Destin is known for its calm, crystal clear waters but sometimes we have days when it is not safe to swim in the Gulf which is marked by a red flag at the beach. Or sometimes there are jellyfish in the water or you just want some additional activities.
Rip currents are the biggest hazard of rough surf and there are several drownings in our area every year due to people ignoring the flag warnings so it is never wise to swim on a red flag or double red flag day.
It’s definitely a bummer for people who visit for the beautiful Gulf of Mexico waters, but rest assured there are other ways to enjoy the beach on your vacation even when you can’t go in the water. I put this list of ideas together to help you with ideas for a beach back-up plan that everyone is sure to enjoy.
1. Build a Sandcastle
Use this time to take your sandcastle building skills to the next level. You can build a castle with just some sand and imagination or you can buy a kit that has molds and tools. This is the most popular choice on Amazon:
If you want to get more serious about it, consider having your family study a sandcastle building book as preparation for the trip. A sandcastle building book is also a great activity for the drive or flight to Destin. Here is the most recommended book on Amazon for building amazing sandcastles:
If you want to take things to the next level, consider booking a sandcastle building lesson for the whole family. There are several companies in town offering this including “Dan in the Sand”, “Sandcastle Rockstars”, and “Beach Sand Sculptures”.
Your Sandcastle coach will meet your group on the beach to give hands-on demonstration for building an amazing sand sculpture. These are skills your family can use for many vacations to come and it is sure to be a memorable experience.
Between May-October, always knock down your castle when you leave the beach, smooth the sand, and flatten any holes for the safety of sea turtles.
2. Look for Shells
Unfortunately shells are kind of hit or miss around here but it’s still worth looking for them. If we do have them on our beaches, it is usually when they wash up after a storm (which luckily often coincides with red flag days).
If there aren’t any signs of them but you want your kids to be able to find shells, you could buy a bag of natural ones and throw some out ahead of time at the waters edge (if this agrees with your moral compass and your kids are young enough to fall for it). This is a good mix that look the most like the ones we have here in Destin sometimes:
You could throw in some real sand dollars for good measure:
When you throw shells out at the beach, you run the risk that other people might find them before you come back with your family. If that happens, just consider it a good deed and think how happy some kids probably were to find them.
3. Set up a Kiddie Pool
If you have young kids who want to play in the water, consider grabbing a cheap kiddie pool that you can easily take out to the beach and fill with salt water to let them have fun splashing in at the beach.
4. Play Beach Games
These activities are not all recommended for high wind days because you don’t want these items blowing away from you and ending up as trash on the beach. Use your judgement to be sure and play beach games responsibly!
There are plenty of fun games you can play to enjoy the beach on a red flag day. One of the best options is beach volleyball. There are several nets for public use at the Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island as well as on the beach outside of Pompano Joes in Miramar Beach.
There is also Frisbee and Football, of course.
If you are buying a Frisbee, consider getting a lighted one so you can use it both day and night. This is the Frisbee I have:
I’m a huge fan of lighted Frisbee games. It’s a really great time. You can have a fun beach Frisbee game without over-heating running around in the sun. Lighted beach Frisbee games are some of the most fun I’ve ever had with friends at the beach.
If you are out playing late in the evening (sometimes the lighted Frisbee games are so fun that they carry on later than expected) glow necklaces add to the fun and help you better see who you are throwing the Frisbee to.
Trust me, the night Frisbee game might end up being the most fun you have in Destin. It’s a blast. And glow necklaces are fun for any evening vacation activity–kids love them!
5. Have a Beach Bonfire
A beach bonfire is lots of fun, even on a hot summer night. I have done these with friends in July and still found it breezy enough at the beach to enjoy the fire. So grab your friends and family, some smores, a fire pit, a permit (easy to get) and head to the beach.
There are some rules that you have to follow for this activity to be legal (when/where/how) but it’s probably easier than you think to set this up yourself. Here’s an article I wrote with everything you need to know about hosting your own beach bonfire: How to Have Your Own Beach Bonfire in Destin, 30A , and Miramar Beach
6. Hunt For Crabs at Night
Speaking of night activities, you could also go crab hunting at night near the waters edge. As you walk you will see them scurry across the sand and they will usually freeze for a few seconds when they see the light.
I think it’s fun to just see the crabs but some people also collect them in a bucket. If you do this, please enjoy them for a moment and then let them go back into their natural habitat. I wrote about the ghost crabs here: Ghost Crabs: Fun Facts and How to Hunt them Kindly
Be sure to use a turtle safe red flashlight if you are doing this between May and October as white lights can disorient nesting sea turtles because they mistake it for the moonlight and follow it to get to the sea.
7. Fly a Kite
Another fun beach option is to fly a kite, especially since red flag days often coincide with windy days. There are so many kite options out there to choose from but these shaped ones are really fun and colorful:
Sometimes part of the fun is shopping for a kite so if that is what you prefer, I would recommend checking out the Kitty Hawk Kite Store at Harborwalk Village. They have a lot of kites to choose from in a wide range of styles from basic kites to more unique decorative ones shaped like animals, planes and ships.
One of the best places to fly a kite is directly across the harbor from Harborwalk Village at Norriego Point because there are huge areas of open sand. To get here, take Gulf Shore Drive to the very end of the road. More details about this public beach area are here: Find your Perfect Beach: A Guide to the 13 Public Beaches in Destin
Norriego Point is currently being restored and renovated it is still plenty accessible to enjoy. Here is a progress report for the renovations: Norriego Point Restoration Project Updates
Kitty Hawk Kites also has a location at the Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island. From that shop you can walk right out to the sand after picking out your new kite and fly it on the beach there.
8. Take Creative Beach Photos
Instead of swimming, use your time at the beach to take some fun and creative family photos. Pinterest is full of ideas but I pulled a few of my favorites I saw on there to give you some ideas (photographers unknown):
Feet in the Sand with the vacation date or year:
Names in the sand: (Use some of the shells you got for the beach hunt as props in these photos)
Shoot through a photo frame for a fun effect:
Reflections in Sunglasses:
Another take on the glasses idea is to shoot through clear frames:
Throw beach balls in the air for a fun group shot (especially fun if everyone wears bright, primary colors):
Distort reality by posing subjects closer and further from the camera. You can get really creative with these:
Have everyone draw their face on their shadow in the sand:
Get a head start on your Christmas Cards by building a sandman (another use for all those shells!) and posing the kids with it:
9. Watch the Sunrise or Sunset
There is nothing more peaceful than a sunrise walk on the beach in Destin. Even in the busy season you will mostly have the beach all to yourself. Sunset is also a great way to close the day.
Due to our unique, south facing beaches here on the Emerald Coast, we do not get a sunset or sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico in the summer. Even so, the sky still lights up in beautiful colors (especially when there are scattered clouds in the area) as the day fades to night.
Here is a map of the summer sunset direction from the Gulf of Mexico beaches by month so you know what to expect:
Here are the Fall/Winter/Spring Sunset Directions from September through March:
Norriego Point and O’Steen beaches will have the sunset over the water all year long. Those beaches are detailed below in section 10.
10. Go to a Beach area on the East Pass
The beach areas on the East Pass (the area between the harbor and the gulf) often have calmer waters for swimming even when there are red flags at the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
The options for these East Pass Beaches in Destin are O’Steen Public Beach and Norriego Point Public Beach. If you are not sure how to find them, they are the first two beaches in this article I wrote: Find your Perfect Beach: A Guide to the 13 Public Beaches in Destin
As always, please enjoy the beach responsibly. Bring all your belongings with you when you leave including trash, beach toys, etc… and cover any holes you have dug so a sea turtle does not get stuck at night while coming to shore to lay eggs or making her way out to the Gulf.
I hope this post gives you ideas of things to do at the beach!
Be sure to comment below if you have any questions or feedback. I love hearing from you and prefer to answer questions on here so my answers can help others as well. Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list so you don’t miss any posts!
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Hi, I’m Sarah–the creator, writer and photographer behind this site. I sell prints, books, journals, and calendars all made from my Emerald Coast photography and I also manage a few vacation rentals on beautiful Holiday Isle in Destin if you want me to be your helpful, knowledgeable host when you visit.
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what month has lest amount of red flags? thinking of going to ft walton beach end april!
The surf and flag conditions all depend on the storms. Unfortunately there is no way to predict it but in general the fall months have more red flags because it’s hurricane and tropical storm season. Most people only find the gulf warm enough for swimming from May-October but some people swim in April.