Florida’s forgotten coast in the southern states region

Often referred to as Florida’s forgotten coast, the Panhandle is an insider tip among most foreign tourists. Translated, Panhandle means panhandle style, which does not do justice to the beauty of this corner of the world. Southern charm, abundant wildlife, blues at its finest and around 320 kilometers of gleaming white beaches with crystal-clear water are particularly enchanting along the Emerald Coast.

Geographically speaking, the Panhandle is not part of Florida’s peninsula, but is an approximately 370 kilometer long and up to 140 kilometer wide Gulf of Mexico coastal strip between Alabama and Georgia. All the larger towns in the Panhandle, with the exception of Florida’s capital Tallahassee on the coast. If you drive along US 98, you will pass Pensacola, Panama City Beach and Apalachicola as “must see” stops and Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach, Destin and Seaside as “can see” stops.

Completely unjustly forgotten coast

In other respects too, vacationers here feel closer to the so-called southern states than to Florida proper. It is not as densely populated as other parts of the peninsula. For this reason, and because the weather is not quite as hot and humid, Panhandle is also very suitable for a stay in midsummer. It is somewhat cooler here than in the well-known south of Florida. Temperatures here average between 30° and 35 degrees Celsius. In winter, on the other hand, it gets really wintry: 10°C is not uncommon here from December to February.

What can you say about the beaches: pure powdered sugar, emerald green crystal clear water, dunes sometimes as far as the eye can see. Roads here sometimes look like they are covered in snow and there are snow clearing vehicles on the road to remove the sand. The largest nature park in the Panhandle, covering 2430 km², is the Apalachicola National Forest. Other parks and protected areas worth visiting are Wakulla Springs State Park, St. George Island and the Gulf Islands National Seashore.