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Visiting the white beaches of Destin, Florida was a must-do after we moved our family east and within a day’s drive. Described by many as the best beaches in the world, we ventured to the Florida Panhandle as a family to discover for ourselves not only the great beaches, but an affordable family beach vacation in Destin, Florida!
A week-long trip to a beach, no matter what beach, needs to be at least an annual goal for every family. The pace of the ocean and the beach makes time slow down. Playing in the waves, building sandcastles, and discovering sea life are great ways to really spend time with the kids and focus on nothing else but being there.
Besides playing on the beach, in the ocean and swimming in the resort pool, we found some pretty amazing places to visit in the Florida Panhandle. These are great family activities to do in Destin and the surrounding area and ones that we would do over and over each time we visit!
Here are the places that we went that made it such a phenomenal family beach vacation in Destin, Florida
PLACES TO VISIT IN DESTIN
BEST SNORKELING IN DESTIN
O’Steen Public Beach Access
After talking to locals, we realized that the boat snorkeling trips in Destin that tourists were paying for were actually taking them to a snorkeling spot that is accessible by car. This hidden gem is O’Steen Beach Access on most GPS and has the best snorkeling in Destin, Florida.
O’Steen Beach is also called the Destin Jetties and is a calm swimming/snorkeling area. A lot of dolphins hang out in this area.
To get here, the access is along Gulf Shore Drive near where the street dead ends on the west.
The sign can be tough to see from the road, as it is small and not placed prominently along the road. It is also a decent walk from the parking lot through the sand to get to this spot and then a walk along a path to the beach, but it is gorgeous and worth the effort.
The fish you will see in the jetty will be better than anywhere else in Destin!
BEST SEAFOOD IN DESTIN
Dewey Destin Seafood
A family beach vacation in Destin (or anywhere for that matter) is not complete without seafood. Dewey Destin Seafood is not only one of the top-rated places to eat seafood in Destin, but has an amazing location right along the water. It is along a pier, making it very low key and perfect for a family setting.
We ordered a few baskets of seafood to share between the eight of us and had plenty to eat! The crab legs were amazing and the kids downed the fried fish and shrimp.
Great food and perfect location!
ATTRACTIONS IN DESTIN
Harbor Walk Village
Honestly, we spent most of our family vacation in Destin, Florida on the beach or in the pool. The kids played in the sand and the waves and came for a snack every now and then. That is why beach vacations are so affordable! We did venture to a few other locations away from the water (or above the water).
A walk along Harbor Walk Village was so fun! There are multiple gift shops.
My kids enjoyed watching the fishing charter boats come in to see what they caught and watch their fish being filleted.
Along the walk, there are entertainers and on the summer weekend evenings, they do beautiful fireworks.
Feed the Gators
There are a few places in the area to feed alligators. We chose to go to Gator Beach. They serve food here as well, but we just went to view and feed the gators with a string on a stick that has food at the end.
Parasailing above the Gulf
Beth took Boston parasailing for his 12th birthday and Aunt Cat came along. We went through a local company, Parasail Destin, and had such a great time! Check out the video below!
DESTIN ACCOMMODATIONS
AirBnB
With a large family, we are constantly on the lookout for great condos or homes that are close to the beach. Just picture yourself lugging a bajillion toys to the beach. No thank you! The closer the better!! We also search for a place with a kitchen to save on eating out. Here are some ideas on easy meals we eat on vacation.
Near Destin, Florida we found all of these amenities at Amalfi Coast Resort. We rented our unit from AirBnB.
Use this link to get $40 off your first stay with AirBnB!
We would go from the pools to the beach and then others could be in the room getting a bite to eat or just resting. Really, this location was so perfect!!
GREAT ITEMS FOR A FAMILY BEACH TRIP
