A Christmas Break Beach Vacation to Destin
For a Christmas beach vacation that will give you the cozy of Christmas and the best beaches in America, stay at a Newman-Dailey rental in Destin, Florida.
We love visiting Destin, but have never traveled there in the colder months. This year, our kids’ Christmas break was more than three weeks long, so we decided to kick it off with a hosted stay at a Newman-Dailey rental property in Destin.
US News & World Report ranked Destin, Florida as one of the top 10 family beach vacation sports in America, and as the only beach we have repeatedly vacationed to, we can attest that it is amazing.
Where to Stay in Destin at Christmas
For our Christmas break beach vacation, we truly relaxed and focused on enjoying the beach and one another. Though the temperatures weren’t super warm (50-60 each day), the warm sunshine still made it pleasant for us to have fun and play every day.
Our rental home was a short two minute walk to the beach, in the Destiny by the Sea neighborhood. At one point, my oldest son proclaimed, it is like we are on a private beach. It truly was that quiet and special. This was one of the biggest perks of visiting Destin in the off season – nothing was crowded.
We loved our home, which boasted four bedrooms (sleeps 12) and five bathrooms, with plenty of room to spread out across three floors. We also found the kitchen to be equipped with everything we needed to make plenty of meals and enjoy time together.
Destiny by the Sea also was conveniently located near Destin Commons, a huge area for shopping and restaurants, as well as just 25 minutes from the popular Grayton Beach area. We loved the central location.
I definitely recommend renting from Newman-Dailey Resort Properties, as they have a huge catalog of Destin area homes and condos, impeccable customer service and something to meet everyone’s needs. (See other reviews: Hidden Dunes, Jade East and Hidden Dunes Cottage.)
What to do on a Christmas Beach Vacation in Destin
Visit the Beach: Since the focus of the trip was to truly relax and connect as a family, we were careful to not over schedule our time. The majority of our time was spent on the beach, playing, reading and relaxing. Being so close in Destiny by the Sea made that really easy.
One night, we were sure to put on some Christmas shirts and take some beautiful sunset photos, to make the season and the location.
Make a Keepsake: The Shard Shop in Grayton Beach is one of my favorite vacation activities ever. We have visited twice and it is just so special. Each person gets to make a keepsake out of shards of glass. The piece is then finished with a thick resin and the results are truly beautiful and one-of-a-kind. Make an appointment to create something beautiful at The Shard Shop. It is worth every penny.
Shop: It’s Christmastime, so it was fun to do some last minute shopping and take advantage of some great sales. We love the Silver Sands Premium Outlet Mall because it has SOOOO many great stores including Nike, Gap Outlet, Old Navy, Francescas, Kate Spade, Disney Outlet, Crocs Outlet, Simply Southern, Janie & Jack Outlet and so many more. We also loved shopping at Destin Commons and Grand Boulevard in Miramar Beach.
Eat Local: While Destin has every chain you can imagine, go for something unfamiliar and eat at a local restaurant. A few favorites that we have include The Crab Trap (huge menu and portions, The Donut Hole (the best donuts and tons of unique combinations), and The Ruby Slipper.
Enjoy Christmas Festivities and Decor: Destin offers a variety of holiday activities including the HarborWalk Village Holiday Happenings, The Destin Commons Jolly Jubilee, The Henderson Resort’s Santa and cocoa, and the Wednesday Night Concert Series at Baytowne Wharf at Sandestin.
For more about Destin, check out these posts:
10 Things to Do with Kids in Destin
Also, consider booking your spring break trip to Destin now and lock in the lowest rates. Newman-Dailey has 100s of properties and has been a respected rental company in the Destin area for more than 30 years. Plus, when you book directly through them, it is cheaper than using a site like AirBNB because extra fees are not tacked on. You will be so impressed by this company! It’s why we keep staying at their properties year after year.