Guidebook for Fort Walton Beach
WATER FUN & ADVENTURES & ARCADES
Rent a canoe and paddle through paradise, go snorkeling at Destin Jetties which is the top snorkeling destination on the Emerald Coast, see marine mammals performing at the Gulfarium, spend terrific time in Florida's biggest water park, or go on sunset/dolphin/shelling tours, parasailing, fishing, jet skiing and more!
Only 4 minutes away, watch and/or interact with marine mammals and other animals. Great entertainment for especially families with children.
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Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
1010 Miracle Strip Pkwy SEOnly 4 minutes away, watch and/or interact with marine mammals and other animals. Great entertainment for especially families with children.
Great snorkeling location 17 minutes away from my home without traffic. Also called the Destin Jetties, this is a man-made rock structure located near the HarborWalk Village (also called Destin Boardwalk), letting you visit both places the same day. These jetties are such a great place to go snorkeling because they have become a reef-like structure where a variety of sea creatures congregate. Snorkelers will see a number of fish species, such as redfish, puffer fish, flounder, wrasse, sheepshead, small snapper, and on occasion, barracuda and grouper. Numerous invertebrates also reside in the Destin Jetties, including hermit crabs, blue crabs, and even octopuses. Sea turtles and dolphins are also known to frequent the area around the jetties.
You can compare rates at Destin Boardwalk to choose a boat rental company where you can borrow a pontoon boat and navigate to the jetties, or you can book a guided tour from a company such as Destin Snorkel, or drive there by car yourself and find nearby street parking available about 0.2 miles north of the jetties at the O’Steen Public Beach Access at the end of Gulf Shore Drive.
Before you set out to visit the Destin Jetties, it is imperative that you check the beach safety flag system. Snorkeling when there is a red, yellow, or purple flag is not advisable. You will also want to sync your snorkeling session with slack high tide, as that is when the water is clearest and the currents are not an issue. Be sure to avoid the jetties during an outgoing tide, since the visibility will be low and the current is stronger.
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O'Steen Public Beach Access Sign
320 Gulf Shore DrGreat snorkeling location 17 minutes away from my home without traffic. Also called the Destin Jetties, this is a man-made rock structure located near the HarborWalk Village (also called Destin Boardwalk), letting you visit both places the same day. These jetties are such a great place to go snorkeling because they have become a reef-like structure where a variety of sea creatures congregate. Snorkelers will see a number of fish species, such as redfish, puffer fish, flounder, wrasse, sheepshead, small snapper, and on occasion, barracuda and grouper. Numerous invertebrates also reside in the Destin Jetties, including hermit crabs, blue crabs, and even octopuses. Sea turtles and dolphins are also known to frequent the area around the jetties.
You can compare rates at Destin Boardwalk to choose a boat rental company where you can borrow a pontoon boat and navigate to the jetties, or you can book a guided tour from a company such as Destin Snorkel, or drive there by car yourself and find nearby street parking available about 0.2 miles north of the jetties at the O’Steen Public Beach Access at the end of Gulf Shore Drive.
Before you set out to visit the Destin Jetties, it is imperative that you check the beach safety flag system. Snorkeling when there is a red, yellow, or purple flag is not advisable. You will also want to sync your snorkeling session with slack high tide, as that is when the water is clearest and the currents are not an issue. Be sure to avoid the jetties during an outgoing tide, since the visibility will be low and the current is stronger.
1 hour away from my home but so totally worth it! Explore a gorgeous forest by the way of the pristine Blackwater River in your canoe. This area is so unique and beautiful that the State of Florida has purchased and designated it as a State Forest. The river is one of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the nation, making this park also a popular place for also swimming, fishing and camping.
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Blackwater Canoe Rental
6974 Deaton Bridge Rd1 hour away from my home but so totally worth it! Explore a gorgeous forest by the way of the pristine Blackwater River in your canoe. This area is so unique and beautiful that the State of Florida has purchased and designated it as a State Forest. The river is one of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the nation, making this park also a popular place for also swimming, fishing and camping.
Only 10 minutes away, they offer waverunners, parasailing, pontoon boats and dolphin excursions on waverunners.
Discount Watersports
316 Harbor BlvdOnly 10 minutes away, they offer waverunners, parasailing, pontoon boats and dolphin excursions on waverunners.
10 minutes away. Choose from and compare the prices of different companies offering water-related activities such as renting charters or pontoons, private or group fishing tours, snorkeling/dolphin/sunset tours, parasailing, jet ski renting, sailing on a "pirate ship" and more. Great opportunity to visit this picturesque marina and boardwalk also full of touristic shops, many restaurants and bars.
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Destin Harbor Boardwalk
102 Harbor Blvd10 minutes away. Choose from and compare the prices of different companies offering water-related activities such as renting charters or pontoons, private or group fishing tours, snorkeling/dolphin/sunset tours, parasailing, jet ski renting, sailing on a "pirate ship" and more. Great opportunity to visit this picturesque marina and boardwalk also full of touristic shops, many restaurants and bars.
14 minutes away from my home (without traffic), I highly recommend visiting this terrific, huge water and adventure park. This is the largest water park in Florida with over forty water attractions and thrill rides, including a miniature golf course.
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Big Kahuna's Water & Adventure Park
1007 US-9814 minutes away from my home (without traffic), I highly recommend visiting this terrific, huge water and adventure park. This is the largest water park in Florida with over forty water attractions and thrill rides, including a miniature golf course.
Fun for all ages 17 minutes away -- go-karts, mini golf, blaster boats, thrill rides, kiddie rides and more.
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Η Διαδρομή - Ντέστιν
1125 US-98Fun for all ages 17 minutes away -- go-karts, mini golf, blaster boats, thrill rides, kiddie rides and more.
GROCERIES & SHOPPING MALLS
Publix Super Market at Shoppes at Paradise Pointe
251 Miracle Strip Pkwy SEOnly 5 minutes away.
Great opportunity to save real big, 13 minutes away without traffic.
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Walmart Supercenter
15017 Emerald Coast PkwyGreat opportunity to save real big, 13 minutes away without traffic.
Huge shopping mall 21 minutes away without traffic. Has a very nice, upscale vibe but includes discount shops and stores. Also has a variety of restaurants where you can sit, relax and enjoy great food.
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Destin Commons
4100 Legendary DrHuge shopping mall 21 minutes away without traffic. Has a very nice, upscale vibe but includes discount shops and stores. Also has a variety of restaurants where you can sit, relax and enjoy great food.
GREAT RESTAURANTS
Check out menus at websites.
Great seafood 5 minutes away. Beachfront dining with spectacular views of the Gulf especially at sunset if you sit upstairs. During daytime, make sure to ask for their lunch menu which is more budget-friendly.
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Crab Trap, Fort Walton Beach
1450 Miracle Strip Pkwy SEGreat seafood 5 minutes away. Beachfront dining with spectacular views of the Gulf especially at sunset if you sit upstairs. During daytime, make sure to ask for their lunch menu which is more budget-friendly.
5 minutes away from my home, you can sit and dine outside almost on the beach. Great budget friendly burger bar which also serves seafood sandwiches. They also have various salads for the health conscious.
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Al's Beach Club
1450 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE5 minutes away from my home, you can sit and dine outside almost on the beach. Great budget friendly burger bar which also serves seafood sandwiches. They also have various salads for the health conscious.
Nice ambiance at affordable prices 6 minutes away. I so love their lasagna!
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Ali's Bistro
171 Brooks St SENice ambiance at affordable prices 6 minutes away. I so love their lasagna!
Absolutely terrific waterfront dining at reasonable prices 11 minutes away. Stunning, spectacular views of Destin Harbor if you sit upstairs outside. Also great live music at night.
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AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar
116 Harbor BlvdAbsolutely terrific waterfront dining at reasonable prices 11 minutes away. Stunning, spectacular views of Destin Harbor if you sit upstairs outside. Also great live music at night.
Dine and dance while cruising on a yacht -- 28 minutes away. Rated as one of the top things to do in Destin Florida, indulge in award-winning coastal cuisines while cruising into the sunset and dancing to live music. The chef-prepared, fine dining menu includes prime steaks and fresh, local Gulf seafood.
Experience a majestic fusion of ambiance, food and music aboard the SOLARIS yacht. The SOLARIS is a 125 yacht with three decks of indoor and outdoor spaces, including panoramic windows throughout the elegant indoor dining rooms and the open air sky deck.
Cruising year-round from the the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the SOLARIS is the only dining and entertainment yacht in Northwest Florida, offering unforgettable experiences, breathtaking settings and sweeping views for all occasions, including year-round dinner cruises, holiday parties, weddings and events.
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SunQuest Cruises SOLARIS Dining and Entertainment Yacht
9300 US-98Dine and dance while cruising on a yacht -- 28 minutes away. Rated as one of the top things to do in Destin Florida, indulge in award-winning coastal cuisines while cruising into the sunset and dancing to live music. The chef-prepared, fine dining menu includes prime steaks and fresh, local Gulf seafood.
Experience a majestic fusion of ambiance, food and music aboard the SOLARIS yacht. The SOLARIS is a 125 yacht with three decks of indoor and outdoor spaces, including panoramic windows throughout the elegant indoor dining rooms and the open air sky deck.
Cruising year-round from the the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, the SOLARIS is the only dining and entertainment yacht in Northwest Florida, offering unforgettable experiences, breathtaking settings and sweeping views for all occasions, including year-round dinner cruises, holiday parties, weddings and events.
MUSIC & DANCING & NIGHT LIFE
Live music, concerts, dancing.
Only 3 minutes away, choose from their activities which include concerts, dance shows, festivals and other events as announced on their calendar: https://www.emeraldcoastconventioncenter.com/calendar#.W4INDM5KjIU
Emerald Coast Convention Center
1250 Miracle Strip Pkwy SEOnly 3 minutes away, choose from their activities which include concerts, dance shows, festivals and other events as announced on their calendar: https://www.emeraldcoastconventioncenter.com/calendar#.W4INDM5KjIU
Taboo Night Club
200 Ferry Rd SE5 minutes away. Terrific Latin music to dance to after 11:00 pm.
Live music at nights with a platform to dance on, 10 minutes away.
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AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar
116 Harbor Blvd Live music at nights with a platform to dance on, 10 minutes away.
TRAILS AND NATURAL WONDERS
Explore to your heart's content and don't forget your camera!
43 min. away, salt marshes, sea oat covered crystal white sand dunes and blue-green waters make up this huge state park. Western Lake, the second largest coastal dune lake in the Florida Panhandle, is just one of the many coastal dune lakes that visitors see while driving down Scenic Highway 30A. This park also offers facilities for swimming, fishing, snorkeling, and camping.
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Grayton Beach State Park
43 min. away, salt marshes, sea oat covered crystal white sand dunes and blue-green waters make up this huge state park. Western Lake, the second largest coastal dune lake in the Florida Panhandle, is just one of the many coastal dune lakes that visitors see while driving down Scenic Highway 30A. This park also offers facilities for swimming, fishing, snorkeling, and camping.
22 minutes away without traffic, this park features a more than a mile long boardwalk along a gorgeous creek through a wetland jungle paradise. This meandering boardwalk keeps to the shade of the floodplain forest and bayhead swamp, ending at a canoe landing.
The best thing about this boardwalk is the platforms that will let you and your family jump into the cool water for a swim. Or you can jump in to let yourselves drift with the current all the way back to the beginning of the boardwalk while you watch the spectacular views around you!
Please make sure to get off the creek once you reach the beginning of the boardwalk (this is very easy to do as the current loses its strength here). Please take care to not let yourself or your children keep drifting out of the park where the current becomes stronger again. I've found it quite hard to swim against the strengthening current when I did allow myself to keep drifting out of the park and did not get off at the first water access at the beginning of the boardwalk.
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Turkey Creek Park
340 W John Sims Pkwy22 minutes away without traffic, this park features a more than a mile long boardwalk along a gorgeous creek through a wetland jungle paradise. This meandering boardwalk keeps to the shade of the floodplain forest and bayhead swamp, ending at a canoe landing.
The best thing about this boardwalk is the platforms that will let you and your family jump into the cool water for a swim. Or you can jump in to let yourselves drift with the current all the way back to the beginning of the boardwalk while you watch the spectacular views around you!
Please make sure to get off the creek once you reach the beginning of the boardwalk (this is very easy to do as the current loses its strength here). Please take care to not let yourself or your children keep drifting out of the park where the current becomes stronger again. I've found it quite hard to swim against the strengthening current when I did allow myself to keep drifting out of the park and did not get off at the first water access at the beginning of the boardwalk.
Nature trails in a lovely forest with large trees 30 minutes away. Suitable for bicycling, birding, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, picnicking, tubing, wildlife viewing, including full camping facilities.
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Πάρκο Φρεντ Γκάνον Ρόκι Μπέιου
4281 FL-20Nature trails in a lovely forest with large trees 30 minutes away. Suitable for bicycling, birding, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking, picnicking, tubing, wildlife viewing, including full camping facilities.
1 hour away but so stunning! Also called the Juniper Creek State Park, pristine, spectacular natural woodland trails seem to stretch forever here. Topped with longleaf pine and wiregrass, there are more than a dozen trails to choose from, so you'll never run out of things to do! This is also a favorite destination for canoeists and kayakers, see the 'Water Fun & Adventures' section of this guidebook about where to rent a canoe here. The river is one of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the nation, making this park also a popular place for also swimming, fishing and camping.
See this information to plan the perfect hike here: https://floridahikes.com/juniper-creek-trail
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Blackwater River State Park
7720 Deaton Bridge Rd1 hour away but so stunning! Also called the Juniper Creek State Park, pristine, spectacular natural woodland trails seem to stretch forever here. Topped with longleaf pine and wiregrass, there are more than a dozen trails to choose from, so you'll never run out of things to do! This is also a favorite destination for canoeists and kayakers, see the 'Water Fun & Adventures' section of this guidebook about where to rent a canoe here. The river is one of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the nation, making this park also a popular place for also swimming, fishing and camping.
See this information to plan the perfect hike here: https://floridahikes.com/juniper-creek-trail
MUST-SEE TOURISTY PLACES
5 minutes away, this boardwalk area contains a charming group of restaurants, beachy stores and gift shops for tourists. Includes a long pier (pier costs $2 to walk and $8 to fish from -- check the FISHING section of this guidebook'about free good fishing locations).
Wayside Park, Okaloosa Island
1450 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE5 minutes away, this boardwalk area contains a charming group of restaurants, beachy stores and gift shops for tourists. Includes a long pier (pier costs $2 to walk and $8 to fish from -- check the FISHING section of this guidebook'about free good fishing locations).
Huge, long, beautiful boardwalk and marina only 10 minutes away from my home without traffic -- a spectacular, lively must see. So many great restaurants for different budgets, bars and touristic stores here. You can also sign up for water activities such as renting charters or pontoons, sign up for snorkeling/dolphin/sunset tours, parasailing, jet ski renting, go sailing on a "pirate ship" and more. Other adventures for kids and adults include zip lining.
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Destin Harbor Boardwalk
102 Harbor BlvdHuge, long, beautiful boardwalk and marina only 10 minutes away from my home without traffic -- a spectacular, lively must see. So many great restaurants for different budgets, bars and touristic stores here. You can also sign up for water activities such as renting charters or pontoons, sign up for snorkeling/dolphin/sunset tours, parasailing, jet ski renting, go sailing on a "pirate ship" and more. Other adventures for kids and adults include zip lining.
FISHING
Free and without needing a license.
18 minutes away, you can catch fish here just about all the time. With the daily tidal changes coming through the east pass, the jetties are a prime feeding area for the predators of the ocean: shark, king and spanish mackerel, bluefish, grouper, redfish, flounder, trout, sheepshead, and a wide variety of baitfish. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, with an unencumbered view of the beach. You'll be at the heart of Destin's fishing and have a ring-side seat to all of the boat traffic that comes and goes from the Destin harbor.
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Destin East Jetty
Jetty East18 minutes away, you can catch fish here just about all the time. With the daily tidal changes coming through the east pass, the jetties are a prime feeding area for the predators of the ocean: shark, king and spanish mackerel, bluefish, grouper, redfish, flounder, trout, sheepshead, and a wide variety of baitfish. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, with an unencumbered view of the beach. You'll be at the heart of Destin's fishing and have a ring-side seat to all of the boat traffic that comes and goes from the Destin harbor.
Only 3 minutes away, they offer fishing charters, pontoon, jet-ski, boat rentals, bait & tackle.
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Adventure Marina
1201 Miracle Strip Pkwy SEOnly 3 minutes away, they offer fishing charters, pontoon, jet-ski, boat rentals, bait & tackle.
Only 5 minutes away, I recommend the pier at the end of the park right next to the pubic boating access and launching area.
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Ross Marler Park
1275 Santa Rosa BlvdOnly 5 minutes away, I recommend the pier at the end of the park right next to the pubic boating access and launching area.