As a native of Florida for 27 years, and a resident of Fort Walton Beach for five years, I have learned a few things about getting around the Fort Walton Beach and Destin areas. This area of the Florida Panhandle is located between Pensacola and Panama City, and until recently was one of the few beaches left in Florida not spoiled by waves of tourists. Unfortunately, overdevelopment in these cities has made it more difficult for both the first-time visitor and the residents to get around.
Getting There
At the present time, there are no major cruise ship operators in the Destin and Fort Walton Beach areas, so in order to get to this area of Florida you will need to fly or drive. There are two commercial airports in the area, one in Valparaiso (just north of Niceville) and the other in Pensacola. At the present time there are more carriers flying in and out of Pensacola, and the competition causes airfares to be about $100-$150 cheaper than Valparaiso. Driving from the Pensacola airport to downtown Destin will take about 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on traffic and the time of the day, however, whereas driving from Valparaiso takes only 15 to 20 minutes.
The I-10 corridor brings most of the driving tourists into the area. As you come from either the east or west you will see many signs for the Mid-Bay Bridge exit. This bridge (and exit) was built specifically for tourists who want to get into the middle of Destin as quickly as possible. The bridge connects Niceville and Destin, and costs $5 per car (more for semi-trucks). Although the drive is pretty, there is a way to avoid the toll. The next two exits directly east of the Mid-Bay Bridge exit go to SR-85. This road is the one the locals use, and it goes through downtown Fort Walton Beach. If you stay on this road, it will connect to Highway 98.
Getting Around
While in the Fort Walton Beach and Destin area, Highway 98 will be the main road you will take to get to your hotel, restaurants, and entertainment. Due to overdevelopment in recent years, however, this highway can be very congested during the peak tourist season. Unfortunately, city planners never left any room for an alternate route for this road, so the only thing to do is avoid driving during peak times of day. Rush hours on 98 are typically between 7AM to 8AM and 4PM to 6PM. For a tourist, these times are easy to avoid simply by sleeping in late and going to the beach in the late afternoon and early evening (this is also the best time to visit the beach if you like smaller crowds and less sunburn).
If possible, try to get a hotel or cottage-rental on “Old” or “Scenic” Highway 98. This road runs parallel to a portion of Highway 98, and is frequented by tourists. Although the speed limit is much lower, you will be able to see the beach and avoid a lot of the commuter traffic along the “new” highway. A lot of people also enjoy walking along this road; it is much easier to get around than driving a car and it’s easier to see the beach.
If you get tired of Destin, travel west on Highway 98 to Fort Walton Beach. Although there are no public beaches within the city limits once you are on the mainland, Fort Walton Beach is where most of the “natives” live, and therefore it has cheaper shops and restaurants. SR-85 (labeled as Eglin Parkway) is full of cheaper restaurants, and Mary Ester Boulevard has a lot of good shops.
