Destin Florida is one of our favorite locations to visit in Florida as a family. Between the sugar sand beaches and gorgeous Gulf of Mexico waters, we can hardly get enough of it. Last month we visited The Island at Fort Walton and let me just tell you, it was amazing! It was our first time visiting this beautiful beachfront resort and it was everything and more than we’ve imagined.

Best Oceanfront Resort in Destin FL

We took a mini road trip to this resort from Jacksonville Florida to visit The Island Fort Walton. This resort was conveniently located directly on the beach. I have to say this resort was just gorgeous! It has recently gone through over $15 million of renovation. The renovation has upgraded the rooms, pools, gym, restaurant, and bars just to name a few. The resort has spacious beachfront suites as well as poolside rooms. We stayed in two beachfront rooms with amazing views of the ocean. I’ve enjoyed my morning coffee out on the balcony as I’ve listened to the waves kiss the shore.

Every morning we woke up and enjoyed their breakfast buffet at the Island Fish House. Their food was absolutely amazing. Of course, my children love that they had fresh pastries available. During the evening we also enjoyed their family-style buffet. There’s also The Island Grille that offers food around the pool area. The restaurants serve fresh Gulf seafood caught daily right off of the local shores!

Let’s Talk Amenities

This locally-owned resort has been opened and operated since 1966 and trust me, there’s plenty of fun for the whole family. Of course, they have beautiful heated pools, outdoor hot tubs, and a splash pad area for children. They also have amazing cabanas for free! It’s on a first-come, first-serve basis. This is pretty cool because typically you would have to pay for cabana usage anywhere else. We’ve enjoyed their dining. They have several restaurants and bars throughout the resort as well. My place was their famous Grotto Swim-Up Bar. The resort also has a gift shop, fitness center, and business center available.

Every evening Antwan would workout without missing a beat. I just love his dedication to fitness. So he was one happy camper that The Island had such a great fitness center. It’s not directly on the property but it’s right next door on their sister property. Which wasn’t bad at all.

What About The Beach?

Of course, if you visit the Emerald Coast area you have to visit the beaches! The Island resort has over 600 feet of private beach. There are beach chairs and umbrella rentals available as well. We’ve enjoyed the calm waters and soaked up some family time under the sun. It was such a great experience. Of course, we had to have matching swimsuits as well! It just made the entire trip even more memorable, plus it was easy for me to keep track of everyone.

Book That Vacation

After having are year Like we’ve all did in 2020, this was the ultimate family vacation. We’ve truly enjoyed the beautiful weather and nightly live entertainment. We’ve missed it but on Saturday mornings, they have meetings with their resident mermaid Misty poolside. There’s free yoga, sunset live music, and even a pool party with a live DJ every Thursday through Saturday. We really enjoyed the Dive-in movies at the Cabana Pool as a family. There’s literally so much to do at the resort where are you don’t have to leave the resort.

But if you choose to, it is in a prime location close enough to local restaurants, shopping, and down the street from the Destin Harbor Boardwalk. It’s literally within walking distance to other attractions such as Gulfarium, Adventure Zone Park, and Pontoon Boat Rentals. We took our children down to the Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village and enjoyed the scenery and entertainment. It’s was just a short drive from the resort and it was filled with local shops and waterfront dining.

At the HarborWalk Marina, they have amazing deep sea fishing tours available. On this trip, we weren’t able to book a tour but next time, it’s on our agenda. However, our children were able to see firsthand all of the fish that were caught from some of the fishing tours. It was quite the experience for sure!

After months of being in quarantine, homeschooling our children, and working from home this was the ultimate vacation. This was definitely the break that we have been needing. Our entire family needed this breathtaking vacation. The staff at the resort was absolutely amazing. The hospitality that was shown to us was truly awesome.

We’ve enjoyed this vacation so much as a family, and I would love for you to experience it also. That’s why I’ve partnered with the resort to give you 20% off of your entire booking using my special code (SOCI) you will get 20% off. Book The Island Fort Walton for your next family vacation.