorial Park among other historic sites — before heading southeast to Pensacola and beyond.

Departing Mobile Bay, the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) crosses the Flora-Bama state line at Perdido Key, and you enter Big Lagoon, approaching Pensacola Bay. Pensacola is a strategic boaters’ stopover, home to the Blue Angels that often fly overhead in spectacular formations. (Google their practice schedule!)

You can dock or moor the night at the lovely Pensacola Yacht Club on the bay’s north end. More marinas like Seville Harbour Marina are close to downtown if you don’t have yacht club reciprocity. The Pensacola “Go Retro” Trolley Tour offers a nice, narrated ride around cheerful downtown Pensacola with a dozen interesting stops. Hop on or hop off at your leisure. Pensacola’s 1859 Lighthouse is your 177 stair-master to magnificent views of the Gulf.

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Cruising to Destin

Boating Pensacola to Destin along the GIWW, you appreciate why the Panhandle is called The Emerald Coast, given the gorgeous color of the sea lapping the sugar-white sand. Destin’s HarborWalk Marina is an option to dock in a lively and fun atmosphere, touristy but cool. We had our sights on Baytowne Marina at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort just 10 nautical miles farther, under the Mid-Bay Toll Bridge.

Docked amid impressive yachts, you are just steps from Baytowne Wharf ’s Disney-esque village of 20 island-themed restaurants and shops. You are within Sandestin’s gated 2,400-acre resort community, exclusive to visiting boaters, guests and residents. Manicured grounds are busy with vacationing families staying in high-rise hotels, homes and condos. Sandestin has miles of shady bike paths (bike rentals available) around the planned neighborhoods, leading to the big attraction: beautiful Miramar Beach.

We hopped in a rented golf cart to explore Sandestin and provision at Grand Boulevard’s Publix. This plaza is loaded with upscale shops. We also enjoyed happy hour at Vin’tij food and wine bar, and the following evening at Tommy Bahamas Bar that’s attached to the island-attire store.

The next morning, we played early golf at Baytowne, one of Sandestin’s four golf courses, and I scored a shocking hole-in- one on the par-three Hole #7! Thankfully, it was 9:00 a.m., and the bar wasn’t open yet, or I’d have to buy drinks for everyone.

Evenings back at Baytowne Marina, live music floats around the village. We liked the tiki-atmosphere at the Marina Bar & Grill, ideally situated for spectacular sunsets over the bay and boats. If you have time in Destin, grab a cab to nearby Grayton Beach and the cutesy contrived resort towns of Watercolor, Alys and Rosemary Beach. These modern beach hamlets along Scenic 30A offer beach-chic shopping and pastel cafes amid cookie- cutter whitewashed architecture modeled after Europe’s Riviera. It honestly feels more like a fictitious film set for The Truman Show, which was filmed in nearby Seaside in 1998.

Departing Sandestin and heading south on Choctawhatchee Bay to Port Washington, you enter Florida’s “Grand Canyon.” This narrow man-made waterway is very rural, and you can idle for miles without seeing civilization, just dolphins! You pop out in Panama City’s West Bay. Continue to Grand Lagoon — no need to visit the heart of busy commercial Panama City.

If you’re driving, buzz through this section as quickly as stop lights allow. Point South Marina Bay is a pleasant marina, with services and a ship’s store, across from St. Andrew State Park. You’re near a Marriott in walking distance to several local seafood spots. Spend just one night here (switching your clock from Central to Eastern Time Zone), before your next leg to Apalachicola, a favorite of ours.

Heading from Panama to East Bay to Wetappo, you’re soon cruising another skinny dredged section of the GIWW to Lake Wimico. It’s easily navigable and rural with lots of wildlife along the way. Once across Lake Wimico, you enter the Apalachicola River. By taking this inner passage, you bypass Mexico City (still rebuilding after 2018 Hurricane Michael’s pounding), and shortcut St. Joseph Peninsula and the Cape San Blas horn.

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Explore a Memorable Shoreline

Apalachicola is the quaintest region we encountered on our Florida’s northwest coast tour. It’s dubbed “The Forgotten Coast,” because Destin and the Western Panhandle promoted themselves as “The Emerald Coast,” neglecting to mention this entire section. Locals here were salty, so they trademarked “The Forgotten Coast,” which now sounds idyllic compared to Sandestin’s huge and bougie planned resort. Apalachicola, which translates to “land of the friendly people on the other side,” is the antithesis.

Folks jokingly call this the “Redneck Riviera,” because this stretch of the Panhandle is Old-Florida where fishing, oystering and shrimping are vital, and the villages are far more rustic. It’s scenically beautiful, down-to-earth-friendly and fun!

Dock at Apalachicola City Wharf in the heart of town, tied off to the boardwalk in view of the restored shrimp and cotton warehouses. Check in with the Harbormaster, who is also the Chief of Police, and oversees the City Docks at Battery Park by the big scenic John Gradie Bridge 98. Scipio Creek Marina offers full services farther up the creek by Half Shell Dockside restaurant with a fun outdoor patio and bar overlooking the tour boats and transients.

From either marina, take a short walk to Apalachicola’s Market Street, the postcard-pretty downtown dating to 1813. This pleasant community was once the third busiest port on the Gulf of Mexico for sea sponge, fishing net, shrimp, oyster and cotton industries. Evidence of tremendous trade remains along the waterfront, and warehouses now host unique boutiques.

Historic merchants’ mansions dot walkable tree-lined avenues, like the 1838 Raney House that was open for us to tour. At this lovely Greek Revival home, we learned how “cotton was king” in the 19th century when steamboats shipped cotton from upriver to be traded here for worldly goods.

Given Apalachicola’s seafaring heritage, we were eager to lunch on local fare at Hole in the Wall. This old-school eatery roasts the most-fresh oysters — not fancy, served in paper-lined baskets at communal tables. Apalachicola has a dozen invitingly casual restaurants. Later we flew into Owl Tap Room for happy hour perched at the Victorian bar and had a hoot with locals. High Five Bar or the Yacht Club are great for live music — and no, this yacht club isn’t fancy nor is it a private prestigious club.

Browse the Tin Shed Nautical & Antiques shop, a crazy hodge-podge of marine antiques, sea sponges and pirate treasures. If you are looking to lodge a night off the boat, stay at the 1907 Gibson Inn, where the pine floors creak and the cypress walls speak of a more gentile time at this crown jewel. Guests tool around town in complimentary bikes.

Our morning’s fresh-roasted coffee and home-baked croissants at Apalachicola Chocolate & Coffee Company were perfect before shoving off. We vowed to return for a seafood festival in Apalachicola. While nouveau and trendy destinations are fun, we love friendly and authentic, and Destin and Apalachicola created an entertaining dichotomy. It was “the best of times” discovering the tale of two Panhandle cities.