6 Best Okaloosa Island Beachfront Hotels with a Pool

18

Best Okaloosa Island Beachfront Hotels with a Pool

Okaloosa Island or Destin: Where You Actually Stay

Okaloosa Island sits one bridge west of Destin, with a run of beachfront hotels with pools on the same sand.

• Same Sand as Destin The island shares Destin’s white quartz sand and green water. Its developed stretch runs between the Brooks Bridge to downtown Fort Walton Beach and the Destin Bridge.
• Seven Miles of Island Okaloosa Island runs seven miles, and the hotels fill the four developed miles the county splits into lifeguard zones. Numbered signs every 500 feet along that sand are registered with 911 dispatchers, so read the nearest one if you ever need help.

Spring Break on Okaloosa Island

Spring break brings families and college students to the island at the same time, and the county polices it with families in mind.

• Zero Tolerance for Underage Drinking The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office runs a zero-tolerance policy on underage drinking every spring break, with deputies patrolling the island beach on ATVs. In past seasons it has issued notices to appear to drinkers as young as 14.
• Check-In Age of 21 Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach requires the guest checking in to be 21 or older. A group of college students under 21 can’t book a room there on their own.

How Warm the Gulf Is in Spring

Spring sunshine here runs warmer than the water.

• March Water Runs Cold The Gulf off Fort Walton Beach averages in the mid-60s °F in March, a quick, cold plunge for most swimmers. Kids who want hours in the water will spend them in the pool.
• April Turns Swimmable By April the water averages around 70°F. That’s warm enough for a real swim on a sunny afternoon.
• Two Hotels Have Indoor Pools Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach and Hilton Garden Inn Ft. Walton Beach both have an indoor pool as well as their outdoor ones. That counts on a windy March day when nobody wants to sit outside wet.

Beach Flags and Rip Currents

Rip currents run on calm-looking days too, so check the flag before anyone wades in.

• Double Red Flags Two red flags mean the water is closed, and a county ordinance bars anyone from going in. A single red flag means high surf and strong currents.
• Purple Flag A purple flag flies alongside the main color when jellyfish or stingrays are in the water. Shuffle your feet in the shallows on those days.
• Text for the Day’s Flag Text BEACH to 44144 for the day’s flag on Okaloosa Island and Destin’s guarded beaches. It’s the quickest check before you carry the chairs down.

The Boardwalk, Pier and Gulfarium

The island splits into two halves, with the Boardwalk and pier in the middle on Miracle Strip Parkway.

• Boardwalk Shops and Food Restaurants and beach shops line the Boardwalk, which doubles as a public beach access with restrooms and volleyball courts. On summer Wednesday nights it puts on fireworks.
• Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier It runs out into the Gulf beside the Boardwalk, and its shop sells bait and rents rods. You don’t need your own fishing license to fish from it.
• Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park Next to the Boardwalk, the Gulfarium keeps much of its park under cover. That makes it the island’s best rainy-afternoon plan with kids.

Public Beach Access on the Island

You don’t need a hotel to reach the sand here, which matters on a day trip or when friends visit.

• Seven Numbered Accesses Seven public beach accesses sit between the hotels and condos along the island, each with a small parking lot and seasonal lifeguards. The lots are small, so arrive early on summer weekends.
• Beach Ramps at Beasley Park John Beasley Park has ramps down to the sand and picnic pavilions. The ramps make it an easy way down with a wheelchair or a loaded beach cart.
• Dune Walkovers Wooden walkovers carry you over the dunes at the accesses. Use them, because the dunes behind the beach are protected.

FAQs

1. Is Okaloosa Island part of Destin?

No, it sits on the eastern end of Santa Rosa Island, across the Destin Bridge, and its hotels carry Fort Walton Beach addresses. The county markets the two towns together as Destin-Fort Walton Beach, and the island shares Destin’s airport. That’s why Destin searches turn up so many Fort Walton Beach hotels. Search for Fort Walton Beach as well as Destin when you compare beach hotels.

2. How do you get to Crab Island from Okaloosa Island?

Drive back over the Destin Bridge to Destin Harbor and take a tour boat or rent a pontoon there. Crab Island sits in the bay right beside the bridge, so the run out from the harbor is short. Tour boats and rental pontoons for it leave from Destin Harbor, not from the island’s beaches.

3. Are there lifeguards on Okaloosa Island?

Okaloosa County Beach Safety guards the island’s developed stretch from mid-March through October. From November to February, guards switch to limited patrols and emergency response, so swims out of season are on your own. Swim in front of a staffed guard stand in season whenever you can, and check the flag before going in.

4. What is the best month to visit Fort Walton Beach?

May gives the best mix for most trips. The Gulf is warm enough to swim, rates sit below the June and July peak, and the spring break crowds have gone home. Late September and October work the same way once school is back, with the water still warm from summer.

5. Is Okaloosa Island less crowded than Destin?

It is: the island beach draws smaller summer crowds than Destin’s main stretch, with fewer vendors and umbrella rentals on the sand. Destin’s traffic around the harbor and the bridge is at its worst in July and August, so an island base saves time in the car. Walk a few minutes from the nearest access and you’ll have more room.

6. Is there a national seashore on Okaloosa Island?

Yes, the undeveloped three miles at the island’s east end belong to Gulf Islands National Seashore, with no hotels or condos on them. Park at John Beasley Park, cross the dune walkover and walk the shoreline past natural dunes instead of towers. It’s the one stretch of the island with no buildings on the sand.

7. What is the closest airport to Okaloosa Island?

Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, code VPS, is the closest, a 15 to 20-minute drive from the hotels on the island. Despite the name, it sits on the mainland in Valparaiso, north of the bay. You won’t need a car for the beach, but one makes trips into Destin much easier.