The best things to do in Destin right now

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Argh, matey! Step aboard a pirate ship for a two-hour pirate-themed cruise. The family-friendly cruises take you out into the waters of the Emerald Coast as you sing, dance, and participate in pirate-themed activities. Kids will love taking part in pirate training, which includes sword fighting, water gun battles, a treasure hunt, and authentic cannon fire. Adults can choose to participate or sit back with a cup of grog while they watch their little buccaneers.

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Just steps away from the ocean, you can learn about various marine life at Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. The quaint park is known for its animal encounters and shows, which feature favorite creatures like dolphins, sea lions, otters, and penguins. Each show is set so visitors can see all of the shows in one day and not miss anything if they arrive at opening time. Throughout the year, the park hosts a variety of events, including homeschool week and weekends where kids enter the park for free.

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A few miles away from Destin is Grayton Beach State Park, where you’ll find the Underwater Museum of Art offshore at Grayton Beach State Park. The ocean sculpture garden is the first permanent one of its kind in the United States. The exhibits at the museum include an octopus, seahorses, diamond rings and others. To visit the underwater sculpture garden, you must be a certified diver. Alternatively, you can learn to dive at the site with Emerald Coast Scuba.

For a beach day like no other, head to Crystal Beach. This is by far one of the most sought-after beaches in the area, thanks to its soft white sand and perfectly clear waters. Bring a book to read under a shady umbrella, take a dip in the ocean, or go for a walk up and down the shoreline. No matter what you do here, the day will be beautiful—and you’ll forget all about the emails and phone calls from work.

The Destin Harbor Boardwalk is home to plenty of shopping and restaurants for when you need a break from the water. It’s also a hub for plenty of other activities like parasailing, dolphin cruises, fishing excursions, and snorkeling tours. You could spend days here and not be able to do everything. Most of the activities are held year-round, but be careful because, after October through April, the waters where some of these activities take place can be cold.

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Destin is nicknamed “the world’s luckiest fishing village,” and the Destin History and Fishing Museum explains why. The museum's exhibits focus on the town's fishing culture and history. Each room has plenty to look at, including a fishing rod that belonged to Ernest Hemingway, a 1925 fishing boat, and an interactive scavenger hunt that takes place throughout the museum.

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Crab Island is a sandbar in Destin Harbor that’s become the weekend hangout for boaters and party people to chill in the shallow water under the warm sun. The sandbar, which was once an actual crab-shaped island, can only be accessed by boat, but don’t worry if you don’t have one because they are available to rent at the nearby marina. This is a great place to meet other people who live in Destin or are traveling through the area because everyone is a friend at Crab Island.

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Just like alligators, seeing a dolphin is part of the quintessential Florida experience. While it’s never guaranteed to see the cute marine mammal, Southern Star Dolphin Cruises have a pretty high rate of success seeing the lovable creature. You’ll board a double-decker, glass-bottom boat to see marine life and birds. Even better is that if you time your cruise right, you’ll also catch the incredible Florida sunsets that set the sky ablaze with brilliant orange and red colors.

Beach access and a sand dune hiking route can be found at Henderson Beach State Park. The quiet beach park is ideal for those looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy a quiet day without a lot of tourists around. The best way to experience the park is to pack a picnic lunch from a local restaurant and enjoy it while taking in the views of the ocean. You can also camp overnight at the park, you just need to make a reservation to do so.

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If you’ve never been to Florida or you’re bringing animal-obsessed kids to Destin then head straight for Gator Beach. While you may be thinking this is a beach filled with prehistoric reptiles, it’s actually an alligator park. The free activity includes seeing some gators up close, plus daily gator shows that range from a game show to one-on-one experiences. If you’re in Destin during the winter time when crowds are smaller, the park offers tours through the Alligator Discovery Zone for free too.

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Destin Commons is an expansive outdoor shopping mall with all of your favorite shops and fast-casual restaurants. Enjoy everything from the latest movie to hit the box office, classic car shows, and yoga classes. The mall offers over 85 stores and restaurants, so everyone will be able to shop until they drop and then refuel for round two. Don’t miss the seasonal offerings at the mall, too. For instance, right around Halloween, it offers trick-or-treating, entertainment, and costume parties.

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If the beach isn’t your thing but you still want to cool off in the water, find your way to Big Kahuna’s Water and Adventure Park. The seasonally open massive water park is filled with slides, pools, splash pads, and a Hawaiian-themed mini-golf course. While the food here isn’t gourmet, there are plenty of theme park-type snacks to indulge in, such as nachos and funnel cake sticks. And let’s be honest, with all of the walking and lugging up of floats, you’ll work off the calories from those snacks.

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Trampoline parks have been a huge trend over the past few years. Who doesn’t love bouncing up and down across a huge floor of trampolines before finally falling into a foam pit? At Urban Air Trampoline Park in Destin, you can take your friends for a round of laser tag, an indoor ropes course, a virtual reality experience, a climbing wall, and a ninja course. No matter what you choose to do, you’ll be ready for a break and lunch when you're done.

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Spend an afternoon at Fat Daddy’s Arcade, where you can try your luck at over 120 different arcade games. There are classics like Pac-Man and Big Buck Hunter Open Season and newer games like Fruit Ninja and Jurassic Park. To play any of the games you’ll need to put money on a card instead of pulling out coins at each game. After playing here, you’ll never want to go back to your game console at home.