Posted on 6/10/2016By the Ocean Reef Editorial Team
Dazzling Destin extends from Okaloosa Island near Ft. Walton Beach all the way over to near Panama City Beach. Actually that's not true, however many people think it is. The crystalline white sugary shoreline and glittering jewel toned waters of the emerald hued gulf pretty much defines Destin doesn't it? Yes it does! However these sugar white shores actually extend beyond the universe of Destin both east and west comprising a special part of Northwest Florida now known as The Emerald Coast. Ocean Reef Resorts is proud to be able to offer fine distinctive vacation rentals throughout this wonderful region.
Such confusion about Destin is highly understandable since "once upon a time" there was just… Destin. The history of this town goes back almost two centuries ago when the burgeoning waters of the gulf and its cornucopia of fish were first discovered. Actually Native Americans had been fishing these waters for eons as is evidenced by an ancient burial mound in nearby Ft. Walton Beach, which remains there today. However Captain Leonard Destin, for whom the town was named, started fishing these bountiful waters for commercial purposes back in 1850 even before the Civil War. Legendary Captain Billy Marler later introduced this fishing operation to adventurous tourists. Marler went to work for Captain Destin in 1880 and expanded the fishing fleet to over 100 boats in just a few years.
He fully realized the tourist potential and established fishing camps here in the 1890s. It began with a few rustic cottages located near Choctawhatchee Bay's entrance to the gulf and expanded as adventurous anglers arrived in ever increasing numbers. By the 1920s Destin became known as "The Bill Fish Capital of the Gulf of Mexico." Travel and accommodations were not for the faint of heart since it was easier to get to here by boat than by automobile at that time. Paved roads were scarce and electricity was not established until the 1940s. By the late 1970s Destin was discovered by flocks of tourists seeking family vacations along the beautiful beach. Except for the Destin Harbor and a few new developments going up on Holiday Isle there was little else here along these shores, so people started to refer to the entire area as Destin. New developments flourished, high rise luxury towers sprang up on the gulf, golf courses were built, roads were completed, restaurants thrived and new gated resorts were established.
One of these resorts known as Sandestin caused further confusion. Was Sandestin named after some saint of Destin kind of like San Francisco? Actually the name is twofold. One origination is that it is the combination of the words "Sand" and "Destin". The other is urban slang from the French word "sans" meaning "without" Destin. This makes sense because Sandestin is not even in the same county as Destin since it is in Walton rather than Okaloosa County. Sandestin is a gorgeous exclusively gated 2,400 acre resort that spans the peninsula from the glorious gulf all the way to the bay with four championship golf courses, 34 different neighborhoods, a charming French Quarter styled village called Baytowne Wharf and an upscale town center known as Grand Boulevard. The creation of Sandestin and other resorts like Seascape, Amalfi Coast, Edgewater, Surfside, Majestic Sun and Ariel Dunes led to the formation of Miramar Beach which even got its own zip code. However people still refer to this as Destin!
The perceived "expansion" of Destin extends even further east in South Walton. Picture perfect planned coastal villages started to pop up along a particularly beautiful county route now known as Scenic 30A. It started with Seaside in the 1980s which garnered international design fame as the first of its kind representing a new pedestrian friendly town with residential and commercial properties purposely intertwined. Other villages sprang up almost overnight between 2004 and 2006 in an era that resembled "the wild wild west" as far as rapid development was concerned. These picturesque villages included Gulf Place in Santa Rosa Beach, Watercolor, Watersound, Alys Beach, Seacrest Beach and Rosemary Beach. Each place has its own unique personality in architectural style and ambiance. Almost all of them have wonderful restaurants, friendly beach bars, galleries, specialty boutiques, seasonal festivals and outdoor musical concerts. However even to this day when people say they are visiting South Walton they still tell their friends they are "going to Destin!"
It doesn't really matter since all of these communities are in the same Emerald Coast family so to speak. The sugary shores and glowing gulf waters are all shared as one. The beautiful beach lifestyle, recreational opportunities, wonderful restaurants and outstanding amenities for amusement abound. Take a peek here on our Ocean Reef Resorts website to see which "part of Destin" will suit you and your family the best. And by the way… Welcome to Destin!
The Ocean Reef Editorial Team leads the market in vacation rental, real estate, and coastal lifestyle content, with decades of Destin & 30A expertise behind every story. As the area's largest locally owned and longest continually operating vacation rental company, we welcome over 200,000 guests each year and reach millions who dream of the beach. Our guides serve travelers, homeowners, and locals alike, sharing authentic knowledge you can trust-because this coast isn't just where we work, it's where our story began, and where we'll continue to welcome generations to come.
