Florida,  Travel

Destin-ation Florida Beaches – Takeaways to Make The Most Out of the Next Vacation

May 28, 2023 /

There’s just something about the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the shore, the salty sea breeze and the sun setting over an endless horizon that brings a unique state of peace to the soul. Our first summer in Tennessee found us desperately missing the ocean, and we needed to find a place to visit to ease our longing for the coast. I began noticing that almost everyone migrated South for a vacation to Florida, more specifically, to a beach town called “Destin.” I couldn’t go anywhere without hearing about someone’s trip to Destin or seeing a “30A” bumper sticker slapped on the back of a car, so naturally I had to investigate.

Over my weeks of Google (and Instagram) searches, I found out why so many people made this trip every year. As a city located along the Gulf of Mexico in northwestern Florida, Destin is a beach town well-known for its “sugar sand” beaches and breathtaking emerald green water. What began as a fishing village in 1865 is now one of the most visited beach destinations on the Gulf Coast, complete with a busy harbor, restaurants, shops, activities, and of course, incredibly beautiful stretches of shoreline. After a year of living in Nashville, we were ready to be back at the beach, and Destin was the perfect spot to check out!

After a seven-hour drive directly south from Nashville that passed through Birmingham, Alabama, (with a pit stop for breakfast at Cracker Barrel, of course!), we arrived to the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area. The moment we got out of the car, we stretched our legs, smelled the all-too-familiar scent of the ocean and heard the waves crashing in the distance. We rolled our bags up to the hotel reception desk, admired our balcony view of the emerald Gulf waters, grabbed drinks at the hotel bar, and cheers-ed to finally making it to the beach. That weekend we had a great beach vacation with much needed ocean therapy. With all the vitamin D and relaxation, beautiful views and great food, we now know why so many Tennesseans make the yearly trip to Destin, and we hope to make it a tradition for ourselves too!

For those of you looking into taking your next beach vacay to the Destin area, here’s a breakdown of takeaways from our first trip, along with a cliff notes recap of lessons learned that might help you plan your own vacation to the beautiful Emerald Coast!

Takeaways

1. Determine What Vacation Vibe You Want Your Trip to Achieve

Our first attempt to go to Destin was for a long weekend in August. Unfortunately, a hurricane was headed straight for the town the day after we were to arrive. (What is it with us and hurricanes?) We decided it was too risky, and pivoted to a weekend getaway to Gatlinburg, TN, instead. Six months later, we made the attempt again during President’s Day weekend in mid-February, to take advantage of the holiday weekend PTO and avoid the summer crowds. This time of year had its own pros and cons, including less crowds (pro!), closed up activities and colder weather (cons!). Tip: Before picking a date, I recommend determining what kind of vacation you want. Summer months bring sunshine, activities and excitement, but also crowds, traffic and longer wait times. One of our Uber drivers emphasized that in the summer months, the main drag is normally packed with wall-to-wall traffic with hour+ waits at every restaurant. Colder weather months bring less tourists and a calmer atmosphere, but less-than-ideal sunbathing weather, with many places closed up for the winter. Once you determine what’s best for you, you’ll be one step closer to planning your perfect beach vacation!

2. It Really is as Beautiful as it Looks Online!

They don’t call it the “Emerald Coast” for nothing! I couldn’t take my eyes off of the white sandy beaches and breathtaking emerald and turquoise waters. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and the texture of the sand was much different than the beaches in California. The combination of white sugar sand and crystal clear emerald/turquoise water made for a gorgeous canvas for the beautiful cotton candy sunsets. Tip: If you opt to make the trip in the winter months, expect clouds and chillier weather. But when the clouds open up and shine down onto the gulf waters, the view is breathtaking – you might want to spend your whole trip just admiring the ocean, like I did! Bonus idea – family photos on the beach make for amazing Christmas card backdrop or framed living room photo, so pack coordinated outfits in case you become inspired to capture the moment!

3. Take Time to Shop Around

A lot had been closed for the winter months, so we didn’t get to experience the normal hustle and bustle of the Destin boardwalk. While a slight bummer, the sites and shops we did hit satisfied our tourist wanderlust. Tip: To break up your time on the beach, explore HarborWalk Village, an area packed with coastal apparel and shops, boardwalk games, and restaurants. One of my favorite (unexpected) spots was Naples Soap Company, a shop filled with great smelling soaps, bath bombs and all types of toiletries. We also hit a ton of tourist beach shops in Fort Walton Beach, which had anything and everything that a beach-goer would need (or forget to pack!)

4. Eat, Drink & Be Merry!

I’ll start with the obvious — we spent a lot of time bouncing around spots in the Destin harbor. We had drinks at Margaritaville and AJs (both givens!), and had plenty of seafood, including crab legs at Deweys. Tip: Fair warning though, while a lot of the restaurants at HarborWalk Village are nestled in a great location, we found some to be pretty overpriced for the quality (to be expected for any touristy locale!)

In terms of restaurants, we stumbled across an absolute unexpected gem — The Harbor Tavern, a low-key bar/restaurant with incredible food and drinks, right off Destin’s harbor boardwalk. Since the sun was out, we grabbed a table in the outdoor patio area facing the harbor and ordered a few cocktails and relaxed, while the faint sound of Bob Marley tunes from the bar played in the background. It really set the tone for the relaxed beach vacation vibe we were hoping for! The food was the star of the show. We ordered the blackened Mahi Mediterranean bowl, which was so delicious that we came back the next day for the same thing, and almost went back a third time before we drove home. Due to the winter timeframe, the restaurant was relatively empty, giving us a chance to sit back and people watch for hours, but I’m confident this fun spot would be packed in the summertime. One of the best spots we visited in Destin. 10/10 recommendation!

After spending a lot of time along the harbor (and at the Harbor Tavern), we wanted to explore the beach side of Destin. Our Uber driver recommended The Back Porch, a bar/restaurant on the beach. It also had a great laid back atmosphere, and while we didn’t eat there, we would definitely go back to try it out. Its stairs opened right up to the beach, giving yet us another opportunity for a long, beautiful beach walk.

5. Book Your Hotel Far in Advance

Since our trip was planned relatively last minute, the pickings were extremely slim in Destin, so we booked a hotel in Fort Walton Beach, a ten-minute drive away. Our stay at the Holiday Inn Express was great, and had all the amenities we could want, including a great breakfast and a really nice pool (which we would have went in if it was warmer!). Fort Walton was low key and much quieter, which made for great walks on the beach (a favorite pastime of mine!). Next visit though, we will book earlier to stay near the hustle and bustle of Destin. Tip: If you’re looking to visit, I recommend booking the hotel at least six months out, if not longer, to get the location, amenities, and beach proximities you want in order to have your perfect trip.

A Recap of Lessons Learned

What We Would Do Again
  • Eat & Drink at The Harbor Tavern – Honestly this will be our first stop every time we visit Destin. Our order – the mahi Mediterranean bowl. One of the best, relaxed memories we shared in Destin, and we can’t wait to go back!
  • Eat at The Back Porch – With its location right on the beach, this popular restaurant will definitely be on our to-do list next time!
  • Splurge for the Balcony View – After missing the ocean for so long, we opted for a balcony with a Gulf view upon booking our room. I was dying to be as close to the ocean as possible, and to be able to open the sliding glass door to a balcony facing the turquoise blue waters and hear the waves was worth every penny.
  • More Long Walks on the Beach – Being from San Diego, I grew up taking the clichéd long walks on the beach. I could have walked seaside all day, but our time was limited and we wanted to scope out all aspects of our destination. Next time I promised myself I would set aside more time for beach walks.

What We Would Change
  • Stay Longer – With a 14-hour roundtrip drive from Nashville, two nights in Destin was just not enough for us (it’s not enough time for any vacation in general!). We will definitely stay three nights or more for the next trip, to allow time for more beach walks and relaxation, as well as to explore the coastal towns of Seaside, Rosemary, Alys and Santa Rosa beaches along famous 30A route.
  • Book Sooner – Destin-area hotels books up QUICK. Next time, I would book our hotel six months in advance (or more!) to get the hotel and location we want, at a more reasonable rate.
What We Wouldn’t Do Next Time
  • Visit in February – We picked mid-February to avoid the massive summer crowds, and to take advantage of the holiday weekend PTO. While it warmed up near the end of our stay, the mornings were in the mid-30’s…frozen toes are not ideal for morning beach walks! Although there were significantly less crowds than usual, a lot of the boardwalk was closed up for the winter, and it was not the typical Florida weather you would hope for on a beach vacay. Next time we’ll brave the crowds for the sunshine!
  • A Dolphin Cruise…in February – We wanted to be around on the water as much as possible, especially at sunset, so we booked a dolphin cruise. While fun, it was FREEZING, so if we ever did this again, it would be in the summer months.

Looking back on our trip, I can definitely see why so many Tennesseans (and visitors from all over the U.S. and world) visit the beautiful area of Destin, Florida. As with every first trip, we learned some lessons along the way that we will fine tune for next time. I hope this guide will help you plan your vacation to this beautiful coastline, too! We literally talk about our next hypothetical trip on an almost weekly basis, and can’t wait to get back to the Emerald Coast to soak up the sun, take in the breathtaking turquoise waters, and have a Mediterranean bowl or two!

Have some addition tips or thoughts you would like to share? Email me, I would love to hear from you!