I recently had a beach trip to Destin and Fort Walton Beach, Florida with my boyfriend and a couple friends. After just a few days there, I absolutely loved it and would totally go back! Destin is retirement goals! With clean beaches, plenty of fun activities, and a laid-back vibe, Destin is a great vacation option for people in the region or just looking to try somewhere new.
In our three days we experienced quite a lot of things Destin and the nearby Fort Walton Beach have to offer, so I’ll provide an overview of five main categories: accomodations, restaurants, beaches, entertainment, and nightlife.
Accommodations:
Slightly expensive for what I’m used to up north
Enjoyed staying in a waterfront AirBnb
For AirBnb, pay attention to age limits when booking
There were plenty of options for hotels and Airbnbs in Destin. We went with an Airbnb for the convenience of having a kitchen and were so glad we did, because we spent about the same we would have for a hotel but with so much more space! We got a 3 bedroom right on the Destin Harbor for 2 nights for a little less than $1,000. Generally the prices for this beach town were a bit more than I was used to in other places, especially New Jersey and Maryland, but the price we paid was pretty average for our options. The space was very nice and we loved the entertainment value in it, having the dock with a beautiful view.
We didn’t factor location too much when choosing because we were okay with driving or taking ubers to places. Especially since we went to a lot of different places around the area, driving was not an inconvenience, and parking was usually free. If you’re looking to stay right off of the beach I’d recommend looking around HarborWalk Village in Destin or Brackin Wayside Beach in Fort Walton Beach.
When booking AirBnbs, be sure you check the policies as many places have age limits. We were lucky to find a place that allowed guests 21 and up as many were 25 and up. There were also things like noise complaint fees to pay attention to, which we weren’t affected by but you still want to be aware of when booking.
Restaurants:
Many options right off of the beach with an indoor-outdoor vibe
Not a ton of vegetarian choices, but I got by
Seager’s was a very expensive, but totally worth it, experience and also #veryveggie
Tailfins: (Harborwalk Village, relaxed seafood restaurant and sports bar)
We ate lunch at Tailfins right off the boardwalk with nice views of the harbor on their 3rd floor deck. It did not have many vegetarian options, but I got the alfredo and it was fine. We shared a good pina colada, and others enjoyed their oysters, tacos, and gumbo.
Crab Trap, Al’s Beach Club: (along Brackin Wayside Beach, connected casual restaurants)
There are many options for lunch right off the beach here, including four connected restaurants featuring different menus. There is Rockin Tacos, Crab Trap, Floyd’s Shrimp House, and Al’s Beach Club and Burger Bar. My friends ate at the Crab Trap, enjoying a variety of seafood like dungeness crab and oysters. We also ordered some frozen drinks which were delicious but very strong! I brought in a Beyond Burger from Al’s. This was possibly the only vegetarian option aside from salads and side dishes at any of the places. Beware of Al’s cajun fries- they are spicy!
Seagers: (Miramar Beach, fine dining)
We had dinner at Seager’s in the Hilton Hotel, a fine dining restaurant. To get here you have to drive through the booth to get a parking pass. We all enjoyed the food, ambiance, and excellent service. There were 3 different servers attending to our table, and there was music by a live pianist. The whole two and a half hours we spent there, we were in awe of the experience!
I would recommend the charcuterie board that had delicious meats and cheeses, as well as pickled vegetables, crackers, honey, and dips. Everyone enjoyed their mixed drinks, especially the Hemingway and Emerald Isle. This is a steak and seafood restaurant, so I was fully prepared to order salads and sides to form a complete meal, but then the waitress informed me that their chef could create me a special vegetarian dish #veryveggie! They asked about my dietary restrictions and preferences, and then surprised me with a delicious dish of saffron risotto with vegetables. Others in my group said they had the best steak, lobster, and scallops of their lives. For dessert I had the creme brulee which was incredible, and my friends split the peaches foster. We enjoyed watching the waitress prepare the dish right at our tableside. To end the lavish meal, we were each given a warm towel with rose water. It was truly a meal to remember!
Beaches:
Several different options within driving distance
All equally clean and beautiful!
Some fishing and boating (read below)
Restaurants at Brackin Wayside Beach
Norriego Point Beach Access and Park in Destin:
This is at the tip of the peninsula between the Destin Harbor and East Pass, where we could see the HarborWalk Village on one side and the boats heading out to the Gulf of Mexico on the other. Here, people park their boats on the shore so it does get a bit congested later in the day. In the morning when we went there was plenty of room for fishing and laying out. We also saw many hermit crabs in the shallow water! The water was a bit cold here in March but the sand was clean and soft. Be prepared with your own food and drinks because there aren’t any places to purchase food or drinks. They do have free parking and free beach access.
Brackin Wayside Beach in Fort Walton Beach:
This beach has options for fishing, hotels, entertainment, and dining. Here I’ll just talk about the beach itself, so see the other sections of this post for information on the other things. Like Norriego Point Beach Access, it had clean, soft, white sand and the water was warm enough to swim in. The hotels along the beach had lounge chairs and umbrellas you could rent. Parking and access to the beach were free! People also fished further down the beach.
Entertainment:
Tons of options for activities- boating, fishing, recreation, adventure, and kid-friendly
Fishing: (Okaloosa Island Pier in Fort Walton Beach, also both beaches)
Okaloosa Island Pier in Fort Walton Beach was recommended to us for fishing at the Ships Chandler, a tackle shop in Destin. You can go to this pier and rent anything you’ll need to fish but you can of course bring your own supplies. Entrance to the Pier is $8 to fish or $2 to walk for the full day with in and out privileges. Rod rentals were $12, and frozen bait was between $2-5, for which they took cash or card. There was also a restroom on the pier. It was a very tall, long pier you could fish off of and when the morning fog cleared, the water was clear enough to see the fish below. There were no catches the morning we went, but the day before was apparently very successful and they even saw a whale with its calf.
HarborWalk Village: (Destin, variety of activities)
Here you pay $10 in cash to park and have access to the boardwalk full of shops, restaurants, and things to do. On the boardwalk you can purchase alcoholic drinks and walk around with them. There were plenty of activities such as boat tours (including a dolphin cruise, charter boat fishing, and a pirate ship!) and pontoon boat rentals, escape rooms, zip lining, and a train ride for kids. There were also jet skis, parasailing, and other activities but I’m not sure if those can be accessed directly from the HarborWalk Village boardwalk. A man with exotic birds was also offering photo ops for $10. Prices for the activities varied, such as about $25 per adult for a dolphin cruise and $200 for a pontoon boat rental. Be sure to check the websites for times, reservations, and prices.
The Track: (Destin, recreation center with many activities)
At The Track we did go karts on their spiral track, as well as one of their two 18-hole mini golf courses. Per person this cost around $25 total. They also have an arcade, kids rides, and a drop tower from what I saw. There’s a few other places like it around, but it seemed to have the most options.
The Gulfarium: (Fort Whalton Beach)
We did not go here but did look into it. You can walk here right from Brackin Wayside Beach They have dolphins, stingrays, alligators, and more marine life to check out. Tickets cost between $15-25.
Nightlife:
Several places around HarborWalk Village in walking distance
Bring cash for cover charges
Coyote Ugly Saloon: (mix of country music and DJ)
Here there were two separate rooms, one with country music and female entertainers on the bar. The other room had a DJ playing mostly electronic music or throwback hits. This is where the dancing took place, but we got there pretty early so it was still lowkey by the time we left at 10:30. We paid either $5 or $10 for a cover.
McGuire’s Irish Pub: (relaxed, some dancing)
At this pub we just got a drink and went upstairs to where they have a dancefloor and a DJ, but it has a more relaxed vibe. They also had happy hour deals until 11 pm! We danced to the cha cha slide and then saw ourselves out.
Lucky’s Rotten Apple: (current rap music)
Several people throughout the night told us Lucky’s is the popular place to go, so we tried it out. The cover was different for every person depending on the state you’re from and if you’re military. I paid $5 with a PA license. The music was more current, and mostly rap. It was very packed full of people and I didn’t see much dancing. There were two pool tables but surely you’d have to get there early in order to get a table.
We didn’t go to all of these, but they are next to each other in HarborWalk Village. From what I saw they have live music/DJ’s, and they got pretty packed later into the night.
My favorite parts of this trip were the beaches and activities, as well as our Airbnb and dinner at Seager’s. I didn’t love the nightlife but that was just personal preference, and there were plenty of other places we didn’t try. Destin and Fort Walton Beach are great places for people of all ages to enjoy a fun and relaxing vacation!
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