Opal Beach

Located in Florida’s Panhandle region, Opal Beach is a large and beautiful beach with white sand and sparse vegetation. This beach is situated along the shores of the Santa Rosa Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. This beach is present on an island named Santa Rosa Island and it is a part of a national park named Gulf Islands National Seashore. As an interesting fact, this beach was created in 1995 after a hurricane named Hurricane Opal flattened the local sand dunes, resulting in the formation of Opal Beach. 

Opal Beach has many amenities including lifeguards (available during summers), restrooms, showers, and picnic areas. Dogs are not allowed in Opal Beach. 

Opal Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, picnicking, wildlife watching, fishing, swimming, surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, body-surfing, surf-skiing, jet-skiing, water-skiing, parasailing, and boating. If you are planning to enter the water near Opal Beach, we recommend being careful as the water near this beach has unpredictable and dangerous rip currents. In addition, drowning-related deaths have also been reported in the water here. Depending on the time of the year, you can view many kinds of animals in the water near this beach including dolphins and sea turtles, along with a large variety of fish. This beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience as this beach sees fewer visitors than other Santa Rosa Island beaches. 

Getting to Opal Beach is easy - the beach is easily accessible from Florida State Road 399, where multiple parking lots are also present. It is important to note that you need to pay a fee to access Opal Beach as it is a part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The parking lots near Opal Beach are closed between sunset and sunrise.

There are many attractions near Opal Beach within a 30-minute drive. Gulf Breeze Zoo is a 50-acre zoo that houses around 900 animals including mammals, birds, and reptiles. The zoo has many interesting sections including a giraffe-feeding area (where visitors can feed giraffes) and a walk-through parakeet enclosure. In addition, the zoo has a free-roaming preserve area which visitors can explore through a train ride. This area has interesting herbivorous animals including rhinos, hippos, deer, and antelope. The Navarre Beach Marine Park is a county-protected park that preserves a portion of the Santa Rosa Island shoreline. While this park offers many interesting activities including snorkeling and hiking, it also has two science centers - the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center is an education center that is dedicated to the protection and conservation of sea turtles and the regional marine biodiversity by increasing public awareness. This center also has interesting exhibitions about the local marine flora and fauna. Another scientific center present near the beach is named Navarre Beach Marine Science Station which organizes a variety of fun events and programs. These events and programs are aimed at increasing public awareness about the value of the local marine ecosystem. If you are looking for another attraction near Opal Beach, Panhandle Butterfly House & Nature Center has a vivarium that showcases interesting Floridian butterfly species. In addition, it has more than 300 types of mounted butterflies from all over the world. The Panhandle Butterfly House & Nature Center also offers an interesting insight into the butterfly’s life cycle.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Opal Beach within a 25-minute drive. The Grand Marlin of Pensacola Beach is an upscale restaurant that has a casual ambiance and offers a pleasant waterfront dining experience. In addition, this restaurant also serves fresh locally sourced seafood and is known for serving delicious oysters. The restaurant also serves amazing steaks and poultry dishes and hosts live music performances. Broussard’s of Navarre mainly serves excellent Cajun dishes and seafood. In addition, this restaurant also has a relaxed ambiance. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Opal Beach, Tops Hamburgers of Navarre serves excellent hamburgers and sandwiches.

If you are looking for a hotel near Opal Beach, there are many great nearby options within a 26-minute drive. The 4-Star Margaritaville Beach Hotel offers many amenities including an oceanfront pavilion, a 24-hour fitness center, a pool, multiple bars, and a cafe. In addition, the hotel also offers seasonal live entertainment. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Hampton Inn & Suites Navarre which offers many amenities including a gym, a pool, a coin-operated laundry, and complimentary breakfast and breakfast bags (available during weekdays). If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Opal Beach, the 2-Star Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Navarre Conference Center offers many amenities including a pool and complimentary breakfast.