You should avoid speeding in the downtown area as law enforcement will pull you over quickly for even just a few miles over the speed limit. The deputies here are always looking out for safety and will set up random checkpoints. Most of the “avoiding” happens right in Destin. There aren’t bad neighborhoods or parts of town you should drive around because of the dangers. If you’re looking for more of a laid-back activity, try taking a sandcastle class or drive the seven miles of pristine national seashore across the way to Fort Walton Beach. If you were looking for me, I’d be trying to figure out the Hall of Mirrors.ĭon’t have a meal right before trying these adventures out! There’s an LED light rock wall that shoots 40 feet straight up. There’s a special freefall adventure, with a 100′ drop before the bungee line catches you. There’s a zipline high above the harbor with breathtaking views (if you don’t have a panic attack as I would).

This one is enough to give me vertigo, but adrenaline junkies will love HarborWalk adventures. To check out the local flair of shopping, head to HarborWalk Village. This area is going to have some of the most nationally-recognized brands. This is also the area where festivals are held throughout the year. Well, not quite, but there’s a lot of interaction with pirates and some lucky people get to do sword fights and fire a cannon.ĭestin Commons is the place to go shopping and strolling in the Gulf breeze. You can also go on a Buccaneer Pirate Cruise to pillage the seas for treasure. Many area restaurants are gulf-to-table, so you can bring that snapper with you to be cleaned and cooked for dinner. You can do a four-hour tour or spend a whole 24 hours at sea. There are options for bottom fishing/trolling, back bay fishing, and deep-sea fishing. I’ve been fishing once in my life and that was enough for me, but even I would be tempted to check out the World’s Largest Fishing Fleet, located across the bayfront of Destin. We do have another article about that area with hyper-local information to help avoid confusion. Just to be clear, these options will hyper-focus on the Destin area, without touching Fort Walton Beach.

The water meets or exceeds all standards. The reports submitted by the county cover a larger area than just Destin, and it extends up to the state line with Alabama.ĭestin and Fort Walton Beach have the same water system, and it's a low risk. The Okaloosa County Sheriff handles the policing here, making accurate crime statistics a little challenging. There’s so much packed into just 8 miles and this area is a little more crowded compared to its laid-back sibling on the other side of the National Seashore. If the two cities are sisters, this might just be the “wild child”. This is known as The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village, but it’s less about luck and more about the varying levels of depths in the Gulf off the coast that brings such a wide variety of fish.īe warned, if you are coming to Destin with an angler, you probably won’t be seeing them very much unless you go fishing with them. and #2 Best Family Beach Vacation by U.S. To learn more about Fort Walton Beach, you can view our review of that city.ĭestin is rated as the #4 Best Beaches in the U.S. We’re going to give you specific safety and travel advice for Destin. Many sources will lump the two together, but not here.

United States - safety as a country Florida - state reviewĭestin, Florida, sits along the Emerald Coast as the sister city to nearby Fort Walton Beach.

Emeral coast rider