History of Destin

Before you start looking for hotels in Destin you may find it interesting to learn about the history of the city.

The city of Destin is located in North-West Florida, on the Emerald Coast in Okaloosa County and has a very rich and long culture. The region is known to be populated since 12,000 years before present and signs of intense agricultural activity have been observed throughout the area. The early American Indian population came to the region around the 7th century AD while the first Europeans arrived in 1538, when Spanish explorers have started to survey Florida. The first known map of the region was drawn in 1693 by Don Francisco Tapia, who was commissioned to explore the East Pass and its surrounding areas.

The immediate history of Destin traces back to Captain Leonard Destin, a fisherman who has settled in the area around 1845 and was a pioneer of the fishing industry for the region. His descendants were fishing in the waters around Destin for decades and maintained a rich heritage, which is well known to the present. With over 150 years of fishing history, the city of Destin was nicknamed as the «World's Luckiest Fishing Village», having the largest and most equipped fishing fleet in the whole state of Florida.

Until 1984, Destin was a municipality but the tourist boom made the local government to overview the status of the settlement. Mainly known as a destination for good fishing, the city has faced a major inflow of tourist starting with the mid 80's. Around that time Destin has undertaken an active construction to fulfill the needs of tourists in accommodation. With around 12,000 full-time residents the city accounts around 40,000 during the season, which undoubtedly requires adequate infrastructure. Today there are many hotels on Destin, from simple to luxurious; shopping malls, water-sport resorts and numerous possibilities for active leisure. The city aims at diversifying the distractions offered because more and more tourist from different social backgrounds visit Destin each year.