Destin is a narrow strip of a town on a peninsula in the north,
Florida panhandle between Pensacola and Panama City. It is known
for its natural beauty, white sandy beaches, emerald green waters and
beautiful sunsets!
The once quiet fishing village of Destin, Florida is no more. The
secret is out! Now a spectacular beach resort community, Destin
has seen an explosion in growth the past years. With its countless
miles of brilliant white, sugar-fine sand beaches, natural sand dunes
decorated with delicate sea oats, and clear, emerald-green gulf waters
along its coast, one can understand the attraction to this area. The
panhandle area of Florida is the place to live or vacation for those
seeking a more relaxed pace compared to other areas in Florida.
Destin is still very much a fishing town, with the primary interest
in sport fishing. Marlin, sailfish and tuna can be found just
offshore. Numerous charters are available for both light-duty,
inshore fishing, to the heavy action of offshore, deep-sea fishing.
For those interested in other water-borne activities, Destin is
an excellent area for diving and snorkeling. Good diving is found
in the 50 to 110 feet depths just a few miles offshore. There
are several wreck diving areas as well. Snorkeling the clear,
emerald waters is pleasant, but the inshore waters are mostly sand
bottom, so the primary interests are in viewing the varieties of fishes
and shells.
Of course, every variety of beach and water activity is available
along the Destin beaches including kayaking, parasailing, jet skiing,
surfing, sailing, fishing, wind surfing and Dolphin cruises. The
gulf waters are generally calm, so experienced surfers will not find
as many good surfing days as can be found on the east coast of Florida. However,
it is the same generally tranquil gulf waters that make so many of
these other sports ideal.
Destin is very much a family oriented vacation destination. It
offers a number of hotels, vacation rental homes, condos, cottages
and camping/RV parks. The area has a good selection of restaurants,
shopping opportunities and a fair number of public and semi-public
golf courses. Stroll along Destin harbor in the late afternoon
to watch the fishing charter boats returning with their catches of
the day.
Just east of Destin on U.S. 98 is Henderson Beach State Park with over
a mile of pristine white sugar sand beach. The park features
natural coastal ecosystem with sand pines, scrub oaks and dune rosemary. The
park is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, fishing, picnicking and playing!
Along the Emerald Coast west of Destin is Pensacola and
to the east is Panama City Beach. The
entire region offers unparalleled natural beach beauty and vacation
opportunities. One can choose between quiet and undeveloped beaches
or areas with greater activity. A drive along the scenic coast
on highway 98 and 30A is a worthwhile experience.
There are a few non-beach/water based interests, but Destin is clearly
very much a beach and water sports destination. Nearby state
park, Eden State Gardens and Mansion, is a beautiful 1895 southern
mansion surrounded by azaleas, camellias and Spanish moss draped oak
trees. Tour the mansion, or stroll or picnic in lush gardens.
Florida's Gulfarium is one of America's oldest marine parks with
dolphin and sea lion shows, and several tropical fish aquariums. There
are several exhibits including a sting ray pool, a touch pool, a tropical
bird habitat, seal and otter areas, and more.
The Emerald Coast Science Center is a small, hands-on encounter
museum especially for children and families. It has more than
250 interactive exhibits.
The Air Force Armament Museum will be of interest to military buffs
and is located just north of nearby Fort Walton Beach. Visitors
can view a variety of historical Air Force planes including a World
War II era B-17 bomber, P-51 Mustang, Korean War era F-80 Shooting
Star and Vietnam-era F-4 Phantom jet, and F-105 'Thud'. Many
other planes including the SR-71 Blackbird, A-10, B-57, B-52, F-111,
F-15 and more are on display.
Destin Map
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