Okaloosa Island

Location of Okaloosa Island

Arial View Of Okaloosa Island

Okaloosa Island Is A Little Hidden Jewel On The Emerald Coast

Okaloosa Island is located about halfway between Pensacola and Panama City on the Emerald Coast (panhandle area) of Florida. We are the "BEACH" in Fort Walton Beach. Years ago Ft. Walton changed their name to Ft. Walton Beach in an effort to attract more tourists. In reality, Ft. Walton Beach has no beach, but Okaloosa Island has one of the most beautiful beaches in the U.S. We have a Ft. Walton Beach address but Okaloosa Island is located on a barrier island (Santa Rosa Island) in Okaloosa County. We have our own fire department and deputy sheriffs. We say that we live "on the island" and we're very proud of where we live. You've probably heard of the Florida Keys being call "The Conch Republic". We might be called "The Island Republic" for much the same reason. Ft. Walton Beach recently asked the residents of Okaloosa Island if we wanted to be incorporated into FWB. We overwhemingly said "no thank you". We prefer to remain our own little community with our own laid back life style.

So....Why would you want to stay on Okaloosa Island? Hey, if you like traffic, high rise condos, limited beach access, and crowded beaches, then Destin might be more your style. But if you'd like to stay on an island that has a 4 lane dead-end highway with very little traffic (compared to Destin), several public beach accesses, no condos higher than 75 feet (courtesy of Eglin AFB-God Bless our local military), and miles of uncrowded beaches, you just might fall in love with Okaloosa Island. You can actually ride bicycles around in relative safety--a bike path runs along Santa Rosa Blvd and the neighborhood streets on the north side of the island are ideal for leisurely bike rides (We provide bikes for our guests). We have The Boardwalk, a new conference center, the Gulfarium, and several stores right on the island. If you insist upon going to Destin, it is less than15 minutes away on Hwy 98 (4 lanes) with a only one red light and a 55 MPH speed limit. The Historic Section of Ft. Walton Beach is just across the Brooks Bridge with Publix, Blockbuster Video, and several fine restaurants and shops.

Beachbums Hideaway When we moved from Niceville to Okaloosa Island in 1998, our friends started calling us "beachbums". Since we had just sold a unit we called "The Hideaway", it seemed apropriate to call our new unit "The Beachbums Hideaway". It is truly unique, with extras you will not find at any other rental unit. The decor is whimsical and fashioned after our visits to the Florida Keys. See the links above for more information. Thanks for visiting our web site. Cheers, Dave and Ginny

Brown Pelican-Photo taken by Dave in our back yard

Dave and Kayak

Here's a photo of Dave in our back yard in July, 2007. He goes out in the kayak every chance he gets. You can see how beautiful our beaches are, and the Gulf of Mexico is gorgeous!!

Gulfarium Photo-But there's a good chance you'll see some dolphins in the open water also.

Okaloosa Island Beach

Seagulls and Pelicans-Photo taken by Dave in our back yard

Yes, it does get cool down here in the winter. This was taken in Feb, 2006. Every year we have a Marti Gras parade on the Island. We catch a lot of beads. Here's a photo of us with two of our 7 grandchildren, Brynn and Gavin. They live in Biloxi, MS.

10/23/06 An email from one of our guests:

"For the past several years I've taken 'escape' vacations with friends. Our first trip three of us went to Vegas - everyone should see Vegas, but I have no desire to return (too many people for my idea of a vacation). The second year four of us went to Destin in April and every morning found me on the beach at sun-up to try to save enough space for when my friends wandered down (it was miserably crowded!). Last year there were three of us in a condo on Okaloosa Islland - not nearly as crowded as Destin and I knew we were getting closer to the perfect vacation spot. This year I found it at the Beachbums Hideaway!! The beach is RIGHT THERE! Barefooting all day long! Just a small stroll back up to the restroom or to refill the cooler! Cathy and I had an absolutely wonderful time! The one rainy day that we had I spent the afternoon sitting on the deck with a book - the rain only changed my location by a few yards, but not my plans! For what I think of when I think 'vacation' (relaxing with sunshine, a good book, and a beer) you have the perfect vacation spot!

Thank you again - the Beachbums Hideaway was even more impressive than what I had imagined! It was a great experience and I look forward to staying there again!"

J.T., Bloomfield, IN

Beachbums Hideaway

"a unique studio vacation rental"

For reservations or questions, call Dave or Ginny Davis

at 850-244-3125 (Home) or 850-240-7941 (Cell), or send us

an e-mail at floridabeachbums@cox.net