What Makes Destin, Florida So Unique?
Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast features 24 miles of alluring sugar-white sands and sparkling emerald-green waters, inviting visitors to stay and play awhile. Encompassing the laid-back beach towns of Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, Florida’s Emerald Coast boasts the most breathtakingly beautiful beaches. These infamous beaches reign supreme after receiving the acclaim as one of the “Top 10 Most Beautiful Places” by Good Morning America. Every year, vacationers flock to the sparkling shores to enjoy spirited beachside celebrations, links of championship golf and undeniably fresh seafood.
The easy pace of Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast revolves like a slow ceiling fan, embracing visitors with a refreshing breeze and warm-hearted hospitality accented with Southern character. This sweet slice of Florida’s upper Gulf coast is closer in distance to dear old Dixie than its South Florida neighbors. The Emerald Coast welcomes vacationers to enjoy the relaxing Central time zone while the rest of the state rushes to Eastern Standard deadlines. Likewise, its seasons are pure Deep South — sensational springs, warm summer days and cool winter evenings — for tempting temperatures year-round.
Although the preferred activity in Destin • Fort Walton Beach • Okaloosa Island is “relaxing and doing as little as possible,” visitors also enjoy teeing off on eight prestigious golf and country clubs, fishing from the nation’s largest for-hire charter fishing fleet for the elusive big blue, sailing in the emerald-flecked surf and sun bronzing on powdered shores (www.destinfwb.com).
Natural Wonders of Destin
Many miracles of nature caress Destin • Fort Walton Beach • Okaloosa Island. The underwater 100 Fathom Curve draws closer to Destin than to any other spot in Florida — creating the speediest deep-water access on the Gulf. This phenomenon makes the area the “Billfish Capital of the World” with a world record catch of 1,061 lbs. and an area of sensational seafood, offering more than four times the amount of fresh fish per season.
Undoubtedly the most mesmerizing attraction on the Emerald Coast is the combination of emerald-jeweled waters and shocking white shores stretching 24 miles, providing seating for performances by dancing dolphins, as well as postcard-perfect sunrises and sunsets over the Gulf — all compliments of Mother Nature. More than 60 percent of the area’s beaches will be preserved forever in sweeping, virgin purity. But what makes the sand so unusual and truly one-of-a-kind is that it consists of finely ground quartz crystal - giving the appearance of sugar. Transported nearly 20,000 years ago from the Appalachian Mountains, the quartz sand lends the waters their trademark emerald-green color as sunlight reflects through the surf. Together, exquisite sand and sea make the beaches of the Emerald Coast a destination like no other.