Destin is a city located on the Emerald Coast of Florida, in Okaloosa County. The city styles itself “The World’s Luckiest Fishing Village”, and claims to have the largest fishing vessel fleet in the state of Florida. Destin is known for its white beaches and emerald-colored waters. Originating as a small fishing village, it is now a popular tourist destination – according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, over 80 percent of the Emerald Coast’s 4.5 million visitors each year visit Destin.[5]
Destin is named after Captain Leonard Destin, a New London (Conn.) fishing master, who settled in the area. 1845 or 1850. He built a New England colonial home at the location of the Monroe Point military reservation. Captain Destin and his descendants fished the area for decades. The first condominiums were built in the 1970s, although Destin was not incorporated as a municipality until 1984. The city has experienced rapid growth since the 1980s. Destin is a principal city of the Fort Walton Beach–Crestview–Destin Metropolitan Statistical Area.
The city is located on a peninsula separating the Gulf of Mexico from Choctawhatchee Bay. The peninsula was originally an island; hurricanes and sea level changes gradually connected the island to the mainland. Destin has a total area of 8.2 mi². 17.5 mi² of it is land and 0.6 mi² of it (7.95%) is water.
Located on the # 1 rated golf course in Northwest Florida, Regatta Bay is the Emerald Coast’s premier Golf and Country Club address for luxury estate lots, homes, villas and townhomes
Emerald Bay, this gated community on Choctawhatchee Bay boasts a Robert Cupp-designed 18-hole premier championship golf course, a clubhouse and pool.
Sandestin is a world of its own. This coastal community features 1,350 accommodations situated within 30 distinctive neighborhoods. At Sandestin, business and pleasure peacefully coexist. The community contains 65,000 square feet of meeting space including the new 32,000 square foot Baytowne Conference Center.
Kelly Plantation boasts a Fred Couples 18-hole, championship signature golf course, a distinctive golf clubhouse with members’ grill, meeting rooms, locker rooms, and ten lakes, including the 7.5 acre Rangia Lake located at the club.There is also a manned guard gate, tennis courts, basketball court, barbecue pits, practice facility including full club driving range, chipping and putting greens, miles of sidewalks, over 250 acres of nature preserves and interpretive nature trails, 40 acres of recreational and neighborhood parks, a volleyball court, children’s plantation playground and a picnic area.
