Ocean Reef Resorts is pleased to be able to offer fine private condo rentals at Waterscape and the Island Princess on Okaloosa Island. Okaloosa Island is THE beach for Fort Walton although it remains unincorporated to this day.  In the 1930s, it was known as Tower Beach established by the Brooks family as a boardwalk, hotel, restaurant, casino and amusement park. In 1942 the entire complex burned down, was never rebuilt and the property ended up deeded over to the hands of the federal government. In 1950 a three mile long, 875 acre parcel was ceded over to Okaloosa County with the rest of it later designated as a  dune studded National Seashore as well as a Coast Guard Base. Today the western portion connects via the Brooks Bridge to Fort Walton Beach, the Destin Bridge passes over East Pass towards the other side and it is bordered on the north shore by the pristine waters of Choctawhatchee Bay while the gorgeous Gulf of Mexico borders the south. All in all Okaloosa Island has six miles of powder white, quartz crystal sand overlooking the trademark emerald green gulf. Visitors give almost a Five Star rating to Okaloosa Island on TripAdvisor with the vast majority giving it an Excellent Review. Remarks include such descriptions as "A little piece of Heaven"; "a hidden treasure"; "the sugary sand is fantastic"; "natural beauty"; "peaceful quiet but not far from fun" and "love this island and want to take it back home." Now this can become your home away from home and you will enjoy discovering what others have found before you. These family oriented beaches include youth activities, picnic areas and playgrounds, miniature golf, water recreation, jet ski rentals, para sailing, snorkeling, surfing, fishing, great eateries as well as bars and adult nightlife.

Okaloosa Island Boardwalk

A large complex called The Boardwalk includes plenty of parking, covered picnic pavilions, convenient public restrooms,  outdoor showers, handicapped accessible beach walkovers, lively volleyball courts on the sand, multiple restaurants, fun night clubs and some trendy beach shops. The popular restaurants feature fresh seafood specialties for the most part and include great gumbo at The Crab Trap, award winning entrees at Floyd's Shrimp House, wood fired creations at The Black Pearl and wonderful Italian dishes at the San Gelato Cafe. Live musical entertainment and dancing creates a rollicking evening at two bars called The Swamp and Howl at the Moon. Howl at the Moon is a foot stomping, hand clapping, edge of your seat, full production of talented dueling piano players. They even feature a hilarious comedy night on Sundays! The Swamp features both national and local bands with premier events like MTV's Fashionably Loud, the Hawaiian Tropic Bikini Contest, International DJ Spinoffs and Bartender Tournaments. During the day, you can also get everything you need for fun in the sun at the beach boutiques located here. They include Islanders Surf Shop, Caribongo's, Boardwalk Tees, Surfside Outfitters, Tropical Trends and Kitty Hawk Kites. The Boardwalk is just minutes away from our properties at Waterscape and The Island Princess so you won't be far away from these delightful Okaloosa Island attractions.

A short distance away you will find the Okaloosa Pier which extends almost 1,300 linear feet, (almost a quarter of a mile), into the Gulf of Mexico. A spacious octagon at the end greatly increases the fishing area and lets anglers pull in a big fish. In fact the Okaloosa Pier, which is the longest in this part of northwest Florida, is well known locally for some outstanding catches of fish that can weigh up to 100 pounds. Built in benches and rod holders enable you to nab such trophies. They include Tuna, King Mackerel, Cobia, Mahi Mahi, Red Fish, Pompano and Bonito. Sometimes anglers have even snared a big Sailfish off this pier. Usual catches include Spanish Mackerel, Whiting and Blue Fish. At the base of the pier is a Tackle Shop where you can get natural or artificial bait, rental rods or gear, ice, coolers, soda, sandwiches and ice cream. Many visitors come down as spectators just to view the action, catch a sunset over the gulf or watch the dolphin frolic and play. From mid October until mid March, the pier is open from 5am till 9pm but during the rest of the year it is open until midnight. Price of admission which can go throughout the entire day is $7.50 for Adults and $6.50 for Seniors 65+. Kids six thru twelve are only $4.50 for admission and children five years old or younger are free.  If you want to enjoy the Okaloosa Pier as a spectator just to watch the action and enjoy the views, the price of admission is only $2.00.

Gulfarium Okaloosa Ilsand

Another wonderful attraction right next door is The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park which has entertained literally millions of visitors since it was established by fifteen biologists from the University of Miami and many local residents back in 1955. Their Mission Statement is "dedicated to educating, entertaining and inspiring guests to respect and preserve wild life by providing unique, memorable experiences for visitors of all ages to connect with marine life." The Gulfarium is open from 9am till 4:30 pm daily with special shows for Dolphin and Sea Lions. You may watch the talent and agility of the dolphin as they leap, splash and play at 10am, Noon and 2:30pm. Sitting in the "Splash Zone" can be quite refreshing on a hot summer day! Clever, cunning, California Sea Lions clown around with shows at 11am, 1:00 and 3:30pm. In addition to these specified performances, the professional Gulfarium staff provides fun, educational "chats" with Harbor Seals, Otters, Sharks as well as reptiles like Logger Head Turtles and Alligators. Kids can even help feed African Penguins or try their luck in catching some fish with a bamboo pole. The Gulfarium also boasts having a 33,000 gallon aquarium that they call The Living Sea Room. This is the home to hundreds of vibrantly colored tropical fish that may be viewed through a wall of floor pressure glass windows in an acclimatized environment. Another room called Aquatic Wonders plays serene music while you look through windows at Seahorses, Octopus, Jelly Fish and other incredible underwater creatures. It is interesting to note that the Gulfarium offers the Living Sea Room for special birthday parties and other group events at a special rate. Certainly many adventures are to be had here at this Okaloosa Island attraction.

Waterscape Okaloosa Island

If you are planning to discover Okaloosa Island with your family you must check out our properties at Waterscape and The Island Princess. Waterscape is a water park resort unto itself with a 10,000 square foot pool with unparalleled amenities. This palm studded, lushly landscaped oasis has a huge interconnecting lagoon shaped pool that sits next to the 490 linear feet of the private sugar sand beach. The entire family will enjoy floating on the Lazy River, refreshed by spraying fountains or waterfalls, swimming around mini palm islands or maneuvering a netted obstacle bridge over water. There is also a zero entry Toddlers Pool with fanciful and colorful plastic sculptures of frogs as well as other reptiles to play on. Adults will love the two soothing hot tubs nearby. Waterscape also has a state of the art Fitness Center where you may get a great workout while looking outside upon this watery scene. Outdoor grilling facilities, a kid's playground and a shuffle board court allows everyone to enjoy the family fun.

Island Princess Okaloosa Island

At the Island Princess you may enjoy majestic views of the gem toned gulf from this classic beach retreat that sits parallel to the waters with views all the way to the southern horizon. This private crystal sand beach extends 500 linear feet from east to west which is the equivalent of more than one and one half the length of a football field. Here you may enjoy these views from your own private beachfront balcony and hear the sound of the surf below.  A large swimming pool which is seasonally heated sits right beside the beach. This locale provides the perfect spot for sun bathing or getting a fresh water dip to wash off the salty sea. A bubbling hot tub also sits nestled beside the beach with a convenient walkover that arches over a dune to the sugary white sands below. A full fitness center is also on site and outdoor grilling facilities are available to create your own seafood feast. TripAdvisor reviews give the Island Princess a four and one half star rating with comments like: "Wonderful view of the powdery white sands and gulf"; "a great place for a family vacation" and "Island Princess has me hooked." This beach retreat is also aptly named as a "princess" since you and yours will feel like a member of royalty during your stay here.

As always, it is our pleasure here at Ocean Reef Resorts to be able to provide such wonderful Okaloosa Island accommodations for all of your family and friends. Be sure to scope out our listings since we are sure you will become excited about your upcoming beach adventure!