Which beaches are the cleanest in Emerald Coast?

This view ranks beaches in Emerald Coast by their long-term water-quality record first, which makes it useful when you want the cleanest-looking historical profile before narrowing into a same-day choice.

6 good Latest sample in this set: May 11, 2026
Main Page Cleanest Freshest Samples Lowest Bacteria Better After Rain Avoid Today Recent Spikes Most Reliable

How this page sorts

Sorted by lowest 12-month poor-sample rate first, then by current status, sample freshness, and current bacteria reading.

When to use it

Use this page when you care most about historical water-quality consistency, not just what looked best in one recent sample.

What still overrides it

Heavy rain, runoff, brown water, or a stale sample can make any ranked list less trustworthy for a same-day swim call.

Top Picks In This View

Back to the main page →

These are the strongest matches for the specific question this page is answering.

Cleanest

Destin Beach

Okaloosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

0% poor samples in the displayed history

Cleanest

Fort Walton Beach

Okaloosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Cleanest

Henderson Beach (Destin)

Okaloosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Cleanest

Navarre Beach

Santa Rosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Cleanest

Navarre Beach Pier

Santa Rosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Cleanest

Okaloosa Island Beach

Okaloosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Full Ranked List

6 monitored beaches in this set.

Destin Beach

Okaloosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

0% poor samples in the displayed history

Fort Walton Beach

Okaloosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Henderson Beach (Destin)

Okaloosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Navarre Beach

Santa Rosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Navarre Beach Pier

Santa Rosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Okaloosa Island Beach

Okaloosa County · Gulf Coast

GOOD
Tested May 11, 2026 10 CFU/100mL

8% poor samples in the displayed history

Counties In This Region

Okaloosa County (4) Santa Rosa County (2)

Nearby City Guides

Beaches near Destin Beaches near Pensacola Beaches near Panama City Beach Beaches near Tallahassee Beaches near Gainesville

Other Florida Regions

Tampa Bay Area (12) Northeast Florida (11) Treasure Coast (10) Daytona Beach Area (8) Sarasota / Bradenton (8) Southwest Florida (8) Florida Panhandle (6) Fort Lauderdale Area (6) Miami Beach Area (6) Nature Coast (6) Palm Beach Area (6) Space Coast (6)

How To Use This View

Use this page when you care most about historical water-quality consistency, not just what looked best in one recent sample.

The current sample still matters more than the label alone. When conditions are marginal or weather is changing quickly, open the individual beach page to compare sample date, current reading, and nearby alternatives before you go.

If it has rained recently, use the rain guide before trusting any beach list too much.

Data from FL DOH Healthy Beaches Program. This is an independent project — check with Florida DOH for official conditions.