Discover Florida’s Emerald Coast: Destin and 30A Villa Holidays
Image: Top Villas
When UK travellers think of a Florida holiday, Orlando and its theme parks often come first. Head north-west to Florida’s Emerald Coast, however, and you’ll discover a very different side of the Sunshine State.
The Destin area and 30A combine beautiful white-sand beaches, clear Gulf waters, excellent seafood and attractive coastal communities with an impressive choice of private holiday homes. It’s an ideal option for anyone looking to experience Florida beyond the theme parks.
Discover Destin and Florida’s Emerald Coast
Located on Florida’s Panhandle, Destin sits on the Gulf of Mexico and is known for its beaches, watersports and relaxed coastal atmosphere. The wider Destin area includes Miramar Beach and the communities along scenic Highway 30A, including Rosemary Beach, Grayton Beach, Seagrove and Santa Rosa Beach.
For visitors from the UK, a Destin holiday offers a great combination of sunshine, space and the freedom to explore at your own pace.
Spend your days swimming, paddleboarding or kayaking, take a boat trip or fishing charter, explore the coast by bike, play a round of golf, or simply find your favourite stretch of beach.
Seafood is a big part of the experience too, with locally caught fish, shrimp, oysters and crab appearing on menus throughout the area.
Explore the coastal communities of 30A
One of the biggest reasons to consider this part of Florida is Scenic Highway 30A. Often referred to simply as 30A, it’s a scenic coastal road stretching for around 24 miles along Florida’s Emerald Coast, between Destin and Panama City Beach.
Rather than being one single resort, 30A links a collection of small beach communities, each with its own character. These include Rosemary Beach, Seacrest, Watersound, Seagrove, Grayton Beach and Blue Mountain Beach, with the white sands and turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico never far away.
There are beaches, independent shops, restaurants, galleries and cycling routes to discover along the way. The relatively short distances between the communities make it easy to explore several during your stay, particularly with a hire car or by cycling sections of the 30A corridor.
For UK visitors, think of 30A as both a road and a destination – the name has become shorthand for this particular stretch of Florida’s Gulf Coast and its laid-back collection of beach towns.
Stay in a Destin or 30A villa
Through our friends at Top Villas, there is a huge choice of Destin Florida villas and holiday homes, from properties for couples and smaller families to substantial homes designed for larger groups.
Depending on the property, features can include private swimming pools, games rooms, outdoor dining areas and locations within easy reach of the beach. Some of the largest properties can accommodate extended families and groups travelling together.
Having your own villa also gives you something a hotel cannot always provide: space and flexibility. You can eat out one evening, cook at home the next and spend an afternoon beside your own pool without having to follow a resort timetable.
A different kind of Florida holiday
Destin and 30A can be a particularly good choice if you’ve already experienced Orlando and want to see another side of Florida.
You still get the sunshine, warm weather and easy-going American holiday experience, but with more emphasis on beaches, coastal towns, food, watersports and simply enjoying the Gulf Coast.
It can also work well as part of a wider US trip, combining the Emerald Coast with another Florida destination or a longer road trip.
Book your Destin holiday with One Extra Night Travel
One Extra Night Travel can help you turn a Destin or 30A villa stay into a complete Florida holiday.
We can arrange your Top Villas accommodation on its own, or help organise the wider journey with flights, car hire, airport parking, airport lounges and other travel arrangements.
If Florida’s white-sand beaches, Gulf Coast seafood and the coastal towns of 30A sound like your kind of holiday, get in touch with One Extra Night Travel and we’ll help you start planning.