Welcome to Destin.ZapGuide.org, your one-stop reference guide to rapidly connect visitors and residents to Destin area events, restaurants, shopping, entertainment, fishing, boating, golf, nightlife ... and so much more.

Visitors, make us your homepage for your entire vacation. If you're lucky enough to live here, bookmark us and return often. We promise to keep you well informed. Thanks for visiting!

destin events

Until Some Date in June US Supreme Court Deliberates the Fate of Destin Beach Restoration

News We’ve Been Waiting For Southwest Airlines to Offer Nonstop Service from Panama City to Baltimore, Houston, Nashville & Orlando Beginning May 23

welcome newcomers!

Smoke House BBQ

Where Destin Ranks

Frommer’s Top Destinations 2010
City of Destin Sweeps Top 3 State Leadership Awards
Southern Living’s Readers’ Choice Awards Best Beach Destination
Inc. Magazine Top 20 Small Cities
Away.com Top 10 Budget Beach Vacations
Milken Institute Best Performing Cities
Coastal Living Top 10 Harbors
Business Week Golf Digest Top 18 Emerging Places To Retire

get some art

Blue Giraffe Too
Fusion Art Glass
Gaffrey Art Gallery
Grayton Beach House of Art
Red Bird Gallery
Judy Shillingburg
Uptown Girls
Originals by Mara Viksnins
Eileen West Gallery
Zoo Gallery

appetizing asian

P.F. Chang’s
Dynasty Chinese
Jasmine Thai
New Dragon Chinese
Osaka Japanese Steak House & Sushi Bar

fun for kids ~ of all ages

Big Kahuna’s Water Park
Destin Raceway
Gulfarium Marine Show Aquarium
Hurricane Lanes
The Track Family Recreation Center

hot local bands (and a few just passin' thru)

Acoustifunk
Big Daddy ‘O’
BPM
Cadillac Willy
Chief’s Soul Kitchen
Chronic Jester
Delta Highway
Dents Brothers Band
Sean Dietrich Trio
Dread Clampitt
Good Enough for Good Times
Jake Haldenwang’s Hwy 61 Band
Marc Harris
Jones & Company
Nouveaux Honkies
Pale Blue Dot
Post-Traumatic Blues Forum
Rip Van Winkle
JB Roberts Band
Roman Street
Zack Rosicka Band
Todd Simpson & Mojo Child
Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes
Todd Sparks and the Shrimpboat Cowboys
Waco Ramblers
Reed Waddle

beachwear

Alvin’s Island
Beach Zone
Billabong
Pacific Sunwear
5000 Swimsuits Beach Attitudes
Sporty Lady

For decades, Leonard Destin and his descendants fished and navigated the only channel passage to the Gulf of Mexico between Panama City and Pensacola, known as Destin’s East Pass.

go boating

Pontoons, Waverunners & More

Aloha Pontoon Rentals
Bayside Watersports
Blue Crab Watersports
Boogie’s Watersports
Luther’s Pontoon & Jet Ski Rentals
XL Jets – Waverunners

Canoes & Kayaks

Adventure Unlimited
Blackwater Canoe Rentals
The Kayak Experience

Sailing

Capt Bill Sailing
Sail Away

Cruises

Destin Cruise
Seablaster
Southern Star Dolphin Cruises
Sunquest Cruises
Yacht to See Destin

Just Parasailing

Just Chute Me!

Multiple WaterSports

La Dolce Vita Water Sports
Dockside Boat Rentals
Gilligan’s Watersports
Olin Marler
Pelican Adventures

Destin was founded in 1835 by Leonard Destin. His great great grandson, Dewey Destin, still resides here, owns a popular restaurant and serves on the City Council.

bon jour breakfast!

Another Broken Egg
Bluz Bar & Grill
Camille’s
Emerald Coast Coffee & Grill
Panera Bread

cajun / creole

Acme Oyster House
Bistro Bijou
Kenny D’s
Louisiana Lagniappe
New Orleans Creole Cookery

find a career

Human Resource Solutions, Inc.
JobsPlus One-Stop Career Center

family friendly food

Bluz Bar & Grill
Buster’s Oyster Bar & Grill
Cabos Paradise Grille
Chili’s
Friday’s
Fudpucker’s
Hard Rock
Hog’s Breath
Jersey Mike’s Subs
Mcguire’s Irish Pub
O’Charley’s
Johnny Rockets
Sarah K’s Gourmet
Smoke House BBQ
Tropical Smoothie
Twisted Palm Grill & Bar
Zoe’s Kitchen

The 100 Fathom curve draws closer to Destin than any other spot in Florida, providing the speediest deep-water access on the Gulf.

catch some fish

Charter Boats - 6 passengers and under

Angry Fish Charters
Backlash Charters
Blue Bay Outfitters Guide Service
Bounty Hunter
Charter Boat First Light
Charter Boat Rita Kay
Charter Boat Sea Winder
Charter Boat Sure Lure
Cutting Edge Charter
Dead Fish Charters
Destin Deep Sea Adventures
Fish N Fool
Huntress Charter Fishing
Inshore Angler Charters
Jack M Up Charters
Miss Nautical
Silver Lining
Stress Relief II
Unreel Charters
X-RAYted

Large Charter Boats - 6 passengers and over

Anastasia
Back Down Charters
Breakaway Charters
Charter Boat Elizabeth Ann
Charter Boat Phoenix
Finest Kind Charter
Melanie Dawn Charter Boats
Pescador 3
Relentless Charter Fishing
Shamrock II Charters

Party Boats

Destin Princess & Destiny
Little Nemo Fishing
New Florida Girl Party Fishing Boat
Swoop Party Boats

Multiple Boat Charter Service

A-Destin Fishing Team
Adventure Charter Service
Brian Howard’s Charters
Destin Angler Charters
Destin Fishing Charters
Destin Fishing Info
Fish Destin
Harborwalk Charters
Hooked on Destin Fleet
Olin Marler’s Fleet
Silver King Charters
Sunrise Charter Boat
Sweet Jody

The City of Destin is home to 11,119 full-time residents (2000 US Census).

play some golf

Emerald Bay
Indian Bayou
Rocky Bayou
Santa Rosa Beach Club
Golf Garden Of Destin
Regatta Bay
Sandestin – Baytown
Sandestin - Burnt Pine
Sandestin – Raven
Sandestin – Links
Seascape Resort Golf Club
Shalimar Point
Camp Creek Golf Club
Origins Golf Club

government & essential stuff

Destin Mayor Craig Barker
City of Destin
Destin Chamber of Commerce
Destin Harbor Association
Destin Community Center
Fort Walton Beach Mayor Mike Anderson
City of Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce
Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau
Economic Development Council of Okaloosa County
Beaches of South Walton
Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance
Destin Public Library
Destin Parks & Recreation
Fort Walton Public Library
Fort Walton Parks & Recreation
Tropical Weather Info
Walton Outdoors ~ ... and Destin & Okaloosa outdoors too ~

let's decorate!

Home Place
La Place USA Interiors
Lovelace Interiors
Sandcastle Designs
Sugar Beach Interiors

interesting italian

Carrabba’s Italian
Grazie Café Italian
Guglielmos
Olive Garden
Pranzo Italian Ristorante

gems & bangles

Destin Jewelers
Emerald Coast Jewelry
McCaskill & Company Jewelers
Nouveau Flowers

Helen Back Cafe was featured as one of the Best Bars in America in June's 2009 issue of Esquire Magazine.

casual joints

3 Graces Taverna Mediterranean Cafe
Callahan’s Restaurant & Deli
Cheeseburger in Paradise
Ciao Bella Pizza
Fat Clemenza’s Pizza
Jim ‘N Nicks Bar-B-Q
LandShark’s Pizza
McAlister’s Deli
Mellow Mushroom
Pig’s Alley BBQ
Roberto’s Pizzeria

park your boat

Adventure Marina
Baytown Marina
East Pass Marina
HarborWalk Marina
Legendary Marina
North Light Yacht Club Niceville
Shalimar Yacht Basin
The Ships Chandler
Sunrise Marina Yacht Club
Treasure Island Marina

get medical attention

Fort Walton Beach Medical Center
Sacred Heart Hospital
Twin Cities Hospital
White-Wilson Medical Center

In 2008 Destin Mayor Craig Barker was awarded the honor of Mayor of the Year for the State of Florida by the Florida League of Cities.

muy bueno mexican

Cancun’s
Cantina Laredo
LaPaz
La Rumba
Pepito’s

catch a flick

Destin Cinema VI
Lively Cinema 10
Rave Cinema Destin Commons

museums & the arts

Air Force Armament Museum
Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum
Destin History & Fishing Museum
Emerald Coast Science Center
Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida
Indian Temple Mound Museum
Sinfonia Gulf Coast

Destin was voted #1 Best Beach Destination and #3 Best Family Destination in Southern Living’s 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards.

night spots

Bluz Bar & Grill
Club Aqua Nightclub
Fat Tuesday
Fudpuckers
Funky Blues Shack
Helen Back Café
Howl at the Moon Saloon
Hurricane Hole
Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiris
Nightown
Red Door Saloon
Rum Runners
The Swamp
Vertigo Teen Dance Club

pamper your pet

Bark Avenue
The Doggy Bag
Unleashed Bakery & Style

The unique sand of the beaches in the Destin area is among the whitest and most homogenous of the world

photographers

All Occasions Photography
Coastal Reflections
MC Photo
PhotosFlorida.com
Portraits by Trish
SoHo Salon & Studio
Studio K Portrait Design

care for little ones

Destin Christian Academy
The Gateway Academy
The Roane School

read something

The Beachcomber
Coastal Publications
Condo Owner Magazine
Destin Log
Destin Magazine
Emerald Coast Magazine
Emerald Ladies Journal
Life’s A Beach
Love Turns the Tide
Northwest Florida Daily News
On the Coast
SnowBirds Gulf Coast
Southern Breeze
Walton Sun

Consisting of small quartz particles, the beautiful white sand you see on our beaches came from a process involving the Appalachian Mountains and the Apalachicola River 20,000 years ago.