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The Emerald Coast is one of our family’s favorite places to visit. The beaches with their sugar white sand are fabulous and there are countless things to do in Destin, Florida. We’ve visited four times in 4 years on the road, which says how much we love it!

We stayed in Destin for an entire month and we were lazy for the first 3 weeks. We didn’t do much other than spend time at the beach and the pool. And that was OK by us! Hanging out at the beach or heading out on the town we always have great family fun in Destin, FL.

Things to do on the gulf coast range from hanging at the beach, water sports, eating at yummy restaurants and more! Without further ado here is our list of Things To Do In Destin, FL:

Things to do in Destin Florida

Destin Attractions

If you are a mover and a shaker and you start twitching thinking about doing one of the beach days, do it anyways. It will be good for you and your family 🙂 But do not fear, there are plenty of Destin Florida attractions for families to keep you busy! Here are our recommendations for your Destin Beach Vacation:

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

They had dolphins, tortoises, sharks, sting rays, alligators, birds, and more! Plus they have a touch tank where you can pet hermit crabs and hold starfish. And if you want you can pay and sign up to help with the animals or swim with the dolphins and sting rays.

We also enjoyed watching the dolphin show! Since it is a smaller facility you are able to get a close seat for the shows. They offer shows throughout the day so you could spend all day there if you wanted to see all of the shows.

They had an obstacle course area for the kids to play plus a sandbox area. They have a snack stand where you could get popcorn, drinks, and much more. I loved that it was right on the water so as you were walking around you were able to look out over the ocean as well. The Gulfarium is located on Okaloosa Island just outside Destin. It is part of Destin’s Fort Walton Beach area and well worth a visit.

Click here for a great deal on Gulfarium tickets!

Dolphin Sunset Cruise

You see all the advertisements for the Dolphin Cruise and my first thought is always: how are they going to guarantee you see a dolphin? I don’t believe it. I was wrong. We saw so many dolphins! It was crazy!!! Some of them were playing together in the waves while others swam right next to the boat. It was a really cool experience. Again I wasn’t sure about bringing kids on another boat tour, this time it was for 2 hours. We came prepared: lots of snacks, treats, and drinks. You can bring all your own stuff on the boat, including alcohol. Plus they have a snack bar if you want to buy anything.

While on the boat they had food we could feed the seagulls. The seagulls took chips right out of your hand! They also have a glass bottom, but to be honest we never really saw much through it. The highlight for the kids was getting a chance to drive the boat! We saw a ton of dolphins and a beautiful sunset. The kids had a lot of fun and since we had the snacks everyone was great the whole time! Another one to add to the list.

Click here for a great deal on the Destin Dolphin Cruise!

Pontoon Boat Rental with Destin X Watersports

How have we been to Destin so many times and never rented a Pontoon or visited Crab Island?!!! This is now on the top of our must do list when you visit.

When you rent the pontoon at the Destin harbor ask the people getting your boat ready how to find Crab Island. Then take a nice boat trip around the bay for a few minutes before finding a place to put your anchor down at Crab Island.

What is Crab Island?

It is a sandbar out in the middle of the ocean that has floating restaurants or what I like to call Food Boats – like Food Trucks but on water. The water level is about waste high for adults and after putting an anchor down on your pontoon you can hang out in the boat or spend hours jumping off the boat into the beautiful clear water.

Before walking over the Food Boats to get some drinks and food! Be prepared it is usually really busy and I am sure can get wild. But with kids go early in the day and it will be fun for everyone.

Recommended things to bring: Snorkel Gear Paddle Board Floaty Football SunScreen Sunglasses A cooler full of food Water

Click Here For A Great Deal On Pontoon Rentals!

Catamaran Sailing Trip With Sailing Moby

If you being the captain of the pontoon doesn’t sound fun then leave the driving to the Sailing Moby team and bring your family (max of 6 people) onto their sailboat. Then sit back, relax and let them take care of everything!

What I loved about their boat is they have an inside area. So if you have little ones that need to take a nap or get out of the sun there is a perfect place for this.

They will take you to Crab Island to just hang out there if you would like. Or they have some other great recommendations on places to go based on the weather and what your crew would like to do.

For us we opted to sail to a couple islands where the kids got out to snorkel by the beach and then were able to jump off the boat – their favorite part of the trip!

Recommended things to bring: Snorkel Gear (they do provide it – so if you are OK with that you can use theirs) Sand Toys Beach Toys Towels Food – you are welcome to bring a cooler on board Sunscreen Sunglasses Water Bathing Suits – just wear these – it will make it easier

They also have a bathroom on the boat which is super helpful when you travel with kids or plan to have a couple beverages on your trip.

Maximum Magic Show

We were so excited to take the kids to an actual magic show! If your kids are like ours they love seeing magic tricks and being able to go to a live show that was family friendly was a great way for them to see their first magic show.

Click Here For A Great Deal On Magic Show Tickets

Golf Garden 9 Hole Executive Course

Looking to get away for a quick round of golf? This is the perfect place to go. There are a variety of golf courses in the area but this is a nice course that isn’t too big so you can knock a round of 9 out pretty quickly. Then head back to hit the beach!

Wild Willy

Looking to get out of the sun and away from the beach and water then head to Wild Willies where you can play arcade games, see a 4D movie, play laser tag. Then head outside for mini golf and a ropes course.

After days covered in sand this is a nice way to get out and do something different!

Click here for combo deals at Wild Willy’s 

Parasailing

If you have never gone parasailing we highly recommend it. All of our kids love it and it is another great way to get a different view on the beach and ocean. With how clear the water is in Destin I bet there is a good chance you could see some bottlenose dolphins or sting rays in the water while you are up there!

Click here for a great deal on Destin Parasailing!

Kayaking

You can rent 1 or 2 seater kayaks to explore the harbor and bay, and even paddle yourself out to Crab Island, if you’re up for it! Other renters have even seen dolphins and other wildlife while kayaking the area. This is a great activity to burn some extra energy while enjoying the great views and wildlife! 

Click here to book your Kayak rentals!

Check out our time in Destin:

Indian Mound Museum

Want to learn about the history of the area? Then check out the Indian Mound Museum where you can learn about the Native Americans that lived in the area and see a variety of artifacts found here as well.

Destin History and Fishing Museum

Visit this museum to learn how a small fishing town (termed the “luckiest fishing village”) turned into a huge vacation destination. It really is quite amazing.

Click here for great deals on these Destin attractions!

Uncle Bucks FishBowl and Grill

This is not your typical bowling alley! This is an underwater experience! You can choose to eat your dinner at the restaurant; where you sit at a table with sharks hanging from the ceiling, or you can eat while you bowl. Whatever works for you!

The bowling area gives you the feel of being underwater – from the sights and sounds, it is an underwater experience! We had a lot of fun and it was great with the kids since they had bumpers and also a bowling ball ramp so the kids could roll the ball right down it. We loved the extra touch of the bowling balls being covered in sea creatures too! The food was good, the drinks awesome, and the atmosphere was great! If you are looking to get out of the sun and into the air conditioning or looking for something to do at night when it gets dark out Uncle Bucks is the place for you!

HarborWalk Village

The HarborWalk Village is loaded with restaurants and shops and is the place where a lot of the water activities in Destin (Pirate cruise, Dolphin cruise, pontoon rental) take off from. They also have a variety of different activities available.

Big Kahuna’s Water park

If you are visiting in the heat of summer and looking for a water park to cool off check out Big Kahuna’s waterpark!

Kids Fishing Trip

Destin – known to have the worlds luckiest fishing is a great place to take the kids out fishing! We have not done this with our kids yet (they weren’t interested the last time we were there). But if you and your family are into fishing then be sure to check it out!

I also love how this trip is geared towards kids as anyone with young kids knows spending time on a boat with kids can be a challenge!

If your kids are older you can check out a variety of fishing charter boats here.

Book your Destin Charter Fishing trip here!!

Pirate Cruise

We had a great time on the cruise. I wasn’t sure at first how it was going to go. Four kids on a boat, but from the minute we walked onto the boat they started entertaining the kids and it didn’t stop until we docked about 90 minutes later. We don’t even know where they took the boat since we were so in to what was going on 🙂

They did everything from squirt gun fights and sword fights to having the kids swab the deck (which they loved! I need to buy one of those mops!) to face painting and pulling a real treasure chest out of the ocean, like for real! Plus they “shot” the cannon twice.

It was a great time and I would recommend it for kids ages 3 and up! And if you have any pirate gear make sure to dress up. It makes the experience even better. My Mom has an awesome pirate costume so she wore it on the ship and fit right in! Actually, she almost got a job!

Check out the Pirate Cruise for more information.

Banana Boats

Take a private ride on the banana boats! This is a one hour trip where they take your private group (minimum 4 people, maximum 6 people) out in a boat and pull you behind on the bouncing banana boats! A great opportunity to cool off, have some laughs and excitement, enjoy the water adventure and potentially see some wildlife while you’re out. Riders must know how to swim! 

Click here to book your Banana Boat Ride!

Destin Commons

This is an outdoor mall located in Crystal Beach that makes shopping so much more enjoyable than having to be inside walking from store to store. At Christmas they have an awesome tree and holiday display. There is also an outdoor play area for the kids to play. There are a lot of great stores and restaurants so you can eat, shop, play, and/or people watch!

Village of Baytowne Wharf

A great area for dining, shopping and nightlife. Plus there area lot of activities and festivals that go on here. The village is not on the beach so if you are looking to get away from the sand and surf for a while this is a great place to go.

Hiking

Hiking in Florida! Not quite the same as hiking to the top of a mountain in Yellowstone but it was still a fun hike. In the Emerald Coast you can find nature trails and hike at the following parks: Henderson Beach State Park, James Lee County State Park or John Beasley Beach Park. Or you can just go for a nice walk on the beach.

The Sunset

Looking for a FREE Destin Attraction that you can do every night?! We highly recommend making it a nightly ritual to get a glass of wine for the adults and some juice boxes for the kids and heading out to see the sunset out over the water. It was amazing how every night the sunset looked different and amazing. After watching it one night it seemed impossible that it could be any prettier and then it would amaze us again!

When you are staying on the Emerald Coast, make it a priority to see the sunset every night! You won’t be disappointed! Even if there are clouds – the sky still changes to an amazing color.

There’s quite a few other things to do in Destin Florida with kids that we didn’t get to, remember we were lazy and totally beached it for 3 weeks 🙂 Depending on when you are coming make sure to check the schedule. Their prime season is from May to September. So in the off season things may not be open.

The Beach

If you want you can literally do nothing, but beach it. Swim in the ocean, play in the sand, and hit the swimming pool for a few hours every day. To be honest I can’t think of a better family vacation! Plus the white sand beaches on the emerald green waters of the Gulf of Mexico are so beautiful.

A beach vacation can be all about focusing on your family and deepening your family bond since you aren’t running off to a bunch of activities. Instead you are taking life slow and enjoying that non-rushed feeling.

What I love about the Emerald Coast is when you are at a resort, condo or RV park on the beach, you don’t even realize all of the hustle and bustle that is going on out on Hwy 98 and all the attractions Destin has to offer.

Tips for having a great beach vacation:

Buy some breakfast food to have ready so you don’t have to rush out in the morning and so you don’t have hungry kids.

Sit out on your balcony or head out to the beach to sit and enjoy your coffee while the kids either play, eat breakfast, watch TV. No seriously, let them watch TV or do their own thing while you take in the views and enjoy your morning coffee!

After everyone has eaten breakfast head down to the sugar white beaches and build sand castles. They have the perfect sand for it! You may have to mix in a little water if it has been dry, but once you get the right consistency you are good to go! Swim in the water, play frisbee, just hang out.

Head back for a nice slow relaxing lunch. If it was hot out, take some time to relax in your room or RV. Play a card game, watch a movie, read a book as a family and enjoy the fact you have no where to be!

Head out to the pool (if where you are staying has one) or else head back down to the beach!

As a family, cook and prepare dinner and then eat it outside.

Finish the night up by watching the sunset and going for a walk on the beach.

Go to bed and wake up the next day and repeat steps 1 – 8 again!

For a great place to stay and enjoy your Destin vacation, check out the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. This resort is beautiful and right on the white sand. Enjoy the pool and beach while soaking up the sun on your ultimate beach vacation!

Click here for great deals on Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort rooms from TripAdvisor!

BONUS Activity!

If you happen to be in Destin in the month of October and you love salt water fishing you may really enjoy the Destin Fishing Rodeo! There are all kinds of prizes daily, weekly and monthly during October and any child who brings in a fish over 1lb gets a free rod and reel! Fishing may even be free if you hop on one of the boats on the chartered fishing fleet for the event. Check out the rules and info here.

Where To Eat

LuLu’s Destin

It’s hard to categorize a restaurant as a thing to do in Destin with kids, but we absolutely loved LuLu’s! Any time the kids have somewhere to play while we wait for our food is a great restaurant and LuLu’s has that and more!

There is a nice sand/beach area that has 2 containers filled with kids sands toys. Plus a palm tree for them to climb on, cornhole, and hula hoops! While the kids played we were able to sit at our table and listen to the live music. Their food selection is awesome with a focus on food allergies. With a town filled with seafood it is nice to have an option where they are on top of food allergies and give you lots of options.

When you are done eating they have some great desserts including a Krispie Kreme bread pudding or natural homemade popsicles! The kids loved the root beer and sea salted caramel flavor. And so did we!

Small Cakes of Destin

You know we love our sweets and when we couldn’t find a local donut place we headed out for Cupcakes! As you can see they were super yummy and the kids loved them. I did too! They had lots of great flavors and I had to stop myself from coming here every day to try a different flavor.

Beach Restaurant – Surf Hut

There are a variety of restaurants on the beach so depending on where you are staying you can look into what is in your area. We loved walking down the beach to a restaurant for happy hour and appetizers or dinner or lunch.

We really enjoyed The Surf Hut. We were also told that the The Back Porch was a great spot! We will have to save that one for the next time we are there.

Dewey Destin’s Seafood & Restaurant

Dewey Destin currently owns two restaurant locations with family friendly atmosphere serving fresh-as-can-be fish daily! There is also a snowball location that serves New Orleans style snowballs to help you beat the heat and a third restaurant location coming soon!

Fun Fact: Dewey Destin’s Seafood & Restaurant is owned by the great, great grandson of the founder of Destin, Leonard Destin!

When To Visit

The Emerald Coast is an amazing vacation destination. We have never visited during prime time (May to September). So we can’t speak for what it is like during that time. But I have heard it gets busy but the weather is beautiful.

We have always visited in the off season and we do we miss out on some activities (that aren’t open) but we love that it is less busy and that the weather isn’t super hot. We have been there in November and December and normally had weather in the 60’s with sunshine making it feel much warmer.

Where to Stay

Airbnb

Zula Life Vacation Homes

We stayed at this amazing vacation home that was a short walk to the beach (it saves you a lot of money if you aren’t right on the beach!). The house had plenty of room for multiple families to stay along with a long Kitchen table, big couch and plenty of outside sitting. Plus our favorite part was the hot tub and pool. We spent a lot of time just hanging out back there.

The house is located just a couple minutes from Hwy 98 where you have all the stores that you would need. Yet is in a quiet neighborhood without a lot of traffic. The driveway was also large enough that we could park our 21 foot travel trailer there when we stayed – it was so nice not to have to leave the rig somewhere plus we didn’t have to pack since everything was right there in the driveway!

Honestly it was hard to leave the house to go do anything! If you are coming with your family (and dog – yes they allow pets!) or planning a multi family trip be sure to check out Zula Life or any of their other properties: Zula Dreams and Zula Beach.

Click HERE to book now!

Hotels

Hilton Sandestin Beach, Golf Resort & Spa

If you’re looking for luxury at it’s finest, check out the Hilton Sandestin Beach, Golf Resort & Spa. The resort is located right on the white sand and emerald water. You will be in paradise with a fantastic pool and a great beach bar overlooking the ocean.

Click here for great Sandestin deals on TripAdvisor!

Holiday Inn Fort Walton Beach

If you aren’t going to be traveling in an RV we recommend the Holiday Inn Fort Walton Beach. We were able to tour the hotel and spend a day swimming in the pool. The facility is amazing! It is very new, clean, and comfortable.

They offer a kids room that has bunk beds and an Xbox in the room! Plus the rooms have an amazing balcony that looks out over the pool and the ocean. Here is the view:

The kids LOVED swimming in the pool. It has a zero entry end, which was great for our little ones and also has a lazy river! Plus there is a hot tub and an indoor pool if the weather is cooler when you are there. We loved that you could walk right out to a beautiful beach too. So you could spend your morning at the beach, head in to eat lunch at their restaurant and then head out to the pool in the afternoon.

This hotel is perfect for families but would be great for couples as well! Click here to check out the Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach!

For other amazing hotels in the Destin area, click here!

RV Parks

Rent an RV

Have you ever considered renting an RV?! It would be an awesome way to stay in Destin and you can get a spot right on the beach or stay a quieter State Park like Grayton Beach or Henderson Beach State Park. 

Click here for great RV Rentals in the Destin area.

Camp Gulf RV Park

This is one of our favorite campgrounds in all of North America. Seriously, it is so cool to be so close to the beach! Our RV spot was literally 20 yards from the beach. Yes, there was a row of RV’s in front of us for most of the time, but it didn’t matter. (We couldn’t stay in those spots because pets aren’t allowed in those sites).

There is a couple rows of RV spots that are right by the beach. If you are someone who prefers not to have sand in your RV everyday. There are also spots that are farther back and away from the beach. Some of these spots are closer to the pools at the campground.

There are 2 pools and if you go in November they put a big tent over the back pool so that you can still swim even if it is colder outside. Being in North Florida it does get colder in the winter months.

Every day we opened our door to the smell of the surf, the feel of the ocean breeze, and stepped out into beautiful white sand. Yes, we slept with sand in our bed and I don’t think we will ever get all of the sand out of our car. But we don’t care. It was worth it!

If you don’t have an RV you can rent one! This campground is worth it!

We stayed at Camp Gulf, which is in Miramar Beach. We love this campground because of how close the sites are to the beach. We definitely recommend checking this campground out! We’re total beach fans!

Grayton Beach State Park

This is probably our all time favorite state park. It’s in Grayton Beach, which is east of Destin, away from all the craziness, and tucked back in a private little spot perfect for quiet camping. While you’re not right on the beach like at CampGulf, you are just a short walk, bike ride or drive away from it. This is the kind of place where you don’t really do anything but beach bum it!

Want more ideas on things to do in Destin, Florida?! Check out this great post from 365AtlantaFamily: https://365atlantafamily.com/things-to-do-in-destin-fl/

If you are looking to fly in there are some regional airports in the area or else you will have a drive from some of the larger surrounding cities/airports.

Also, be sure to check out our Florida Road Trip as this Northwest Florida location is a stop on the route!

Looking for more adventures in Florida? Check out our following posts:

4 Favorite Florida Beaches – From a near native Floridian

The Best Place to See Turtles in the Florida Keys

Top 10 Florida Keys Beaches

Hawks Cay: The Best Resort In The Florida Keys

16 Reasons to stay overnight at Legoland Florida

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Disclosure: A big Thank You to TripShock and the Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau, area attractions, and restaurants for hosting us. All opinions expressed are our own. Truth.