Day trips from Nashville · Beach
Navarre Beach
443 miles from downtown Nashville · about 7 to 8 hours
Santa Rosa County, FL, on Santa Rosa Island between the national seashore and Eglin Air Force Base
Navarre Beach is the closest Gulf sand to Nashville and the least developed of any beach on this page. It is county run rather than an incorporated town, there is no bar district, and the whole commercial footprint on the island is a handful of businesses, which is either exactly what you want or exactly what you do not.
- Distance
- 443 miles, the shortest drive of any beach here
- Time zone
- Central, same as Nashville. No clock change
- Parking
- 516 free spaces in the main county park
- The pier
- 1,545 feet, the longest on the Gulf
Permits, fees and access
The Navarre Beach Causeway is free, unlike the toll bridge at Pensacola Beach. Parking in the county park is free, 516 spaces plus 16 for RVs and boats, with no overnight parking. Free beach wheelchairs are kept by Navarre Beach Fire Rescue at 1413 Utility Drive, first come first served, 9am to 2pm or 2pm to 7pm daily. Pavilions can be reserved through Santa Rosa County at 850-981-8900. The national seashore next door is a separate fee: $25 per vehicle.
Things to do in Navarre Beach
Addresses, hours and prices as published by each operator in August 18, 2026. Hours and prices move, so check before you go.
Navarre Beach Marine Park
8704 Gulf Boulevard. 116 acres with five beach access points, three on the Gulf and two on the sound, 18 pavilions with grills, five restroom buildings, a mile-long path and 516 parking spaces. Free. No overnight parking.
Navarre Beach Fishing Pier
8579 Gulf Boulevard. 1,545 feet, the longest pier on the Gulf. Admission includes a fishing license: $7 adult, $6 senior and active duty, $4 for 15 and under, free for 5 and under and for disabled veterans. Rod rental and bait at the pier store.
Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary
Established 2010, with 78 artificial reef structures on both the Gulf and sound sides. Two of the park access points open directly onto snorkeling reefs, which means you swim to them from the sand rather than booking a boat.
Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center
8740 Gulf Boulevard, inside the marine park. Opened 2016 around a 15,000 gallon saltwater pool with a resident green sea turtle. About 65,000 visitors a year.
Gulf Islands National Seashore, Opal Beach
On FL-399 between Navarre and Pensacola Beach. Undeveloped federal barrier island with restrooms, showers and pavilions. $25 per vehicle for 1 to 7 days, or a $45 annual seashore pass.
Juana’s Pagodas and Sailors’ Grill
1451 Navarre Beach Causeway. Open since 1989. Food daily 8am to 9pm, bar later, with waterfront bars, live music and sand volleyball courts.
Windjammers on the Pier
8579 Gulf Boulevard, at the foot of the pier. Open air, seafood, tacos and burgers. Sunday through Thursday 11am to 9pm, Friday and Saturday to 10pm.
Beach House Social
8375 Gulf Boulevard. Gulf to table scratch kitchen with a waterfront deck, inside the SpringHill Suites, with free parking for diners. Monday to Saturday 11am to 10pm, Sunday from 10am.
The Slippery Mermaid and TC’s Front Porch
Both on the mainland on US-98: sushi at 8779 Navarre Parkway, and seafood at 8558 Navarre Parkway in the oldest commercial building in Navarre.
One thing to know first
Santa Rosa County prohibits pets on Navarre Beach outright, along with glass, camping, campfires, fireworks, vehicles and noise-producing devices. If you are bringing a dog, this is the wrong beach of the group. Lifeguards are seasonal, roughly March through late October, and historically only four Gulf-side towers have been staffed, 9am to 5pm, which leaves miles of this beach with no tower at all. Confirm coverage at 850-860-4137 rather than assuming it. Flags: green calm, yellow caution, red stay out, double red water closed, purple dangerous marine life. Rip currents account for more than eighty percent of lifeguard rescues. Swim parallel to shore until you are out of one, then angle in. Finally, plan for the fact that there are three restaurants on the island and essentially no grocery. Everything else is back across the causeway.
Access rules, fees and closures verified August 18, 2026 against the agency that manages this place. They change, sometimes without notice. Check before you drive.
The neighborhoods closest to it
If this is the kind of Saturday you want a short drive from your front door, these are the parts of Middle Tennessee that put you nearest to it.
I keep this list because it is genuinely how people spend weekends here, and because almost every guide to it is out of date. If you are weighing a move to Middle Tennessee and want to know which part of it puts you closest to the things you actually like, ask me. No pitch.