You might remember the days when a part of every vacation was going to the local gift shop, buying postcards, writing a short note, and mailing them home. It was common to arrive home before your postcards did, but that never kept you from sending one.
So on your visit to Navarre, you will be charmed to know that there is a mailbox in the Santa Rosa Sound, the narrow stretch of waterway between Navarre Beach and the mainland. No one knows how the mailbox, which is stuck upright in the sand, got there although a hurricane is suspected.
The mailbox, which says WHITLEY in large block letters, has nothing to do with the U.S. Postal Service. Folks on boats deliver the “mail,” which might be anything from a Dollar store treat to a can of beer or a bag of chips.
Visitors to the “Mermaid Mailbox,” as it’s locally known, take a treasure and leave a treasure. It’s reminiscent of geocaching only without an address. In fact, the only way to find the mailbox is to get in a boat and take your time on the waterway between Navarre and Fort Walton Beach, which is about 10 miles to the east.
Boaters say they love to check the mail there and, until recently, word of it spread primarily by one person telling another person who told another. Social media, including Facebook and Instagram, spread the news in a wider circle.
So, while you’re here, feel free to send some postcards home of the white sands, clear waters, and exciting marine life. Or, you can just stop by the Mermaid Mailbox and share the joy.
Check it out for yourself by booking your stay on Navarre Beach today!