Some of our new Ocean Reef Resorts guests may be unfamiliar with the differences between Destin and Sandestin. Even some of our regular vacation rental patrons who discovered this special paradise years ago may not be aware of the rich, interesting individual histories of both Destin and Sandestin, so here they are.

First of all there is the original Destin in Okaloosa County and the "new" Sandestin in neighboring South Walton County. Destin's history goes back a few thousand years when Native Indians fished these waters. In fact an Indian Burial Mound is located in nearby Fort Walton Beach. Sometime in the 1600s, as legend has it, the opening between the gulf and Choctawhatchee Bay known as East Pass was discovered by pirates who ran aground here. Spanish explorers had mapped these shores from afar years before when Pensacola was established towards the west. Up until the 1980s virtually everything on this off shore peninsula from East Pass to Panama City Beach was known as "Destin". Destin was founded in the mid-1800s before The Civil War by Captain Leonard Destin who arrived from New England. He started fishing this isolated part of the bountiful gulf for commercial purposes. The burgeoning waters provided plenty of fish for profitable wholesale. Back then, since there was no way of refrigerating this abundant catch, the fish were transported in underwater pens on fast moving sailboats and sold in Pensacola. Destin was joined in 1880 by a Captain Billy Marler who introduced these abundant angling waters to tourists seeking deep water adventure. By 1880 the commercial fleet had over 100 boats and fishing vacation camps began to flourish on the bay in Destin near Moreno Pointe.  By the roaring 20s Destin was named as "The Bill Fish Capital of the Gulf of Mexico." This area was still very remote at that time since few bridges or paved roads were in existence and electricity wasn't even introduced until 1947. The first Destin Fishing Rodeo began in 1948 which became such a huge success that The Destin Marina now harbors the largest charter fishing fleet in the entire gulf attracting tens of thousands of adventurous visitors nationwide. Fishing fame became a corner stone for others who were particularly awed by the spectacular sugary sands and dazzling emerald hued water of the glowing gulf. Besides older existing residential neighborhoods, luxurious high rise condominiums and hotels started to be built, many of which started on Holiday Isle that bordered the harbor at East Pass. Destin became officially incorporated in 1984.  In 1987 condominiums, championship golf courses and housing developments started to expand exponentially with the completion of a four lane highway known as Emerald Coast Parkway connecting Destin to present day Miramar Beach.

Miramar Beach is home to the five star world of Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. This gorgeous 2,400 acre private resort is actually a community comprising thirty-two distinctively different "neighborhoods" which include residences resort wide and luxurious condominium towers on the white sand beach. It has been called "the gated city" for this reason and encompasses a property that extends from the iridescently green waters of the Gulf of Mexico all the way to the expanse of Choctawhatchee Bay. There are four championship golf courses that meander throughout the resort, a professional Tennis Club, a private marina harboring yachts, a new rendition of the New Orleans French Quarter called Baytowne Wharf and a Town Center called Grand Boulevard. Specialty shops, fine restaurants, lively bars, special seasonal festivals and firework displays abound here. Perhaps that is why some refer to Sandestin as "the Artificial Kingdom" because it is a perfect, wonderful, beautiful world away from everything else.

Before Sandestin was created and unincorporated Miramar Beach had its own zip code the land here was still a part of undeveloped Walton County. This very rural area was forested with pine trees, many of which were grown on plantations for their timber. At the most narrow point of the peninsula, which is only one mile across from gulf to bay, was a large tract of land that encompassed almost 3,000 acres. In 1930 this gorgeous piece of property was purchased by Robert Bushnell who was the Attorney General of Massachusetts at that time. He planned to use the land to raise livestock and grow crops. During World War II a portion of the property on the gulf side was requisitioned by the military to research captured German "Buzz Bomb" missiles. Interestingly enough, the very first military use of rockets was tested here that were launched out over the gulf from bunkers near the beach. The property later transferred to Bushnell's sister and the Coffeen family but in the 1950s a large portion was sold to the wealthy Winthrop Rockerfeller who later became Governor of Arkansas. He planned to create an exclusive neighborhood here called Forest by the Sea. In 1960 Walt Disney considered buying the awesome property for his proposed Disney World but later selected Orlando as a more centralized Florida location. Rockerfeller's political ambitions side tracked his plans for his residential enclave and in 1970 owners of the Indianapolis Speedway attempted to buy the land to build a "Seaside Race Track". Evans and Mitchell Industries of Atlanta did purchase the property a short time later but their ownership was soon ended due to financial difficulties and the entire parcel was held by Chase Manhattan Trust until it was sold to a Dutch corporation called Lakeland BV. They hired a young man named Peter Bos to manage a fabulous new planned development named Sandestin Beach Resort. The interesting name borrowed the "San" from Santa Rosa Beach, its unincorporated neighbor towards the east of Destin. By 1974 the Links Golf Course was completed along with much of the Bayou Village, the Augusta Villages as well as a Sheraton Hotel on the bay which became known as the Bayside Inn and is currently a boutique hotel named Le Ciel. The very enterprising Peter Bos acquired Sandestin in 1981 and a parcel on the gulf side was immediately sold to Hilton to begin construction of a luxury hotel. Soon afterwards, a celebratory concert was held on the beach there with performances by the famed Beach Boys with over 12,000 lucky participants in attendance. During the 1980s Sandestin Marina was completed along with the Baytowne Golf Course, the high rise Beachside Towers, The Marketplace and the iconic gulf front Elephant Walk restaurant. In 1991 the property was sold to Sime Darby Berhad, a Malaysian conglomerate who expanded the resort to include the completion of many more neighborhoods, each with its own distinct personality. Sandestin sold again in 1998 to Intrawest Corporation the owner and operator of many Five Star ski resorts out west. From that time onward large portions of the prestigious Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort were completed including the Burnt Pine and Raven championship golf courses, a professional Tennis Club, the Sandestin Town Center known as Grand Boulevard with upscale shops and restaurants and the charming, family friendly Village of Baytowne Wharf. Local developer Tom Becnel who constructed several Destin landmarks like the luxury towers at Silver Shells purchased Sandestin in 2010 and currently operates in Sandestin.

Ocean Reef Resorts has been part of the scene for over thirty years providing our guests with fine private rental accommodations in both Destin and Sandestin. We offer everything in all sizes from beach side mansions to cozy cottages and gulf front condominiums. Take a moment to review your choices on our website as you plan your own family beach vacation or special reunion joining literally generations of other happy Ocean Reef Resort guests who have made Destin and Sandestin their second home!