The Panhandle - Florida - page 1016

WORTH A TRIP
MEXICO BEACH

For an alternative to the expense of the Beaches of South Walton and the mania of
Panama City Beach, consider the delightfully old-school outpost of Mexico Beach, loc-
ated midway between Panama City and Port St Joe, a few miles past gargantuan Tyndall
Air Force Base. There's not much to do here but relax and enjoy the peace, quiet and
slower pace of this sweet little hamlet: shacks by the beach, fish and chips, folks playing
in the streets. And if the kids get bored, it's only a half-hour drive to the hustle and bustle
of PCB.
For a place to rest your weary head, consider the authentically retro, beachfront El
Govenor Motel ( 850-648-5757; www.elgovenormotel.net ; Hwy 98, Mexico Beach; d from $69).
Rooms are dated but clean and some have kitchen facilities. All have balconies overlook-
ing the gulf. The motel is also home to the most appealing pool bar in the world. If you're
looking for something a little more homely, yet exotic, try the Driftwood Inn (
850-648-5126; www.driftwoodinn.com ; 2105 Hwy 98, Mexico Beach; d from $110), with its mani-
cured gardens, gift shop, resident pets and combination of tidy hotel-style rooms and
oceanfront cottages. Otherwise, a variety of private vacation rentals are available: many
are absolute beachfront and enjoy unforgettable sunsets. Try
www.gulfcoastvacationrentals.com for private listings.
Mexico Beach is a great place to self-cater, with many accommodation options featur-
ing functional kitchens. Of the smattering of local eateries, we liked Fish House Restaur-
ant ( 850-648-8950; www.fishhousemexicobeach.com ; 3006 Hwy 98; mains $9-28; 11am-9pm
Mon-Fri, 7am-9pm Sat & Sun ) for low-key, family-friendly fish and chips and fry-up break-
fasts. You can't go past the killer shrimp basket, overflowing with golden battered shrimp
and fries for just $7 between 11am and 4pm. And there's something for everyone at Tou-
can's ( 850-648-8207; www.toucansmexicobeachfl.com ; 719 Hwy 98; 11am-11pm), a beach-
front sports bar, tiki bar and seafood grill. Best of all, the killer sunsets are free and go
down particularly well with cold beer.

Cape San Blas & Port St Joe

Delicate Cape San Blas curls around St Joseph Bay at the southwestern end of the bulge in
the Panhandle, starting on the mainland at Port St Joe and ending at its undeveloped,
10-mile-long tip with St Joseph Peninsula State Park (

850-227-1327;