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When most people think of Florida beaches, most imagine the beaches they see on TV in places like Miami, the Keys, or maybe even Panama City. Most people forget that Florida runs all the way up underneath Alabama, and that is where the best hidden beaches are located.

In the coastline around the infamous panhandle, the best kept secret of Florida beaches are kept. From Pensacola all the way down to the beaches of Destin, the emerald waters sparkle throughout the year in the so named Emerald Coast. Pensacola boasts such diving wonders as the recently sunk Oriskany, a man made reef with history throughout. For more tourist delight, one can relax on the beach, take a walk through the unique beach side shops, rent a jet ski for a reasonable price, or walk out to the fishing pier to try their hand at catching native Red Snapper or Amberjack.

Speaking of Amberjack, underneath the Brooks Bridge in Fort Walton Beach about 40 miles down the coast, is Rick's Crab Trap, which serves the best Amberjack platters ever tasted. Go there for a true lunching delight before heading across the bridge to the beautiful view from Okaloosa Island. Here you can see more sparkling emerald waters on the beach. Visiting the beach from the Boardwalk, you can shop at more unique stores in the two story building housing not only beach friendly souvenirs, but also the Howl at the Moon piano bar and The Swamp, the all night dance club. If you are looking for more private beach time, you can drive down the island just a little way to find a number of gravel parking areas where walking out to the beach leads you to much less crowds and much more time to simply relax and watch the waves. If you want a more active time, you can always drive across to the other side of the island, where there are boat rentals or para sailing lessons.

All of this beach fun may sound great, and you may want to enjoy it for longer periods of time. Renting a condo or beach side apartment down the coast in Destin would be the best place to go. Here, there are literally thousands of condos and beach homes for rent, and all are withing walking distance to the water fun. In Destin, it is easy to find a mixture of all water friendly activities, and the beaches seem even more emerald here. Here, you can take a dolphin tour, a chartered deep sea fishing trip, or take out a jet ski or boat for the day to the area infamous crab island, which is an island covered by very shallow water only knee deep where hundreds of boats and jet skis are anchored for a party at any given time. Eating in Destin offers some of the freshest seafood in Florida, or you can shop at the fresh seafood markets and come up with your own creations. For dessert, you can't beat Shakes, a frozen custard stand that rivals most ice cream shops in the country.

Whether you want fishing, diving, boating, skiing, dancing, or just relaxing next to the beach, the beaches of the Emerald Coast, from Pensacola to Destin, are the best kept secret in Florida, when it comes to sand and surf.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth Kelley.
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