Sandestin 3 Day Weekend

As the former self proclaimed Mayor of Destin I have found myself in Destin for many reasons. One of the biggest is the need and love for the beautiful white sand beaches along the Gulf Coast. 

The white sand beaches span roughly from Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores to Mexico Beach and Port Saint Joe. My wife and I have traveled to all of these areas and many more in search of the best beaches along the gulf coast. I proposed to my wife on the beach in Santa Rosa on 30A. I sketched many of the houses around this area on the beach. We have them hanging on our wall to this day.

Back to our Trip. 

For the sake of discussion we will assume you booked a Condo in Sandestin also allowing use to a golf cart. This is our favorite way to explore Sandestin.

Day 1: 

Unpack your clothes and head straight to the beach. You’re at the beach!

For lunch you will take a short ride on the golf cart back toward the resort and have lunch at the Marina. It is an easy golf cart ride just past the tennis courts. This little known restaurant is a favorite of the locals and residents. It’s not fast casual. It’s casual.

Sitting along the bay nestled inside the marina is the Marina restaurant and bar. Many a fishing tales have been told at this bar. You can even watch the boats come in from the Blue Marlin Classic as the weigh station is at the edge of the pier and steps away from the restaurant.

While at the marina you must take time to visit with the local mascot, Maryanne. 

After lunch it’s back to the beach! You’re at the beach! 

When you’re done for the day take short trip and walk through Baytown. It will not disappoint. Baytown has something for the young and old in all of us. Don’t miss a great stroll just past Hammerheads on the long pier and boardwalk. It provided a great view of the bay. You might see some dolphins if you are lucky!

Dinner should find you many options but our favorite is a short golf cart ride to Emerils Restaurant located in Grande Boulevard. Be prepared to spend some money but you will not be disappointed. Emeril is often seen cooking since he has a house in Sandestin and resides there throughout the year.

Day 2:

Breakfast starts with a golf cart ride to the Sunset Bay Cafe. Sunset Bay Cafe, located near the Linkside Conference Center in Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, offers a casual dining experience overlooking the Choctawhatchee Bay. Open daily for breakfast and lunch, Sunset Bay Cafe is a family owned and operated restaurant serving the finest in locally sourced ingredients including fresh produce and sustainable seafood, delivered daily from the docks in Destin, Florida. Sunset Bay Cafe offers a full bar, outdoor dining, poolside Tiki bar (seasonally), and “grab and go” options.

Sunset Bay Café is in an incredible location – so spread the word! 

Property owners and guests of the Sandestin resort are already loyal regulars here. Turn north off Hwy 98 and the guard gate will issue you a pass. Once inside, go straight for a half of a mile and the restaurant is on your right. There is plenty of parking and takes mere moments to arrive from Hwy 98.

After a full day on the beach, or at one of the pools, you can prepare for lunch with a short walk to The Beach House. 

Located next to the world-class Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, The Beach House is the newest and most fun spot to Relax | Drink | Eat!

Here you’ll see the famous white sandy beaches and emerald waters from every seat, with the best views Sandestin has to offer!

Open year-round, the menu is value oriented for the locals and tourists alike.

Sit back, relax and enjoy an ice cold beverage in the signature double insulated solo cup available for purchase and bring it back anytime for savings.

The fresh menu boasts a variety of dishes from grouper tacos, perfectly charred chicken wings …or the famous Beach House burger.

Dine in the newly remodeled restaurant and bar or watch the amazing sunsets while you eat on one of our many outdoor escapes!They offer live music several nights a week and the game is always on one of our large TVs.

If you're planning a special event the Sky Room is the perfect venue with its coastal elegance.. or if you prefer outdoors for a more casual gathering they offer a more intimate Terrace or ‘right on the dunes’ beach deck.

After lunch ride back over for a visit ti Hotel Effie. The newest product for Sandestin’s hotel lineup. It is adjacent to the conference center. The pool and bar are a site to see! It harkens back to a Miami vibe.

For dinner we are going off property for a local favorite. We are headed to the famous Louis Louis on Highway 98. It is the sister restaurant to the Red Bar in Grayton Beach. 

Day 3:

Breakfast starts at The Maple Street Biscuit Company. In a world of boring breakfast, they set out to craft scratch-made comfort food, but with a modern twist. With every breakfast, lunch and service-focused catering event, the fresh ingredients, that quirky take on comfort food, and a sense of community go well beyond basic. The aim is to leave you both full and fulfilled.

They promise to bring you fresh-cracked eggs. They promise to bake biscuits from scratch every day, and never serve you some previously frozen puck of dough. 

They promise to provide impeccably clean stores, where you can focus on delicious food and those with whom you choose to enjoy it. Like you, the biscuits are a lot of things, but we promise they’ll never be boring.

If lunch is optional and you have the time, go off property to the Back Porch.

A GULF COAST TRADITION FOR OVER 40 YEARS

A favorite with the locals since 1974, The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House in Destin got started in a small A-frame building on the beach (pictured above).  It instantly made a name for by serving delicious Gulf seafood with the best Gulf views.  A few years later, they invented the Amberjack sandwich, and the rest is history.

RAW OYSTERS

They have been known for fresh Appalachicola oysters for over 40 years.  The unpretentious atmosphere is the perfect place to enjoy a dozen raw oysters or some of our amazing baked Back Porch Oysters.

When finished you are driving or flying home on a full stomach.