Destin is a gem on the Emerald Coast, a city that Americans have fallen in love with, but one that many international tourists often overlook. If they fly to Florida, it’s to visit Orlando or Miami, where they spend time at Disney World or lounge on the famous Miami Beach. Rarely do they venture near the beautiful beaches of Destin, and that’s a shame, because they’re missing out.
Destin has a lot to offer both national and international tourists and while you won’t encounter classic cartoon characters or overpriced merchandise, you will find plenty of wholesome and affordable fun for all the family.
If you’re planning a visit to the Emerald Coast, Florida or even the United States in 2020, book a trip to Destin and explore all of these amazing attractions.
Chilling on the Beach
Destin is famous for its beaches due to the sugar-white sand that covers this beautiful coastline. And that’s not hyperbole, as the beaches really are sugar white due to thousands of years’ worth of quartz deposits, turning this beach into a crystalline paradise.
Many tourists visit this region just to lie on the beach and snap a few glorious pictures. With so many more things to see and do, we wouldn’t recommend spending your entire vacation on the beach, but it is a great way to start the day. Treat it as a warm-up for all the other great attractions that follow.
Dolphin Cruises
Beaches aside, one of the main draws of Destin is the many bottlenose dolphins that live in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Destin coast. There are over ten thousand of these beautiful creatures in total and there are a host of boats that can take you out to see them for less than $20 per person.
They can’t guarantee 100% that you will see a dolphin, but with so many of them out there and with experienced skippers who knew how to get these creatures interested, you’re almost certainly going to witness a few flips and jumps.
Some services will even combine this experience with one of the others on this list, taking you out to see the dolphins and then allowing you to explore more of the region by parasailing or doing a spot of diving. Speaking of which…
Diving and Snorkeling
There are several types of diving available in Destin and, as mentioned above, these services are often added to dolphin cruises.
Dives are generally split into three categories: SCUBA, SNOOBA, and snorkeling. The first is the famous deep-sea diving that you’ve no doubt heard about. It takes you deep, but it requires some hefty equipment and a lot of training, and it’s not recommended for novice swimmers. As for SNOOBA, it’s not as deep or intensive and is better suited for novices who want to experience a dive without going the whole hog.
And then you have snorkeling, which takes place on the surface and is so safe that all the family can do it. You’ll still get to see all of the local marine life, experience the warm and clear waters, and enjoy yourself in the sunshine. All options are great, and they are also affordable due to the immense competition that exists for these services in this region.
Parasailing
Parasailing is one of those things you put on your bucket list, try once, and then spend the rest of your life talking about but never doing again. And with Destin parasailing, you can send the entire family into the air for less than $50!
That’s a bargain when you consider that $50 in Orlando will get you little more than an official t-shirt and a Made in China baseball cap.
The parasailing tours take people up two at a time and let them snap pictures while they are up there, giving them some Insta-worthy snaps to show off to their friends and followers.