Okaloosa Island vacation rentals

If you’re visiting Okaloosa Island, don’t forget to pack a swimsuit. The three-mile-long barrier island, just south of Fort Walton Beach, is between the Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s Emerald Coast. You practically live at the beach here, spending days pedaling around on a cruiser, stretching out on powder-soft white sands, and sitting down to a seafood dinner fresh from the turquoise gulf waters. But while the beaches here are beautiful — much of the island is protected land — there’s plenty to do besides relax. Kayak or paddleboard on the bay or boat over to Crab Island, a sandbar with a festive atmosphere. Shop and dine on the boardwalk, or visit the area’s theme parks, water parks, and museums. Then cap off the day by enjoying a brilliant sunset on the beach.

It’s almost always beach weather on Okaloosa Island. Summer is hot, humid, and the most popular time to book one of the condos here, with daytime temperatures around 90 degrees Fahrenheit and nights only slightly cooler. But repeat visitors tend to agree that spring and fall are the best times to visit, when the crowds are thinner and temperatures are in the mid-70s and upper 80s — you may even want to pack a light jacket for evenings. Expect an isolated thunderstorm or two, especially during hurricane season, which starts in June and lasts through late October or November. Winter is sunny but cooler, with temperatures in the mid-60s. However, it doesn’t last long, and the 70-degree days usually return in the middle of March.

Okaloosa Island Pier

Anglers come to the Okaloosa Island Pier, which juts 1,262 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, to sight-cast in the clear waters. There’s gear rental here, and, for a small license fee, you can fish for Spanish mackerel, whiting, tuna, and bluefish. The pier also draws birders and is a lovely place for a stroll or to watch the summer fireworks displays.

The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island

The oceanfront boardwalk features beach access, picnic pavilions, shops selling beach apparel and water toys, ice cream and candy stores, and several large, open-air seafood shacks and burger bars.

Gulf Island National Seashore

A national treasure, the Gulf Island National Seashore stretches 160 miles from Cat Island, MS, to Okaloosa Island and is split into 12 areas. The final section, just west of the Okaloosa Island hub, is a beautiful small beach on the Choctawhatchee Bay with calm waters that are great for swimming and water sports.