A Vacation For the Soul - Destin, Florida

Destin is named after Captain Leonard Destin, a New London Connecticut fishing master. He settled in the area around 1845 or 1850 and built a New England colonial home at the location of the Monroe Point military reservation. Destin and his descendants fished the area waters for decades. The first condominiums were built in the 1970's, and Destin became a municipality in 1984. The city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980's. Destin is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Located in the northwestern tip of the Florida panhandle, Destin offers an ideal travel destination for Florida and Georgian residents, as well as vacation travelers throughout the United States. White sandy beaches and relaxing warm weather aren't the only things that beckon, there are scenic golf courses, fine dining, marine life and multiple local attractions too.

The beaches are first and foremost the main attraction on many a vacation in Destin. For those who wish to do more than simply chill and lay in the sun, there are other beach activities you can take part in. Rent a jet-ski, or venture a bit further out from shore with a kayak. Surfboards rentals and parasailing are also available and there are lessons for those who are first timers for either activity. There are numerous charters and cruises for hire, ranging from glass bottom boating tours to aerial birds eye views of the island.

For those seeking alternate forms of water based fun, there are two waterslide parks, Pleasure Island and Big Kahuna's. Kahuna's has the Tiki River Run and Honolulu Half-Pipe along with miniature golf and multiple adventure rides, while Pleasure Island offers huge slides and waverunner rentals, pontoon boats and jet boats. There are many locations for renting just about any kind of equipment for beach and ocean based activities. Many of the rental outlets also offer sightseeing cruises, scuba lessons and dolphin tours.

You can switch gears to something a bit more relaxing by getting in some fishing. The city styles itself "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village", and claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida. Fishing in Destin does not require the use of a boat, many locals find good luck and great fish simply by fishing off the closest jetty or beach pier. Many species of sport fish are caught in the Emerald Coast waters. The inshore trolling season runs from March through November and the Choctawhatchee Bay and its bayous are good year-round.

Fruitful fishing waters around Okaloosa Island, Destin and South Walton provide local restaurants and eateries with some of the freshest and largest selections of seafood on the entire Gulf of Mexico, and local dining establishments flaunt it at its tastiest. At least two dozen types of fish are caught in local waters during any one season, providing a great diversity of savory fare. Red snapper, amber-jack, yellowfin tuna and triggerfish are some local favorites that come straight from the docks of the largest charter boat fleet in the state.

Destin is home to some of the finest year round golf courses in the country if not the world. Offering degrees of challenge suited for players of every level of ability and talent, from absolute beginner to seasoned expert, the local courses boast breathtaking scenery and outstanding facilities. With over a dozen different courses, the hardest part about playing golf on the Emerald Coast is choosing which courses to play!

Although Memorial Day through labor Day has long been considered the most popular season for beach-goers, savvy vacationers have come to enjoy the area in the so-called shoulder seasons. Ask any local, and they'll tell you the best times of the year are spring and fall. The weather is more temperate and rates are lower. Golfers, shoppers and fisherman, in particular, find the shoulder seasons are great times to be at the beach.

The beautiful waters of the Emerald Coast beaches have given Destin a reputation as one of America's premier vacation destinations, providing sunbathers, snorkelers and fisherman with a paradise beyond words. Whether you're looking to spend your days laying on the beach or fishing, diving or sight seeing, Destin, Florida is the only choice for the ultimate beach vacation.