The Best Way to Spend Memorial Day: On Okaloosa Island
The perfect way to spend your Memorial Day weekend this year would be on Okaloosa Island! Located right in the middle of Destin, Okaloosa Island is home to some of the best family-friendly attractions and seafood restaurants around, plus you’re just a quick ride from the clear waters of Fort Walton Beach and the pristine sands of Grayton Beach State Park. To make the most of your holiday, try these five fun things to do on Okaloosa Island this Memorial Day weekend!
Things to do
Crab Island on Memorial Day Weekend in Destin Florida is an experience not to be missed. This small island located off of Destin’s East Pass, has several restaurants and bars located near it. You can also rent a jet ski from one of several providers and go for a spin around Crab Island as well. Crab Island is only accessible by boat, so grab your family and friends, load up on some food, drinks and sunscreen and head out for a memorable day! And if you want to stay close to home for Memorial Day weekend, there are plenty of things to do in Destin Florida. For example, take a walk along Fort Walton Beach or enjoy fresh seafood at any number of local restaurants that dot our coast or head over to Henderson Beach State Park and hike or bike along our beach trails. You can even fish off their pier! No matter what you choose, make sure you get outside and enjoy all that we have here in Okaloosa County Florida. We live in paradise, after all!
Where To Stay
Destin West Bayside and Destin Gulfside are two of Destin’s best beach destinations, located just across Highway 98 from each other. Whether you want to book in advance or stay on-the-fly, we have tips for how to enjoy both Destin spots during holiday weekend! Since these beaches aren’t far apart, consider staying at one location for one day and then heading over to another side for another day—that way you can take advantage of what each location has to offer without having to spend too much time deciding where to go! Take a look out our blog post "Bayside vs Gulfside, What's the difference"
How To Get To Crab Island
To get to Crab Island, you have a few options. The most common is by boat or jet ski rental; however, there are also boat tours that will take you to Crab Island. Crab Island isn’t too far from Destin Beach so it won’t be hard to get to if you choose to rent a boat or jet ski for your day trip. If you decide on renting boats, there are several places along Scenic Highway 30A where you can rent boats and Jet Skis. You can also take advantage of water taxi services that run throughout much of Okaloosa Island and Bay County. Crab Island has become one of my favorite spots in Destin because I feel like I get away from everything when I go there. It’s nice to go somewhere close enough to home but still feel like you’re in another world altogether. It’s also fun to watch all of the dolphins swimming around out in open waters as well as boaters out enjoying their days fishing or crabbing. When I was there last, we went with our friends and their two dogs. We had such a great time exploring all of Crab Island together! It was fun watching them play fetch with their frisbee while we looked for shells and walked down to all of the little coves around town.
What Else To Do In Town
If you’re looking for something else to do in town on Memorial Day, consider grabbing your family and friends and embarking on a little adventure. Rent boats and jet skis at Tripshock for some watersports fun or enjoy some sea kayaking on beautiful Clearwater Beach. In addition to these fun ways to spend time together, don’t forget about all of Destin Florida’s excellent restaurants and dining options! With over 25 casual restaurants along Scenic Highway 30A and a variety of delicious seafood eateries nearby on Highway 98 (including great options like HERE), it can be hard to decide where to eat when everyone is hungry. It’s up to you what adventures await, but we hope that you have a memorable experience during your trip to Destin and that you choose our destination as your next getaway destination.
Aside from renting jet skis and enjoying any number of different restaurant options along 30A, there are plenty of other things to do while visiting our beachfront community. You may want to try stand-up paddleboarding; take a scenic helicopter tour; go golfing; fish off Okaloosa Island or Crab Island; or discover the natural wonders surrounding Ponce De Leon Springs. It’s hard to decide what you should do on your next trip to Destin Florida! For any other events check out our page Things to do