If you are looking for a beachfront condo to rent in Destin, Florida there are several great options, but the best all-around option is the Silver Shells Beach Resort and Spa.
Silver Shells has over 1000 feet of private beach, an incredible 7500 sq ft lagoon swimming pool, beautiful tropical landscaping, beach chair rentals, a restaurant and bar on the beach, tennis courts, pickleball courts, basketball courts, a spa, multiple hot tubs, an indoor/outdoor pool, a fitness center, and a cardio center.
All of those things along with the incredible soft white sand and the wonderful views are enough to provide any family or couple with an incredible vacation. However, it is the location that is perhaps the ultimate perk of staying at Silver Shells. There are great restaurants and attractions within walking distance in every direction.
About Silver Shells
Silver Shells is comprised of five gorgeous buildings: St. Maarten, St. Croix, St. Thomas, St. Lucia, and St. Barth. There are rental units available for 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom, or penthouse rentals within the St. Maarten, St. Croix, and St. Lucia buildings. The St. Lucia rentals are cheaper but they don’t have the amazing views of the ocean like St. Maarten and St. Croix provide.
St. Croix is the closest to the lagoon pool, but St. Maarten is the over-all most desirable building with the best views and many rental units have very large, rounded decks. Perhaps the coolest thing about the St. Maarten units is you get a private elevator for each rental.
It opens up directly into your condo. Most guests are amazed by this incredible feature. It’s also extremely convenient. You can get in the elevator in the parking garage or in the lobby and go directly to your room without having to lug anything down any hallways.
We have stayed in many rental units in the St. Maarten building, but the most recent one was our favorite. It was on the 7th floor and had an incredible view of the ocean, the beach, and the lagoon swimming pool. It was called Destin Horizon Blue and in my opinion is the best condo at Silver Shells.
What To Expect When You Get To Silver Shells
When you arrive at Silver Shells there will be an attendant at the security gate who will give you a parking tag and information to access your rental unit.
Each building has a parking garage and overflow parking outside. You will be given key cards to access the parking garages, lobbies, and gates around the resort. You will also be given bracelets that must be worn at all times while at the resort.
If you’re staying in the St. Maarten building, there’s a gate that goes directly from the parking garage to the pool patio or you can access that area from the lobby as well.
Things To Do At Silver Shells
The giant lagoon swimming pool is probably the best swimming pool of any resort in all of Destin, FL. It is a heated pool in a beautiful shape with sprinklers and a gorgeous rock waterfall.
It’s surrounded by palm trees. Right beside it is a large kiddie pool for babies and toddlers and a large hot tub with a bubbling fountain on top.
There are also cornhole boards on the patio area. Just beyond the pool area is a walkway to The Sand Bar which is a very neat beach bar and grill that serves delicious food and drinks. They also have live music almost every weekend from April through October.
Just beyond The Sand Bar is the 1000 square ft beach. You can rent beach chairs and umbrellas which the staff will set up for you. If you venture to the left the property butts up to Henderson Beach. If you go to the right you’ll see a hut where you can rent jet skis, rent paddleboards, ride a banana boat, or book parasailing.
My youngest daughter loves the banana boat and my older daughter loves parasailing. Sometimes throughout the year they have giant inflatable obstacle courses and slides out in the ocean for kids and adults to play on.
If you want a break from sand and water you can walk up to the newly renovated pickleball courts, tennis courts and basketball courts. They are well maintained and a very short walk to get to.
Just past the ball courts you’ll find the clubhouse which contains an indoor/outdoor pool, a hot tub, and brand new fitness equipment. They have a nice variety of workout equipment.
When you leave the clubhouse there’s a nice walkway that leads to a cardio workout building full of treadmills and exercise bikes.
On the opposite side of the clubhouse is The Spa at Silver Shells where you can get massages, facials, and a lot more. Just past the spa is an onsite Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. It is very expensive but some of the best food you will ever eat.
Things To Do Near Silver Shells
To the right of the St. Maarten building there is a wonderful shop called The Candy Maker. They make fresh candy and fudge daily and have a large assortment of candy, taffee, and souvenirs. The Candy Maker also has a coffee shop and a wide variety of scooped ice cream.
In our last visit to Silver Shells we visited The Candy Maker almost every single day. It’s very easy and convenient to walk directly from the beach over to The Candy Maker to get ice cream. They also sell sun screen and have an assortment of beach toys, etc.
Just past The Candy Make is The Back Porch Restaurant. It is one of the premier beachfront restaurants in Destin. They have amazing seafood and a terrific view of the ocean while you’re eating.
When staying at Silver Shells you can walk over to The Back Porch and put your name in. Then the rest of your group can walk over when it’s almost time for your table to be called. It’s a great setup.
Silver Shells is so conveniently located you can find all kinds of things to do and places to eat within just a couple miles. There’s a Joe’s Crab Shack and Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co. just across the street.
If you have kids we highly recommend going to Fudpuckers. They have live alligators, a gator museum, great food, and an arcade. Big Kahuna’s Water and Adventure Park is also just up the road from Silver Shells. It’s a short drive to the Destin Commons mall which contains a movie theater. We also highly recommend going to Harborwalk Village. There are tons of great restaurants, shops, vendors, boat rentals, an escape room and much more.
Staying At Silver Shells With Young Children
Many people have asked if Silver Shells is a good place to stay when you have small children. The answer to that question is YES. There is a kiddie pool, there are shallow areas in the lagoon pool, and there is a small playground with slides and swings. You can also walk your kids over to The Candy Maker for candy and ice cream.
