Things to Do in Destin

Since its humble beginnings on Tomahawk Landing in the '70s, Adventures Unlimited has been reconnecting city dwellers and outdoors enthusiasts to the natural world through paddle-powered river trips, exhilarating ziplining flights, and team-building rope courses. Its staff of nature lovers young and old find their niche in the lush woodlands surrounding Coldwater Creek, with its robust ecosystem of hawks, turtles, and fish, as well as sasquatches disguised as hawks, turtles, and fish. When adventurers tucker themselves out with day trips into the wild, they can settle in for a long haul at Adventures Unlimited's selection of cabins and campgrounds.

A selection of three family go-kart tracks ensures kids will have an exciting ride suited to their age, size, and ability. The Junior Racers track gets little ones between 4 and 7 behind the wheel of a perfectly sized one-pedal fun machine, and children who meet a 54-inch height requirement get a crack at the challenging curves and bridges of the Crazy 8 or Spinnin' & Grinnin' tracks.

Double-ride karts are available for kids who prefer to be chauffeured by an adult or a demanding imaginary friend. Seasoned weekend golfers get the chance to flaunt their skills for awe-filled offspring of all ages during a nine-hole game of mini golf. At the end of a long day, four buckets of water balloons await at Water Wars, a battleground set amid personal battle stations soon to be littered with the rainbow shrapnel of giggle-filled war. *Inside the game room, players take on arcade-style games for tickets that can be exchanged for prizes at the redemption center. Other visitors, meanwhile, enjoy snack-bar refreshments on a covered patio and celebrate birthdays and jury-duty summonses in the air-conditioned party room.

Destin Parasailing whisks aquanauts on a variety of adventurous expeditions on the scenic waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Chartered deep-sea fishing trips cast lines for snapper and grouper and include a fishing license for the day, and jet ski and pontoon boat rentals are available. Destin Parasailing’s captains hold certification from the United States Coast Guard, and the company’s fleet of CWS boats is checked daily to ensure it exceeds all Coast Guard safety regulations.

Olin Marler's Charter Fishing & Dolphin Cruises dispatches its robust fleet of boats from Destin Harbor on dolphin cruises in the Gulf. Narrated dolphin cruises ferry large groups, such as bachelor parties and flash-mob reunions, into the Gulf's waters throughout the day aboard glass-bottom boats with names such as Miss Florida and Hannah Marie.

Under the right guidance, the clear blue waters around Destin's harbor become visible from every angle—the air, the surface, or deep below. Destin Snorkel leads a comprehensive roster of area adventure tours, granting guests total flexibility to join or leave their excursion at any time. Guides steer one of three boats through the bay, keeping all their participants' needed snorkeling or snuba gear onboard and unhaunted by pirate ghosts to allow frequent plunges into waters rich with seashells and wildlife. When not pausing at shallow-water dive sites, boats embark on day cruises for dolphin sightseeing tours or at night to showcase fireworks over the harbor skyline. Sea kayaks also allow visitors to venture off on their own into the waters around Crab Island and Holiday Isle.

Alternatively, FFA-certified flight instructors provide a different perspective, soaring over the coastline in beach-discovery flights. During any of the cruises and tours, guides may expound on the local ecosystem and the harbor's history, revealing whether the town's first civilians ever taught dolphins how to open their eyes above water.

Cypress Lakes Golf Club’s course was designed by William Amick to rise and fall across the natural landscape for 6,396 yards of fairways hugged by gentle waters and towering trees. Unlike most Floridian links, the course unfurls across somewhat mountainous terrain, where cresting hilltops can obscure distant targets, leading to blind shots that aren’t just the result of opponents kicking sand in your eyes. Fairways bob and weave around groves of leyland cypress trees, more than 300 crepe myrtle trees, and 500 lush azaleas, giving advantage to players who can work drives and approaches around the arboreal impediments. A circuit of streams ebbs and flows across the picturesque par 71, adding to the native obstacles and striking fear into the caramel hearts of hydrophobic golf balls. A roaming beverage cart slakes midround thirsts, and the club also boasts a driving range with grass hitting areas and a fully stocked pro shop.

Course at a Glance:

• Designed by William Amick

• 18-hole, par-71 course

• Length of 6,396 yards from farthest tees

• Course rating of 70.4 from farthest tees

• Slope rating of 118 from farthest tees

• Four tee options