Makaph Island

Located on the air base of Hurlbert Field, Makaph Island has a half-mile-long and wide beach situated north of Okaloosa Island at the northwestern end of the state of Florida. The beach on Makaph Island is northeast of Santa Rosa Island and is west of Henderson Beach State Park. 

Although Makaph Island does not have lifeguards, there are many fun activities here including swimming, sailing, fishing, hiking, and paddleboarding. If you are looking for additional activities, you can drive 15 minutes to Destin East Jetty on the east side of the beach. 

Getting to Makaph Island is easy – you can take a boat from Okaloosa Island to the beach. 

If you are looking for nearby attractions, there are many options within an eight-minute drive of Makaph Island. Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone is a fun family-friendly tourist attraction site with a miniature golf course, roller coaster rides, laser tags, go-karts, bumper boats, and an arcade. The marine park Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park features swimming with dolphins, and touch tanks – as well as sharks, rays, and dolphin shows. If you like fishing, Okaloosa Fishing Pier is a 1,262-feet long fishing pier that is known for birdwatching, diving, watching dolphins, sea turtles, herons, pelicans, sea urchins, crabs, and salmons. Another great attraction near Makaph Island is the Pensacola Museum of Art that is home to works of many 20^th and 21^st century artists including Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder, Salvador Dali, and Kathe Kollwitz.

If you get hungry, you can drive three minutes to many restaurants near Makaph Island. Al's Beach Club and Burger Bar is an open-aired family beachfront restaurant featuring classic American burgers, homemade custard milkshakes, DJs, and weekly firework shows – it is a seasonal restaurant that remains open between March 1^st and October 31^st. Floyd's Shrimp House is a local waterfront restaurant that serves the award-winning coconut shrimp, raw and baked oysters. Another good restaurant near Makaph Island is Rockin Tacos that offers authentic Mexican dishes including fried avocados, Baja fish tacos, and Mexican burgers with house-infused margaritas and tequila cocktails. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Makaph Island, there are many hotels within a six-minute drive. Four Points by Sheraton Destin - Fort Walton Beach is a 3-Star hotel that offers numerous amenities including a pool, bar, restaurant, fitness center with gym, and business center. Hilton Garden Inn Fort Walton Beach is an affordable hotel with hot tubs, an indoor pool, a poolside bar, an outdoor fireplace, a lazy river, and fire pits. If you are looking for an affordable hotel near Makaph Island, Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach has several amenities including indoor and outdoor pools with waterfalls, a fitness center, a bar, ATMs, a game arcade, and a business center.