Pros and Cons of Living in Navarre, Florida: An Honest Local Take

by Kristen Weller

Every place has its upsides and trade-offs—and Navarre is no exception. Buyers appreciate honesty, especially when making a big move.

Here’s a balanced look of the pros and cons of living in Navarre Florida.

Less crowded than nearby beach towns. Our old motto used to be “Florida’s Best Kept Secret”, we have fewer condos and activities then Destin and Pensacola Beach so we tend to be less crowded than our neighbors to our east and west.
Strong community feel. Even though Navarre has about 42,000 people it is still very much a small town feel. Neighbors looking out for neighbors and you can almost always run in to someone you know at the grocery store.
Coastal lifestyle without constant tourism. We do have a tourist season but it tends to be centralized on the beach or at the foot of the Navarre bridge, so while the locals know the good times to go to the beach we don’t have to avoid the beach entirely like the bigger beach areas near us (in Destin and Pensacola).

Limited nightlife. We basically have 2 places where you can have a “night out”: Juana’s and Grey’s Taproom. There are other restaurants and such but we just don’t have the evening activities of bigger cities.
Car-dependent layout. Depending on which neighborhood you live in you may get away with a street legal golf cart or bike, but we do not have public transportation in Navarre.
Fewer big-city amenities. Museums and sports teams are not in Navarre. We are close to “stuff” but it’s not i Navarre. We’re minutes from the Gulf Breeze Zoo and you can easily drive to Pensacola to visit their museums and watch a Blue Wahoo’s game.

Navarre isn’t for everyone—and that’s a good thing. For the right buyer, it’s an incredible place to call home.