Destin vs Gulf shores vs???

[Nic in KC]

So, our May trip this year will be to Alabama for my brother's wedding! It's about to make me nuts that I'm not in the villa search right now.

We are thinking of taking the week after to have a vacation in that area of the country since we'll already be down there. Any thoughts on Destin vs Gulf Shores or somewhere else? Recommendations on places to stay would be great too. Perfection would be a condo on the beach, but willing to consider other options.

Thanks!!

[sherban]

I used to go down there (Panama City Beach & Destin) when I was in my 20's and lived in Atlanta....that is too long ago now to be useful info...hahaha...uggh.

[jdw]

Hey Nic - I personally like the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach area better than Destin. Destin can get really crowded. You might also want to consider Perdido Key. You can find LOTS of great deals on VRBO.

It's not St. John but the gulf beaches are beautiful and I am sure you will have a great time.

Jamie

[Wakey]

Gulf Shores..

[nothintolose]

I prefer Navarre Beach to Destin (way too crowded for my liking) and Gulf Shores.

We rented a townhouse about 20 feet from the water on the Gulf side and loved it. It didn't have a pool, but we didn't miss it. I found it on www.vrbo.com.

What I like about Navarre is that you have the Gulf on one side and the bay on the other side.

[kellyanna]

Anywhere along there is nice. We stayed in Perdido Key last year next to Pensacola and we loved it.

[CindyM]

Florida is a 3-4 hour drive from our house and we visit often. I'm not a fan of the beaches/water in Gulf Shores, and we don't go there anymore. The sand is whiter and the water bluer the farther east you go.

If you are going in May, crowds shouldn't be a problem.

Here's the lowdown on some areas that I like:

Pensacola Beach - our latest haunt because it's an easy weekend trip. We stay at the Portofino (www.portofinoisland.com) which is a beautiful resorty condo complex. What I like about it is it sits next to Gulf Islands National Seashore on one side and a residential neighborhood on the other and the setting is beautiful. It is across the street from the gulf on the sound, but that makes it a plus because of the beauty of the beach there. The buildings/grounds are gorgeous so views all around when you are on the beach are really nice. My teens love it too, and they can take the ferry over to the busier "core" area of Pensacola. Emerald Isle and the new Beach Club ($$$$$)condos in Pensacola are also nice, right on the beach, and in the core area = busier.

Navarre Beach - This is where we used to stay when the kids were little because it was cheap, cheap, cheap and the beaches were fairly secluded. There is NOTHING to do here but go to the beach and there are no decent restaurants. Destin is an hour away for shopping. We liked the Navarre Beach Regency for the big floor plan, good value for the buck, and convenience to the beach. It has since become developed with new highrises, prices have risen, and my kids became teenagers, so we moved on.

Destin/Sandestin - Busy but probably ok in May. Great shopping, restaurants, water parks, etc. Beautiful Beaches. Very popular area.

Grayton Beach/Watercolor/Seaside/Seagrove - this is a really cute area with bike paths and very few highrises (but still busy in the summer except for maybe Grayton.) Decent restaurants in the area and nice shopping in Seaside. Good for teens. Destin is 30 minutes away for more activity. I really like this area.

Rosemary beach to Panama City - haven't been so can't comment.

If you'd like more info, I'd be happy to help~
Cheers!
Cindy

[Nic in KC]

Thanks everyone for input. I may PM some of you as we try to make up our mind and will continue to take suggestions. I have two issues!

1. I can have a week at an all inclusive in the Riviera Maya for the same price even though it would mean another flight.

2. I really just want to go to St. John so nothing is making me happy!

Ugh! They got engaged on St. John so why couldn't the wedding just be there too!

Thanks again for all the info!
Nicolle

[Kentuckygirl]

Nic,
I haven't been to Gulf Shores, so I really can't comment on that area, but I have been to alot of areas in the Florida Panhandle. We used to go to Destin and Ft. Walton, but it has become so crowded in recent years that I don't like to go there anymore. I do like Sandestin... I just don't like going into town. I agree with Cindy regarding Seaside, Seagrove, Watercolor. It is a very cute area, although I have only been there once and had a terrible week weather wise. My favorite part of the panhandle is St. George Island and surrounding areas, although it may be farther than you want to drive. Appalachicola(sp?) is a cute, quaint town and the beaches in that area are uncrowded. St. George (and Cape San Blas from what I've heard) are great places to rent a house directly on the beach. We like to take the kids there over their spring break. The state park there is beautiful.
I know what you're saying about the Mayan Riviera though...prices aren't bad. I'll be there in about 6 weeks. I'd rather be in St. John, but with these temps. here right now, I'm very happy to go somewhere warm.
I'd be glad to help if you need any more information.

[CindyM]

Florida has great beaches and May is a great time to visit, but I'll bet the water in Mexico will be prettier and warmer so keep that in mind. It would only be one extra flight if you could fly directly home from Mexico.

[augie]

I agree with kygirl about St. George Island. Very laid back, and it has a ton of beach houses that are rentals - depending on how big your party is, how luxurious you want accomodations to be, how close to the beach you'd like to be - there are options for just about every taste and budget.

[nothintolose]

I like Navarre Beach for the simple fact that there is nothing there. If you go past the highrises, it's all townhouses and such. When we go there, we eat all meals at the townhouse and either take walks on the bike/walking path or we swim in the water. I also like it because I can bring my dog.

Destin...used to go every year...makes me want to puke now cuz it's so crowded, but I HATE crowded beaches. There is tons of stuff to do there for teens though.

We stayed at Rosemary Beach during our hurrication due to Gustav. When we first got there, I couldn't believe we were gonna be staying there as it appeared to be pretentious. After being there a week, I enjoyed it because everyone was very friendly. I reminded me of a little European town. People rode bikes everywhere and were very friendly. It wasn't "on the beach" though like places closer to Destin. You had to walk down lots of stairs just to get on the same level as the beach.

On that trip we drove all the way to Destin on the road that runs by the beach and passed through all of the communities that CindyM mentioned. They all looked way crowded but full of action.

We have also stayed in Laguna Beach (just before Panama City) and liked that alot but that is getting further away for you. We drove to Port St. Joe and went snorkeling there in some National Park or something. It was nothing like snorkeling on St. John, but it was snorkeling.

NancyM is also correct in the further you go away from Alabama the prettier the water gets.

It really depends on what you are looking for. None of it will compare to STJ though. I think I mentioned that we used to go to Florida every year till we went to STJ and have only been back twice since. Once intentionally and the other cuz we were trying to get out of the path of a hurricane. We have no plans to go back any time soon though.

Good luck in your decision!