Boat Bound
Top spots to pull up and anchor down
Here in sunny Northwest Florida, boat days are always the best days. And there’s no shortage of destinations to visit along the Emerald Coast. Here are some of the best spots to anchor down for a fun-filled day in the sun.
Crab Island
Located on the north side of the Marler Bridge, Crab Island connects the Choctawhatchee Bay to Destin’s East Pass. The widespread, shallow sandbar was once a small, manmade island created in the ’60s as part of the Destin Pass project. The area has since been a top boating destination for Okaloosa County visitors and locals.
The shallow 3-foot depth creates a pool-party atmosphere where visitors mingle with friends old and new, enjoy water games and relax on floaties, making Crab Island the ideal pull-up and hangout spot for boaters.
Vendor boats roam around selling food, beverages and souvenirs. Known for its array of floaties, including tubes and oversized flamingos, Crab Island Grill’s Food & Float Boat sells light snacks. Wild Coconuts offers a unique and refreshing beverage break with whole coconuts, pineapples and watermelon from its whimsically painted motorboat. A sister boat, Wild Boiled Peanuts, brings the down-home flavor. Reef Burger has a full menu that will satisfy your midday cravings. And Gulfstream Ice Cream keeps the classic boat day snack cold so you don’t have to.
While it’s possible to kayak or paddleboard to Crab Island, boating is the ideal mode of transportation and gives visitors a home base to stash food, beverage and belongings for a full day of fun.
Photo by Boo Media
Destin East Jetty
Adjacent to the Marler Bridge and opposite Crab Island, a stretch of beach lines the Destin Pass from Norriego Point at the Destin Harbor entrance down to Osteen Beach. At the end of the beach, the Destin East Jetty juts out, creating calm waters and harboring interesting marine life along the rocky shoreline.
While Norriego Point and Osteen Beach offer pedestrian access, the area is less crowded than other public beach accesses throughout Destin. Along Norriego Point, the sand gives way to four half-moon pools inset by a small stretch of rock at each opening. This area is great for shallow-water swimming and snorkeling.
At the south end past Osteen Beach, the stretch of jetty offers an optimal snorkeling environment with deeper waters toward the end of the rockline. Anglers enjoy casting out from the end of the jetty, so be aware of your surroundings while swimming. Wearing a life jacket can help with endurance for less experienced swimmers and allows for a cool, casual view of ocean life as you float atop the saltwater. Snorkelers can expect to see blue crabs, hermit crabs, toadfish, flounder, sheepshead, Spanish mackerel and mullet. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a sea turtle. Keep your eyes peeled for unique seashells and whole sand dollars along the shoreline.
Boaters can zip over to the nearby HarborWalk, just minutes away, to enjoy a respite from the sun. Dock in for a lunch break at Harry T’s Lighthouse, or make a pit stop for frozen drinks and treats at Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiris.
Shell Island
Just east of Panama City Beach, a 7-mile stretch of undeveloped land provides its visitors with a unique Emerald Coast experience. Though the destination is a peninsula and not a true island, Shell Island is only accessible by boat. Its shores face St. Andrew Bay to the north and the Gulf of Mexico to the south.
Throughout the day, a ferry delivers visitors to the island’s west end, where the main beach and jetty are located. The rocky stretch of jetty offers optimal snorkeling, and the sandy shores provide prime shelling. Snorkelers can expect to encounter stingrays, angelfish, redfish, sheepshead, octopus and several species of coral and sponges. Sea turtles can sometimes be spotted in the area, too.
Boaters can access more remote stretches of the island toward the middle and east end. St. Andrews State Park manages the west end, while the east end falls under Tyndall Air Force Base territory. Boaters are welcome to anchor down and explore most areas but should mind signage and heed warnings.
A protected national wildlife refuge, Shell Island is teeming with Northwest Florida flora and fauna on land and in the water. Osprey and herons soar the skies. Armadillos and marsh rabbits roam the coastal terrain. The area’s beloved bottlenose dolphins regularly and unabashedly traverse near the shore and among human visitors.
If planning for a full day island-side, boaters should note that the undeveloped island is just that — undeveloped. There are no restrooms, restaurants or shaded pavilions. So, pack everything you’ll need: food, beverages, sunscreen, hat, umbrella, etc. To restock on necessities, boaters can drive about 15 minutes across the bay to the mainland Pier Store at St. Andrews State Park. And keep your eyes peeled for the 850 Shoreline Ice Cream boat that frequents Shell Island’s coast.
On the Pontoon
Photo courtesy of Visit Panama City Beach
Be your own captain and rent a boat from a number of area vendors:
Destin
30A
Panama City Beach
Sail Away With Me
Leave the worries behind and set off on a chartered excursion. SunVenture Cruises (SunVentureCruises.com) will take you and your crew out for a day at Crab Island. Blue Dolphin Tours (BlueDolphinTour.com) will host you and your group for a Shell Island adventure; their expert captains know the best spots for snorkeling and provide all the gear.
Wine, Dine and Cruise
Looking for an upscale on-the-water experience? Book a sunset dining cruise on SunQuest Cruises’ Solaris yacht (SunQuestCruises.com). The Solaris sets sail from Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort with a year-round dinner cruise schedule. The Solaris can also be booked for private events.
