Celebrate Valentine’s Day at the Beach

January 24, 2022

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, love is in the (salty) air along the Emerald Coast. All across Destin and 30A, couples are preparing for the most romantic day of the year – and Northwest Florida has plenty to offer. It’s easy to go the traditional route of red roses, chocolate-covered strawberries, and a sentimental card, but why not make this year’s celebration extraordinary? Book a weekend at the beach and enjoy the area with swoon-worthy sunsets, delicious eats, and plenty of time with the one you love. Whether you’ve been married 50 years or this is your first Valentine’s Day together, you’ll want to spend it at the beach. 

Here’s how to score major points this Valentine’s Day, beach-style.

Sunset Dinner Cruise

SunQuest Cruises is back and better than ever with its annual Valentine’s Day Sunset Dinner Cruise. The three-hour dinner cruise experience offers live entertainment, a three-course dinner, and a full bar on board. Take in the sunset from the water as you sail around the bay. Do you want to make the experience even more special? Reserve one of the romance packages that include flowers, champagne, and a souvenir photo. SunQuest typically offers the dinner cruise on Saturdays and Sundays, but on Valentine’s Day, the cruise will be a moonlit event starting later in the evening. If you’ve decided to celebrate with your significant other and your little ones this year, SunQuest offers a Valentine’s Day Brunch Cruise that is family-friendly, as well! The one-of-a-kind dining event will be the star of your vacation (or staycation if you’re a local looking to do something different for the holiday.)

Beach Photo Session

This isn’t your average family photoshoot with white shirts and khaki bottoms. Surprise your loved one with a beachy photography session and photos you can look back on fondly. We recommend sunrise and sunset shoots so you can make the most of the radiant light hitting the beach. There’s nothing like the waves crashing on the shore as a perfect backdrop to your love-filled shoot. Destin and 30A are home to some amazing photographers who know how to capture the romance of your relationship. It’s a fantastic and unique way to keep the memory of your Valentine’s Day beach trip alive.

A Fancy Dinner

Northwest Florida is known for its fresh seafood plucked directly from the Gulf of Mexico, so just about every restaurant is going to have a delicious and decadent fish selection. Book in advance and you’ll have your pick of restaurants from casual dining to sportcoat-preferred.

For Valentine’s Day, we suggest you kick it up a notch. Cuvee30A is one of the best restaurants in the Destin and 30A area. They offer delectable delights from jumbo sea scallops to celebrity Chef Tim Creehan’s signature yellowfin tuna every day. For Valentine’s Day, the restaurant offers an exclusive Dinner for Two menu, allowing you to try the signature dishes with an elevated atmosphere of love during your meal. The wine and dessert menus are enough to make you declare it the best meal of your life. Book your table today to indulge in a festive dinner with the tastiest eats and wines paired as perfectly as you and your date.

Picnic for Two

What’s even better than going out for dinner or brunch overlooking the beach? Having a picnic for two directly on the sand. Leave the picnic baskets, blankets, and heavy lifting to the experts. Serenity Picnic Company offers everything from a simple on-the-ground table setup to an over-the-top proposal package in Destin. All packages include plush pillow seating, dishware, beach-safe drinkware, and charming decor to enhance your experience. Set up is taken care of by the team, so all you have to do is walk down to the beach and enjoy the company of your loved one.

30A Bike Ride

For the more adventurous love birds, hopping on bikes and exploring all of 30A is a must-do activity. Scenic Highway 30A is an 18-mile stretch covering Dune Allen to Inlet Beach. On any given sunny day, you can expect to see plenty of walkers, runners, bikers, and other visitors enjoying the picturesque views and abundance of activities to try out.

Gulf Place is home to the Growler Garage and Sunrise Coffee, depending on what you’re in the mood to sip on during your trip. Moving east along the famous road, you’ll hit Grayton Beach, which has plenty of shops and restaurants and is home to the iconic Red Bar. Seaside is where the magic of the Truman Show was filmed and is also the perfect pit stop to sit in the town square’s amphitheater and delight in an extra-large mimosa from Modica Market.

If you haven’t seen the stunning white architecture in Alys Beach, then you won’t be disappointed in making it your next stop on your 30A bike tour. The matching and modern buildings transport you to a different world with cobbled streets and perfect backgrounds for a cute selfie. The final stop needs to be Rosemary Beach. Whether you’re enjoying a sunset cocktail at the Havana Beach Bar rooftop at the Pearl or getting a beautiful meal at Restaurant Paradis, it’s sure to be a dreamy end to a fairytale day. 

Your Valentine’s Day Beach Vacay Awaits!

Coming to the beach means Valentine’s Day isn’t just romantic – it’s pretty fun too. There’s plenty to do, from an intimate dinner for two to a bike ride the entire family can participate in. We know you typically only celebrate the day, but you should consider making it a weekend so you can pack in as many activities as possible to commemorate your love. Keep your head in the clouds and your toes in the sand this Valentine’s Day. Plus, we have it on good authority that Cupid is planning to spend his special day at the beach, too!

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