Visit Destin : 9 Top-Rated Sight-Seeing Destinations in Destin, FL (2024)

Destin is a holiday destination in Florida, vividly known amongst travelers for its emerald green waters, sandy white beaches, long stretched shorelines, an abundance of water sports, and fishing opportunities. The city of Destin is one of the most buzzing tourist destinations in Florida. It holds one or the other entertainment and fun opportunities for visitors of all tastes and likes.

Destin welcomes more than 4.5 million visitors every year, out of which the maximum tourists are here to explore the Gulf of Mexico beaches. The unique charm within the city, makes it distinguish from various other Floridan cities and make it tourism centric amongst a lot. Not just beach life, but when in Destin, soak yourself in the sun, explore nature, shop from the charming boutiques and indulge in various recreational options.

Visit Destin : 9 Top-Rated Sight-Seeing Destinations in Destin, FL

To mark out only the best for your trip, consider our list of these 9 Amazing places to visit in Destin.

1. Henderson Beach State Park

Henderson Beach State Park has all in abundance; sugary white-sand beaches, sparkling emerald water, scenic nature trails, sand dunes, vegetations, and flowers. It is one of the best places to visit in Destin and would appeal to nature lovers and beach enthusiasts the most. This state park can be reached at 17000 Emerald Coast Parkway and is ideal for spending a day-long of fun, entertainment, adventure and relaxation. The park offers incredible camping and picnic facilities at an affordable price. Visitors can bring on their cycles or go hiking over natural trails and explore the safe and clean oasis. The sea range nearby is entirely safe for swimming, fishing or enjoying in the water.
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The site often encounters birds and friendly wildlife that are worth an eye. One can find several restaurants and shading sittings for a relaxing day out.

2. Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

Destin is a city with unique marine wildlife, and the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is home to them. It is a delightful site that offers fun, entertainment, and educational opportunities with some alluring sea habitats, including dolphins, penguins, sea lion, harbor seals, turtles, gators, stingrays, reptiles and few more marine members. Not just that, visitors can get close and personal with dolphins, harbor seals and penguins and even get the opportunity to feed them. The harbor seals and sea lions in this marine adventure park are always ready to play and are very interactive with kids. The adventure park also organizes informative trips for school and corporate groups, or one can also attend the educational programs often throughout the year.

3. Village of Baytowne Wharf

An array of boutiques, nightlife, fine dining, bars, play and adventure opportunities is what the Village of Baytowne Wharf is famous about. It is counted amongst one of the Best Places to Visit in Destin, which welcomes both residents and travellers. This entertainment village is home to some of the famous sites in Destin, including Baytowne Adventure Zone, Adventure Land Playground, Baytowne LIVE, Blast Arcade & Laser Maze, Baytowne Carousel, with unlimited fun for visitors of all age groups. The Village of Baytowne Wharf is likely Destin’s heart and soul, which also hosts several festivals and events throughout the year, including the champagne festival and the Baytowne Beer Festival. When here, do not forget the sunset cruises and the stand-up paddleboats at the Baytowne Marina.

4. Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl and Grill

A unique and one of a kind bowling experience that can’t be found anywhere easily is what Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl and Grill offer. Being here is one of best things to do in Destin, especially if you are looking for an underwater bowling session. The site is a massive aquarium featuring underwater scenery; marine life is painted as good as real, which is as beautiful as one imagines. Apart from this, Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl and Grill feature superior dining with a truly unique atmosphere and lip-smacking food choices for both adults and kids. Another best part is that it is affordable and won’t trouble your budget much.

5. Destin Harbor Boardwalk

Destin Harbor Boardwalk is more likely an evening destination with access to the waterfront, scenic sunsets, red and orange painted skies, landscapes, dining, partying and nightlife. It is a family site and known by the name “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village” due to its fantastic fishing opportunities. The evening and nights here at the boardwalk are decorated as if stars have arrived on earth with never-ending fun and stunning views. The site also hosts numerous yearly events, including an annual fishing rodeo and the Destin Seafood Festival.

6. Crab Island

One of the distinct places to visit in Destin, Florida, the Crab Island is not a real island but one submerged sandbar layered with clear and transparent water. It is a picturesque site that is only accessible via boats and is a trendy tourist destination in Destin. The water here is usually crowded with several boats, amongst which you can also find floating restaurants, floating souvenir shops, mobile food boats and other such amenities around. The sale of alcohol is banned within Crab island; however, visitors can bring their own stock and enjoy it here. The water here is nearly 4 to 5 feet; however, with extreme boat traffic, strong currents, deep channels, swimming must strictly be avoided, or it can be dangerous to life.

7. Destin History & Fishing Museum

Destin is a city ingrained with fishing culture, and thus one can find hundreds of fishing sites, be it within the sea or a dedicated museum. The Destin History & Fishing Museum exhibits about Destin’s city (from the 1830s) or the culture and industry of fishing here. The museum can be reached at 108 Stahlman Avenue, Destin and is ideal for spending 1 to 2 hours. The museum complex is spread over 5,500 sq. ft. It exhibits more than 75 mounts of locally caught fish, historical fishing equipment, artifacts, photographs, and document that speaks about early Destin and its fishing culture. Moreover, it is also home to the oldest fishing boat, “seine primrose,” and the original Destin Post Office adjacent to the museum building.
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8. Indian Temple Mound Museum

An archaeological site that is also counted amongst the National Historical landmarks is the Indian Temple Mound Museum. It is an ideal site for history lovers, especially for the individuals who are interested in Native American and Floridan History. The museum exhibits more than 12,000 years of Native American occupation through over 1000 artifacts and some of the choicest collectives of prehistoric ceramics in the southeastern United States. Artifacts here are in the form of bone, clay, shell, stones, utensils, images, ornaments, equipment, war essentials and more. The museum is a part of Heritage Park and Cultural Centre. It has 4 more site-seeing destinations across (including Fort Walton Temple Mound, the Civil War Exhibit Building, Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum, Garnier Post Office Museum) that are worth a visit. All these sites can be visited on one single ticket.
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9. Destin Snorkel

Snorkeling in the warm and clear water surrounded by beautiful and colorful marine life, with expert guidance, is what the Destin Snorkel offers. It is the best snorkeling sites in Destin, where one can see an abundance of nature both below and above the water level. The site has one of the best employees and guides/ experts that makes even the first-timers or children feel safe and comfortable. Visitors can also opt for the company’s shelling, dolphin viewing excursions, and sunset cruises for an extended fun experience.

How to reach Destin: The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, Florida, is the nearest airport serving Destin, located about 26.1 kilometers from the city. It is well connected to the city via taxi, shuttle and bus services. Transportation within the city is smoothly operated via shuttle, taxi, rented cars & bikes, Uber, 30A trolleys, and buses. Fare is bearable and won’t trouble your holiday budget a lot.

Best time to visit Destin: April to June & July is the peak tourist season in Destin and thus experience a huge crowd. All the water activities and adventures are functional during this duration, and the temperature gets comfortable, water remains slightly warm, suns shine all day, which makes it overall an ideal vacation environment. However, the fall season is the best time to avoid the crowd with dropped prices but the temperature remains still high (around 70-degree Fahrenheit). Winters in Destin are quite cold, with temperature fluctuating between 40 to 60 degrees and lesser activities in functioning.