Santa Rosa Island Beach

Located in the southern end of the city of Fort Walton Beach, Santa Rosa Island Beach is an eight mile - long beach with light brown sand. Santa Rosa Island Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your visit accordingly. Dogs are not allowed on the Santa Rosa Island Beach, and the beach is open from 6 a.m. until sunset. 

Santa Rosa Island Beach offers many fun activities including fishing, hiking, paddle boarding, sailing, snorkeling, and swimming. If you are planning to go into the water near Santa Rosa Island Beach, we recommend being careful as the water here has rip currents. This beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience as it sees fewer visitors as compared to other Fort Walton beaches. 

Getting to Santa Rosa Island Beach is easy – the access trail to the beach is present at the eastern end of Okaloosa Island and you can easily get to this access trail from United States Highway 98 and Florida State Road 30. There are free parking lots available near the access trail that leads to Santa Rosa Island Beach. It is important to note that these parking lots are numbered, so please be careful to remember the number of the lot where you parked your car.

There are many attractions near Santa Rosa Island Beach. HarborWalk Village is a waterfront entertainment center that offers many fun activities including paddle-boarding, kayaking, jet-ski, parasailing, glass-bottom boat tours, pirate-ship excursions, and dolphin cruises. In addition, HarborWalk Village hosts live music shows, firework shows - and also have a shopping arcade and many restaurants. Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center is home to many rescued and rehabilitated sea turtles, it also hosts many educational programs related to endangered sea turtle species, sea turtle nesting, and various hazards to sea turtles. If you are looking for another attraction near Santa Rosa Island Beach, Rainforest Black Light Golf & Arcade is a rainforest-themed adventure park that offers many fun activities including an indoor blacklight mini-golf course, and indoor games arcade.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Santa Rosa Island Beach. Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer is an upscale waterfront restaurant that serves incredible seafood, meat dishes, steak, salads, and desserts. Harry T’s Lighthouse is a beachfront restaurant with circus memorabilia that serves amazing seafood, pizzas, burgers, salads, nachos, tacos, and gumbos. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Santa Rosa Island Beach, modestly priced KC’s Sandbar & Grille offers live music performances and serves delicious seafood, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and salads.

If you are looking for a hotel near Santa Rosa Island Beach, there are many great nearby options. If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 4-Star The Breakers of Fort Walton Beach is 12 minutes away by car and offers many amenities including two outdoor pools, a hot tub, a fitness center, tennis courts, shuffleboard courts, and a restaurant. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star The Island Ft. Walton Destin is a beachfront hotel that offers many amenities including a fitness center, two outdoor pools, a hot tub, a business center, and a restaurant. As another moderately priced option, the 3-Star Courtyard by Marriott Fort Walton Beach - West Destin offers many amenities including a golf course, a fitness center, a deck, an outdoor pool, and a restaurant. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Santa Rosa Island Beach, the modestly priced 2-Star Inn On Destin Harbor, Ascend Hotel Collection is a harborfront hotel that offers many amenities including an outdoor pool, a deck, a restaurant, and complimentary breakfast.