Destin is OVER! The private beaches have taken over. The public beaches are terrible & few. Destin USED to be nice. Its garbage now with huge areas of beaches roped off & no one is using them while most aren't allowed. We WASTED our vacation coming here this year. Do not come. If you want to be packed on a "private" resort beach on chairs for rent ONLY for $55 per day! This is FLORIDA not St Thomas. The mayor sold all the beaches. Its terrible, over priced & now for nothing but empty chair packed beach. Seriously do not come. read more

Nice white sand. Clean beach. Parking available. Calm waters. Restaurants nearby. Great for families or alone for relaxation. read more

Destin Beach - White sand - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

A white sand public beach where you can have fun with family, friends, loved ones, or just your solo selves. The area is nice and clean. There are rinse off only shower stations and public baths facilities as well. If you get hungry, then there's the popular Crab Trap restaurant, right on the beach overlooking the Gulf Sea. A couple of other restaurants are within walking distance of the Crab Trap as well. Parking is available on the street or the adjacent parking lot. It's a popular spot to hang out, but the beach is not crowded, which is a plus. read more

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Beautiful and fun beach. Water is very calm and fun to play in. Sand is white and everything in golden hour is picture perfect read more

Destin Beach - Destin beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

Beautiful ,clean ,white fluffy sand with crystal clear water very family friendly . read more

Destin Beach - Sand - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

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Came here with my family for a day of fun and sun and paddle boarding. We entered this beach at the Tarpon Beach access point. Here is how it went: The Good: - soft, white, beautiful sand - shallow water a long way out, multiple sand bars - clear water - enough space to set up a small shade tent and store some paddle boards when not using them - garbage bins within easy access - small fish, sand dollars, sand crabs, and jellies to make things more interesting (these jellies are NOT the stinging kind...harmless and feel like jello...possibly Comb Jellyfish?) - Memorial Day weekend and the beach, though small, was still large enough for all who wanted to attend to spread out and have some space, though you did have to tune out the competing stereos The Not So Good: - Tarpon public area is sandwiched in between two "private" areas of the beach, so if there are a lot of people that day, you will be a bit crowded - NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS!!!! Really??? - the public area of Tarpon beach is actually small, limited parking around Bottom Line: This beach provided everything we needed for a family with small and big kids to have a fun day....except that restroom. I'd go to Destin for a beach again, but perhaps I'd try to find something a little bigger and definitely with a restroom. read more

Destin Beaches Are Not Public--Don't Be Misled Destin's beaches may look beautiful in photos, but good luck trying to enjoy them if you're not staying at a private resort. Public access is extremely limited, and the little that exists is overcrowded, heavily restricted, or surrounded by aggressive "private property" signage. In some areas, ropes are literally strung across the sand to limit where you can even walk or swim--it's frustrating, unwelcoming, and downright disheartening. The city has essentially allowed 6 miles of prime Gulf-front beach to become privatized, yet they continue to benefit from tourist dollars, hotel taxes, and even public grants. If access is private, maintenance and funding should be private too. Until the city of Destin steps up to reclaim those beaches through eminent domain and return public parking and shoreline access to the community, they shouldn't expect support from visitors who are effectively being shut out. read more

Clean white sand beaches, crystal clear blue green water. Perfect vacation spot for the kids, so many beach areas so not everyone is piled on top of each other. Areas to rinse off are a plus to not drag to much sand into your vehicles read more

What an amazing beach! The sand was fine and was white as snow! Came here on a Friday around noon. There was plenty of parking. It was $2 per person for parking and they accept credit cards. The bathroom was also clean. The water was a bit cooler on this day but it was sunny and hot in mid October. The water was nice to swim in. There are no life guards on duty. The beach was spotless. No trash or debris in the sand; it was nice to walk in barefoot. There's nothing more I could have asked for. My only regret was not discovering this beach sooner. read more

Destin Beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

First time in Destin and we had a really awesome time. Came just as school got out for summer and the little girls picked Destin after hearing rave reviews from friends. Love the layout of the beach with so many cool restaurant options around and the convenience for parking directly off the beach. Less tourist heavy it has a small quant feel to it. White sand clear water it was a beautiful few days. Will make sure to come back for sure. read more

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Clean and peaceful. No one bothered us while I drinked and smoked my hookah and played my Drake and Future!! We parked on the side of road Hwy 98 and walked through the dunes and parlayed all day everyday just the playa way read more

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This is a great beach for fun in the sun. We have been to many beaches down the gulf coast and this has the best sand so far. You won't get the sunsets that beaches further south have but the water is clear and beautiful, read more

Destin Beach - Kids on the beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

the Airbnb aren't cleaned and the toilet was broke when we got in. dogshit place. will never be going again

Destin is nice but not as nice as other FL beach areas. We've been here 10 nights and there isn't much to do besides go to the beach and eat at restaurants. It's late Oct so we didnt expect a ton of things to do but internet searches didn't show much during the summer either. Maximum Magic was a very good show. Pretty boring place overall. We probably won't return. Can't believe all to sirens and loud motorcycles ALL day long. Hard to relax with all that noise. Lots of people love just having the beach and restaurants but we like to have more options. read more

Absolutely beautiful beach! The water is so clear you can see the fish swimming. There is also a sand bar that allows you to go out further and really enjoy the waves. It's best to get here early because it definitely gets crowded (and there is not much of any COVID compliance by the patrons) read more

Destin Beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

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Beach is clean, not too crowded. Water is warm and clear. Destin (Miramar beach) is the best beach in this part of FL. read more

Destin Beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

Pictures are so deceiving sometimes. People said Sept. is not a good time for Florida due to hurricane season, but since it was a memorial wknd (end of Aug and beginning of Sept.), we gave it a shot anyways. The condos are definitely much cheaper during this time. It was a 12hrs drive from Dallas to Destin. When I got there, I was dissappointed that the water wasn't blue and clear. As a matter of fact it was brownish and a lot of seaweed. The white sand was beautiful though. It was so fine like powder. Destin is definitely not knowing for good eat. They have mediocre restaurants and seafood markets. People in Destin are very friendly, but the tourist that comes here are a bunch of douchebags. We also went fishing and barely caught any fishes. I had no luck with crabbing either. The jetski experience was a lot of fun. Saw dolphins, stinkrays, sharks, and jelly fishes. Overall, it was a mediocre experience in Destin. Just don't ever come here after Sept. I guess, but will definitely return during summer time. read more

Destin Beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

This beach is beautiful. BEA-UTIFUL. Sand. The best kind of sand possible. Powdery, white, and soft; it's better than snow. It's the kind of sand that makes it's a SIN to wear any sort of foot coverings. I don't care if you're ninety-three and can't walk -- make someone carry you to the beach, because there's no better feeling than digging your feet into that sand and wiggling your toes around. Bonus: it's relatively free of seaweed, (painful) crushed shells, and sticks too! Ocean. This water is flippin' fabulous. So what if I had to drive seven hours to swim in it? Worth every minute in that car. It's so clear, you can see the ground. Straight to the bottom, no creepy patches of seaweed or sketchy shadows to make you paranoid or wary of swimming. Nope. Swim to your heart's content, because this water is clearer than most public swimming pools, just sayin'. I saw a sea turtle swimming below me, that's how unclouded it was. Warning: the water is saltier than dipping a pound of McDonald's fries into a vat of straight fish sauce; your eyes may burn if you're unaccustomed to the water. Waves. Just crazy enough for body surfing and wave jumping, just calm enough to go paddle-boarding. Awesome. Note: if you're not paying attention, the waves'll smack you in the face and then you're left with burning eyes. -__- Convenience. Tons of beach chairs and umbrellas are available for rent (daily rate is roughly $30), which saves you the hassle of having to lug all that stuff around. Less lugging = more relaxing. The math doesn't lie. Space. This is probably one of the least crowded beaches I've been on. No fighting the crowd for a tiny parcel of sand, just plop your stuff down and head for the waters. I came at the most random times and the beach still had plenty of moving room. All in all, love it. I love it so much, I'll move here one day and pay someone to carry me to the sand so I can wiggle my toes and watch the sunset. read more

Destin Beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

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Great beach! White soft sand. Great for kids, good families and a picnic complete with cold fried chicken. Today the waters ice cold, choppy with a red flag. There's ample parking but then again we arrived early. read more

Destin Beach - Monkey and Turtle live. - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

Destin has a beautiful beach with it's sugary white sand and blue ocean water. The beach was not crowded this past weekend at all and it was very clean. The water was a little on the cold side, but we made it work for us by jumping in for a quick swim then coming back to the beach to warm up in the hot sunshine. The waves this past weekend were big swells on the 4 foot side at some points during the day, one could have easily surfed them. The wind was blowing between 5 and 25 mph during our beach adventure. During our stay on the beach we erected a huge canopy on the beach to shield us from the sun. Our third day there the wind became so strong that the canopy gave way and was torn to shreds. We thought "oh no, we are going to have to take this pile of junk back with us" the .5 miles we were staying from the beach; but luckily for us the lifeguard came to the rescue and called in the trash truck that was happy to come down to our site and pick up the junked canopy. So not only a beautiful beach, but also very friendly and helpful employees of the beach too. I use to be an Atlantic snob, but since this past week at Destin I think now I am a Gulf snob. read more

I'll start by saying the Gulf water is beautiful! We rented a house on Tarpon St. the house was fine, pool was great. The walk to the beach wasn't bad. The access at Tarpon st could definitely be better. The walkway from the street to the sand is very narrow when your bringing stuff and at the end theyre 4 sets of steps you need to carry everything down then back up at the end of the day. I guess when they built it they didn't understand the concept of just putting a nice angle to it with maybe a couple of steps at the end. The next access down is built that way. Then there is some beach chair and beach tent company that take all the good spots immediately in front of the access. So you have to pay them $60 a day for two chairs and a beach umbrella or haul your own a ways down the beach. Then they come up and tell you what you can use for tent umbrellas. I couldn't find anything in writing saying they controlled that part of the beach. We will definitely not be going back to Destin anytime soon. read more

Absolutely no worries here! Wether and emerald water beautiful... lots to do on a rainy day as well. No shortage of restaurants either. Just leave your shoes at the front door and relax read more

Beautiful water! Soft sand! Wasn't too crowded. The waves when the red flag was up was PERFECT for biggie boarding

Wow! The sand here is very white. This was the first time I saw white sand on the side of the road when I traveled five years ago. I thought it was salt. My friend said that the first time he also thought it was salt. The beach is beautiful, I saw a shark while swimming and ran back to the sand. Last year, my friends in New York did not travel with swimsuits and panties. Five or six people were so excited, they went straight to the sea to swim in their clothes. I've been to the beach a few times to help them take care of their phones and bags. The only regret is that there is no direct flight to Los Angeles ONT airport. Los Angeles friends who have seen pictures of the beach say it is beautiful. It would be nice if there were direct flights. read more

Nice big beach with a lot of room and nice views of the Gulf. Definatly a great beach you should visit if you're around the area. read more

Destin Beach - View of the sunset. - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

If you ask me what my favorite place in the world is, I will tell you Destin. If you ask any one that knows me what my favorite place in the world is they will tell you Destin. My family and I normally go to Destin for a week or more in the summer and a couple weekends each fall and spring. Occasionally you can find me there in December. I have been to beaches all over the United States and Florida. I have even been to the Keys, and I have never seen a beach more beautiful than the ones in Destin. I almost hate to post it on a review, as I hate to see the beaches get more crowed, but I take my reviews seriously, and if you want to know about Destin Beaches, I'll fill you in. The beaches are breathtaking. The sand is soft and white; it is so smooth that is squeaks when you walk on it. They comb the beaches every morning so you aren't stepping on rocks or trash like other beaches. At night, the moon shines on the sand and the water. You step on the beach and see people with flashlights chasing snow crabs and catching fish with little nets in the surf. As you walk along the shore you pass couples in love, teenagers telling lies, families laughing, people fishing with these huge poles, and squealing little kids getting their bare feet and ankles nipped by the cool water. Everyone's face is red from the sun and the smiles are genuine, you can see it in their eyes. In the morning, you can see the most brilliant sunrises. Even though I have stood in the cool white sand and watched the sun come up countless times, it still makes us silent, watching the sun the moment it pops up on the horizon. Its like being there for the birth of a new day in paradise. Slowly the beaches fill and people lie in the sun enjoying the white sand and brilliant green water the color of an old fashioned coke bottle. They play in the surf, dig holes, and make mountains, cars, bears, dogs, smiles and sometimes even castles out of sand. The sun makes you lazy and you can doze to the murmur of people, music, and kids playing. Destin is like a second home. When you are there, it belongs to you. This rating does not specifically address the traffic in Destin, which gets more crowded each year. Sometimes the traffic is bumper to bumper and it takes an hour to get just a few miles. People on Bicycles can move more efficiently than vehicles. Every restaurant is crowed and the wait can be over an hour at certain times of the day. Tourist traps are packed and nothing away from the beach is much fun. We tried to bowl this past summer, and the wait for one lane was 70 minutes. This can be frustrating for people trying to get somewhere quickly and get back to the beach. The evening in the events are worth seeing if you can find a place to park and battle the traffic. If you truly want to enjoy the beach in Destin, take what you need with you and minimize your time in the car. Just don't forget that it's ok to smile and say good morning. read more

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This beach is absolutely beautiful. We were only suppose to stay here 2 days, then we head to Pensacola. But we made the trip back to Destin both days we stayed in Pensacola. The water is so clear and beautiful. Highly suggest checking the beach out. There's several different access points you can access. read more

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Destin has lovely beaches. Nice pretty white sand. Pretty blue water. My complaint are for you mofo's that get the frozen drinks from the stand on the beach, and leave your black straws all over the beach. I mean ALL OVER. WTF, people?? It takes like no effort to clean up your effin trash. *End rant* read more

Clear blue water, soft white sand, sun shining, puffy clouds, drink in hand, and friends all around...HEAVEN. This is the nicest beach I have ever been to. I didn't want to leave, I could lay out all day long. It made me realize why Houston Real Estate is so cheap...the WEATHER! I went to west coast and the east coast and realized here in the south of Texas the weather is AWFUL. This will be an annual DESTINation from now on. read more

Absolutely beautiful. I've never been to a beach with clearer water. Cleaner water. Warmer water. Whiter sand. Cleaner sand. FINER sand. This is as good as it gets. I couldn't stop picking up the sand like a kid going to the beach for the first time because of how remarkable fine and white it was. This must be the stuff they put in exfoliating face washes. The pacific ocean beaches are a joke compared to this (especially in the SF/Bay Area). Our sand is dirty, brown, littered, and gritty. Our water is murky, full of seaweed, and colder than the first moments of your morning shower in the middle of December after your pipes are half frozen. The only beaches I could compare Destin to is Vietnam, specifically in the resorts surrounding Hoi An. Warm, clean water. Hawaii gets some recognition points too, but it's the cleanliness at Destin that makes it win. I don't know if I'll ever make it back to Destin, but the beaches might make it worthwhile to come back to sometime later in life. read more

Gorgeous water and sand! Beautiful beach! BYOB no glass. Plenty of pubic free parking. Drive around and look. read more

Destin Beach - Gorgeous water and sand!! - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

If you are looking for beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters Destin is a must. There is nothing more calming than the sounds of the waves hitting the beach. I always forget all my troubles when my feet are in the sand. The sand in Destin is so beautiful very fine & alabaster white. There is so much beach in Destin but that doesn't mean it won't be crowded. We chose to enter the beach at James Lee park, there is parking (you may have to drive around for a minute but there is always people coming and going. James Lee is a good choice to enter because there are covered pavilions but more important restrooms and showers. There is great importance in being able to rinse most of the sand off before getting in your car. All Destin beaches are crowded but we were able to get a good spot even though we arrived after noon. There were still umbrellas & chairs available for rent but we brought our own. The water is refreshing, no June grass or seaweed when we were there. The water is so clear beautiful hues of blue & green. There was a steady stream of waves perfect for wading, paddle boarding, kayaking, bogie boarding or just standing and letting the waves crash over your head. Although the beach was crowded there was still room. You can play in the water for hours, read or recline your beach chair and take a nap. The sand, water, and the waves it doesn't get much better than Destin not in the contiguous US. I can't wait until next year to return. read more

Destin Beach - White sand crystal blue waters, James Lee Park entrance. - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

it's been almost a year, and I still daydream about this beach. Sugar sand and clear, warm, emerald water. One of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. As if that weren't great enough, no open container restrictions! Yes, as a California girl (for some weird reason, Florida has more conservative liquor sale regulations, but we have more conservative drinking-in-public laws), this excites me a great deal. Some areas of the coast we visited were empty, calm, and serene. Other areas were more lively, with people bringing coolers of drinks, drinks for purchase, games to play in the sand, and in one case, a sofa with built-in speakers. This was unheard of for me, as the only way I can drink on the beach at home is to bring "water" or have a towel handy for when cops come by. This beach has something for everyone, whether you're here with family, friends, or just want some quiet time. And it's absolutely gorgeous, better-looking than any photos I could show you. I'm off to buy a lotto ticket so I can go back and visit! read more

Crystal clear waters. White sand. There's a reason so many people come to Destin. Not much else to say. Absolutely worth the trip. read more

Destin Beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

Destin Beach, absolutely one my favorite places to go!!!! VERY NICE!!!! This beach is smaller than Panama City Beach, but a lot more family oriented and cozy. There are so many attractions nearby that you will NEVER be bored! I enjoyed the para gliding, the sea dog boat tours and all the seafood you can handle!!! The police are VERY STRICT about drinking open alcohol on this beach, so I highly suggest you keep it in your condo/hotel room. Arrests made daily, no breaks! The sand is the whitest I have ever seen!!! This sand is finely ground quartz crystal that originates/flows from the Appalachian River (Appalachian Mountains) and settles into the gulf of Mexico. I hated to leave this beach to go anywhere else. Very clean and turquoise water close by. Love it!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Destin Beach - Destin Beach morning walk :) - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

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Beautiful beach, sand and water. Never saw water this color before. Nice waves. Lots of restaurants and fun activities to do. Too much traffic. One time visit is enough. read more

Clean sand white and powdery. Crystal clear water. Not too crowded. I had a wonderful time in the water. There are a LOT of great places to eat! Stay on the beach side for the most action. read more

Destin Beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

One of the best beaches in the world! I used to live in Ft. Walton Beach and have been to Destin many times. We were here in October of 2014. Sugary sand beaches, turquoise waters, warm sun, palm trees. Wonderful venue. Fun times. read more

Destin Beach - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

This is one of the prettiest beaches anywhere! Sugar white beach with water so clear u can see your toes! Beautiful condos, hotels and houses! Great place for kids or romantic couples to vacation! Awesome shops and restaurants!! A must to see if u love the beach and awesome sunset views!! Also great if you like to do some deep sea fishing! read more

Destin Beach - Sugar white sand and clear clean saltwater!! - Beaches Near Me - Destin, Florida

Love this place!! Its absolutely beautiful here~ read more

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