Get a little sand in your soul this year in the Heart of Florida’s Emerald Coast, named #1 Best Beach of Florida by U.S. News & World Report Travel in 2014.
Comprised of Destin, Ft. Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island, the Emerald Coast offers 24 miles of pristine, white-sand beaches stretching along the Gulf of Mexico in Northwest Florida. The sand, made up of pure Appalachian quartz, is sugar-white, and it gives the waters here their trademark emerald-green color.
Emerald Coasting is great snorkelling, tubing, kayaking and parasailing. Love to fish? You’ll find some of the best angling Florida has to offer here. Fishermen come from near and far to hook sailfish, marlin, wahoo, cobia, bluefish, tarpon, mackerel and more. Of course, where there is great fishing there are usually great seafood restaurants and the Emerald Coast is no exception. Here, you’ll find cuisine that is both inventive and fresh, brought in daily by Florida’s largest fishing fleet.
You can do it all or do nothing at all on the Emerald Coast. Go on a dolphin cruise. Take in a marine show. Visit a waterpark. If shopping is your passion, you won’t be disappointed either. Take your pick from traditional malls, open-air complexes and distinctive boutiques. Are you a collector? The area’s natural beauty and coastal charm have caused the area to become a haven for artists of all kinds.