Summerwind – Navarre Beach, Florida
Posted in Navarre on November 8, 2011
Navarre Beach sits between Pensacola and Destin on the gulf coast of Florida. We are lucky enough to live in Pensacola and we visit Destin regularly during the summer for its great shopping, restaurants, and beaches but we normally cruise right past Navarre. In a recent visit to Navarre Beach, I realized that we have been missing out on a great family friendly beach destination.
The beaches are filled with laughter from kids splashing in the water and digging in the sand. All of the restaurants that we ate at welcomed children of all ages. There is an amazing park and splash pad as well as a butterfly house that is great to visit. We stayed at the Summerwind West.
Summerwind is a condominium located on the water just steps away from the Navarre Beach Pier, the longest pier on the Gulf Coast. There are so many pros to staying in a condo and they often outweigh the cons. I love to be able to spread out and give the kids their own space. It is nice to put them in bed and not have to worry about disturbing them if I want to watch some late night television or stare at the stars from my balcony. This was my view in the morning…not too bad.
We stayed in a three bedroom unit managed by ResortQuest that was decorated in beachy decor. One bedroom slept two in one bed, the second bedroom slept two in bunk beds, and the master bedroom had a king sized bed. In the living room, the couch was a pullout, sleeping a total of eight. The unit had two large bathrooms and a fully equipped kitchen. Both the master bedroom and the living room led out to beautiful balconies facing the water.
Things to know before you go with kids: When you first arrive at your condo, be sure to check the sliding glass doors that lead out to the balcony. Our living room door was locked but our bedroom door was not. I promptly locked the doors so my little one couldn’t head out on the balcony by herself.
The unit we stayed in also had a washer and dryer that were great for cleaning up the towels after a long day at the beach. Exiting out the back of the condo building, it is just a short walk past the pool and on to a boardwalk that will take you directly to the beach. The pool is big enough that even though there were usually at least two other families there, it never felt like it was crowded.
You don’t use a key to get into the condo; you use a keypad. The number was easy to remember but I tucked a copy of it into my bag so that I always had it with me in case we forgot. Using the keypad was great because it meant that we didn’t have to worry about carrying a key with us while we were at the beach. It also meant that I didn’t have to worry about whether or not I was putting the keycard next to my phone which inevitably always makes it so the key doesn’t work.
The location of Summerwind is perfect for a family vacation. There are a lot of condos and houses on the strip of beach but Summerwind is within walking distance of the pier where kids will love to watch the fishermen bring up their catch and try to spy stingrays or sharks in the water. It is also a short walk from several restaurants so you don’t have to get in the car and drive after a long day spent at the beach.
Do you prefer to stay in condos and house rentals or hotels when you travel?
