I love piers! The idea of walking out deep into the water is thrilling and the opportunity to look down and attempt to spot some of the amazing creatures that call the ocean home is truly exciting. So once I learned that Navarre Beach is home to the largest pier in the Gulf of Mexico as well as the longest pier in Florida, walking the full length of the pier became my mission for the day despite the plans we already had.
Before we stopped at Navarre Beach, we were actually on our way to Pensacola from Destin. While in Destin, we heard so many good things about Navarre Beach. So once we saw the sign advertising Florida’s Most Relaxing Place- Navarre Beach, the car just seemed to drift into the parking lot of the beach on its own.
Since this was an impromptu trip, we learned a lot about Navarre Beach as we walked its soft shimmery sands for the first time. We discovered that this beach, as peaceful as it looks, was actually the primary filming location of the film Jaws 2. We also realized that the beach, located on the Gulf of Mexico, boasts emerald-clear waters and were astonished to learn that the Navarre Beach Pier, at 1,545 feet long, stretched the furthest in the state over the beautiful waters of the Gulf.
With this information, plans to return to the car and head to Pensacola were officially canceled. My son, both excited and reluctant, agreed to bravely walk the lengthy pier with me. The two of us left the dazzling beach and made our way up the steps in the direction of the pier.
The charge to walk the pier is just $1 for adults and children over the age of 5. Children 5 and under are free. My son and I entered the gift shop to pay for our walking passes and after some browsing for apparel, toys, snacks, and souvenirs, we abruptly left so we could accomplish what we came to do- walk the longest pier in Florida!
We passed by Windjammers, a restaurant on the pier, and we marveled at the amazing views patrons of the restaurant were certainly enjoying as people splashed happily and boisterously in the emerald waters. Yes, the view from Windjammers was undoubtedly amazing but we had so much more to take in ourselves as we continued to walk this grand pier. At 30 feet above the water, it became readily apparent how clear the water truly was on this beach. Looking down, it seemed like we could almost see to the bottom of the ocean!
At one point, during our leisurely and peaceful walk, our calm trance was suddenly interrupted as someone fishing and on the verge of reeling in a major catch excitedly shouted out for help. My son and I could not help but rush over to witness all of the commotion and were rewarded with a crystal-clear sight of the huge fish fighting against the line.
After my son and I stopped observing the tug-of-war between the fish fighting to stay in the water and the two people working together to reel the fish in, we refocused and continued our journey toward the end of the pier, making sure to take time to enjoy the views on both sides with our attention sometimes momentarily captured by the brightly illustrated fishing line recycling bins along the pier.
Before we knew it, we started to see fishing poles and we realized we had made it to the end of the pier! The only thing left to do was to stand there and just take in the views of the Gulf from a point where there were no swimmers, no people in sight, just miles and miles of ocean.
My son and I took an obligatory selfie to commemorate him facing his fears and our peaceful yet exciting walk on the longest pier in Florida! After a few more minutes of gazing, reflecting, and acknowledging our trek, we turned around to make the long walk back to the car, revisiting the views from the sides of the pier, just in reverse this time.
To see our full experience walking the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier as well as enjoying Navarre Beach, click here to watch the video!