Located on nearby Okaloosa Island, Okaloosa Island Pier is a picturesque and family friendly place to spend time during your Fort Walton Beach vacation. Read on below to learn more about this local attraction in the Fort Walton Beach area!
A Scenic Hangout Spot near Fort Walton Beach
Okaloosa Island Pier is home to a charming boardwalk, a fishing pier, and a dining, shopping, and entertainment hotspot known as The Boardwalk.
Pay a mere $8.00 and you can enjoy a stroll along the boardwalk, taking in the stunning sights of the Gulf of Mexico. Using viewing binoculars, you can see directly into the crystal-clear waters of the gulf, watching marine life up-close even before you make the trip to the nearby Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park just off of the boardwalk.
A bait and tackle shop at the entrance to the boardwalk will supply you with all of materials you need for a fantastic day of fishing on the Okaloosa Island Pier. Pick up a rod, bait, and even snacks and drinks and make a day of it. Species like grouper are commonly caught near Okaloosa Island, Fort Walton Beach, and Destin. For those anglers who are passionate about the tranquility of the sport they love, the early morning hours on the pier are hard to beat. Get up before the sun, grab your gear and head this way when you’re excited to cast a line and see what bites. Chances are there will be another angler or two with the same idea, but that’s about it! An early morning adventure to the Okaloosa Island Pier provides those who love to fish with clear calm waters and time to enjoy the view without having bustling crowds to contend with. For many visitors, there’s isn’t a better way to start the day! Of course, fishing is a fantastic activity to enjoy here no matter what time you arrive so if you don’t mind the vibrant ambiance that tends to take over in the later afternoon hours, feel free to sleep in and cast a line when the sun is high in the sky instead. Either way, you’ll be enjoying something you love in a place that’s scenic, exciting, and definitely worth exploring while you’re in the area.
Close by the Okaloosa Island Pier is the previously mentioned Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, at which you and your guests can have up-close encounters with all kinds of fascinating marine animals. Give loggerhead turtles a snack, pet alligators and penguins, swim with sharks and stingrays, visit bottle-nosed dolphins, and more. Families traveling this way with little ones in tow who are looking for an experience that’s equal parts exciting and educational will be thrilled to find that the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is also home to the C.A.R.E center. Standing for conserve, act, rehabilitate, and educate respectively, this center first opened in 2015 with the mission of rescuing area marine life, helping them through recovery and releasing them back into the wild. Functioning as a non-profit, the C.A.R.E center has seen incredible success in the world of sea turtle conservation. On-site staff have helped return hundreds of different species of sea turtles to the wild over the years and every success story is another chance to help visitors gain a passion for wildlife conservation as well. The Center regularly hosts public sea turtle releases with an introduction to the rehabilitation and release process for guests. This is an opportunity for visitors to experience the success of conservation at its best and learn more about what it will take to help maintain the oceans for sea turtle populations for years to come. The C.A.R.E center is a great option for visitors of all ages interested in marine conservation. It’s an organization that brings the realities of wildlife protection to life right before your eyes and gives guests plenty of reasons to look into how they can help in a more hands-on way as well.
Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone is also situated nearby. This family friendly indoor and outdoor attraction holds a massive indoor arcade and 4D movie theater (a 3D experience with moving seats), as well as an outdoor portion with 2 mini-golf courses, a roller coaster, and other exciting amusements and attractions.
Whatever sightseeing and activities you choose to enjoy on Okaloosa Island Pier, you will not be disappointed!
Okaloosa Island Florida
For more details on Okaloosa Island Pier and other can’t-miss attractions to visit during your time in Fort Walton Beach, click here! Otherwise, contact our team of reservation specialists to discuss booking your stay with us! We offer a vast selection of properties, including rentals for the 4th of July and Labor Day.
