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Walton County, the western edge of South Walton

Miramar Beach, Florida: where the Emerald Coast pours a glass

Miramar Beach is the stretch of Walton County shoreline just east of Destin, with the Gulf on one side and Choctawhatchee Bay on the other. Every spring it throws the longest running wine party on the coast. Here is what to eat with it, and what the boats bring in.

Friends at an outdoor cookout by the water, with ribs on the grill

Between the pass and the dunes

Miramar Beach is not a city. It is an unincorporated community in Walton County, and the first of the beach neighborhoods that Visit South Walton lists as you come east out of Destin. U.S. 98 runs through the middle of it, condos and rental houses face the Gulf, and the quieter bay shore sits a short drive north.

The anchor is Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, which describes itself as a 2,400 acre property stretching from the beach to the bay, about eight miles east of Destin. On the bay side is the Village of Baytowne Wharf, a pedestrian village of shops and restaurants built around a 223 slip marina. That marina is where offshore boats tie up and where the local calendar tends to gather.

Food here leans on what the Destin fleet and the bay can supply. Snapper, grouper, triggerfish and Gulf shrimp show up on most menus, and plenty of visitors book a charter out of the harbor next door and bring their own fillets back to a rental kitchen. That is the cook we write for.

One note for this fall. Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin on October 9, 2026 as a Category 2 storm with 105 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service in Mobile, which reported surge and beach erosion along the Okaloosa County coast. Walton County Tourism keeps a page of local updates, so check it before you plan a trip.

Forty years of the wine festival

The Sandestin Wine Festival has run for close to four decades, and its organizers call it a pioneer among Emerald Coast festivals. The 39th edition ran April 16 to 19, 2026 at Baytowne Wharf, opening with a winemaker dinner on Thursday and building to the Grand Wine Tastings on Friday and Saturday, with hundreds of wines poured under tents in the village.

It is a food weekend as much as a wine one. The program lists dinners with guest chefs, culinary tents and a farewell brunch, and it runs rain or shine. Friends who do not drink can walk the Grand Tasting with their group at no charge; they simply go without a wristband. The 40th festival is set for April 9 to 11, 2027.

What is in season

The Miramar Beach fishing calendar

Season dates are the FWC's 2026 rules for Gulf state waters and private recreational anglers. Bag and size limits change, so read the current FWC page before you keep a fish.

  1. Gray triggerfish open in Gulf state waters, one per person, 15 inch fork lengthMarch 1 to May 31In season now
  2. Sandestin Wine Festival at Baytowne WharfAprilIn season now
  3. Emerald Coast Blue Marlin Classic weighs fish at Baytowne MarinaJuneIn season now
  4. Gray triggerfish open again for the second half of the yearAugust 1 to December 31In season now
  5. Red snapper open, then weekends and holidays into early JanuaryOctober 23 to 25, 2026 Official datesIn season now
  6. Last scheduled days of the 2026 red snapper seasonJanuary 1 to 4, 2027 Official datesIn season now

Festivals and events

Miramar Beach on the calendar

Both of the area's headline events happen at the bay end of Sandestin. Dates below are the organizers' own. Dates update every month: confirmed means the organizers posted it, expected means it follows the usual pattern.

The next twelve months in Miramar Beach

  1. Nov2026
  2. Dec
  3. Jan2027
  4. Feb
  5. Mar
  6. Apr9
  7. May
  8. Jun16
  9. Jul
  10. Aug
  11. Sep
  12. Oct

Eat and shop local

Where to eat and what to bring home from Miramar Beach

The places we would send a friend: kitchens locals swear by and shops worth the stop. Every one was open when we checked in October 2026. Hours run seasonal on the coast, so call ahead.

Where to eat 9 picks, 3 on the water

  1. Pompano Joe's Seafood House

    Beachfront seafoodBeachfront

    A bright, casual seafood house right on the sand off Scenic Gulf Drive. Get the seafood gumbo, coconut shrimp or a grouper sandwich, and the key lime pie.

    2237 Scenic Gulf Drpompano-joes.com

  2. Kenny D's

    Cajun and New Orleans

    Run by a New Orleans native, this Seascape spot is known for its gumbo and etouffee. Hushpuppies and shrimp tacos round out the menu.

    2964 Scenic Gulf Dr, Seascapekennyds.com

  3. Slick Lips Seafood & Oyster House

    Oyster bar

    An oyster house in the Village of Baytowne Wharf. Go for oysters, shrimp and grits, a lobster roll or a shrimp po boy.

    140 Fisherman's Cove, Baytowne Wharfslicklipsseafood.com

  4. Bijoux

    Fine dining, Gulf seafood

    The dress up dinner in town, with a Gulf leaning menu. The fried oyster salad and the skillet filet are the dishes people come back for.

    9375 Emerald Coast Pkwy, Suite 22bijouxdestin.com

  5. Sunset Bay Cafe

    Bayfront breakfast and lunchWater view

    A Sandestin cafe on the Choctawhatchee Bay. Order the Bayside Benedict with crab cakes or the shrimp and grits with smoked Gouda.

    158 Sandestin Blvd N, Sandestinsowal.com

  6. Seagar's Prime Steaks & Seafood

    Steak and seafood house

    The special occasion steakhouse at Sandestin, with crab cakes and seafood alongside the steaks.

    4000 S Sandestin Blvd, Hilton Sandestinseagars.com

  7. The Whale's Tail Beach Bar & Grill

    Beach bar and grillBeachfront

    A beachfront grill that does breakfast omelets and pancakes in the morning and seafood baskets and burgers later in the day.

    1373 Scenic Gulf Drseascape-resort.com

  8. Bistrology

    Breakfast and brunch bistro

    A local breakfast and lunch spot on 98. The crab cake Benedict is the order.

    10004 US Hwy 98 Wbistrologyrestaurant.com

  9. The Beach House

    Beachside grill

    Casual lunch with your feet near the sand at Sandestin. Try the blackened fish sandwich with hushpuppies.

    4009 S Sandestin Blvdthebeachhousesd.com

Souvenirs and local shops 3 picks

  1. Grand Boulevard Farmers' Market

    Saturday farmers market

    A year round Saturday market at Grand Boulevard, the place to pick up local produce, baked goods and small batch foods from area growers and makers.

    Grand Boulevard, SandestinFacebook

  2. Eric Mull Photography & Gallery

    Photography gallery

    A working photographer's studio and gallery in Baytowne Wharf. Good for a framed coastal print to take home.

    Village of Baytowne Wharfericmull.com

  3. Beachy Keen Permanent Jewelry

    Local jewelry shop

    A locally owned Baytowne Wharf shop doing permanent jewelry, plus handmade pieces and small gifts.

    9100 Baytowne Wharf Blvd, Baytowne Wharfbeachykeenpermanentbracelets.com

From the lineup

What we would pack for a Miramar Beach rental

One bottle for the wine crowd, one for the charter catch, one for the shrimp you pick up on the way in.

Beautiful Sunset

Mild, 3.5 oz, $9

Dried orange peel and ancho with a touch of sweetness. It flatters mild Gulf fish and plays nicely next to a glass of white.

Gulf Coast Blackening

Some Heat, 3 oz, $9

Smoky, herby, with a pepper build. Our pick for snapper or grouper fillets in a hot cast iron pan.

Port A Shrimp Shack

Some Heat, 3.5 oz, $9

Named for Port Aransas, made for shrimp. Citrus, celery and coriander, dry on the grill or stirred into the pot.

Cook it at home

Grilled triggerfish with orange and ancho

Triggerfish is the sleeper of the Destin docks: tough skin, sweet white meat, and open again in the fall. A light rub and a hot grill are all it asks for, and it pours well with a crisp white.

What you need

  • 4 gray triggerfish fillets, skinned, about 6 oz each
  • 1 tbsp Beautiful Sunset per pound of fish
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter, melted, with the juice of half an orange
  • Lime wedges and chopped cilantro

How it goes

  1. Pat the fillets dry, coat lightly with olive oil and season both sides with Beautiful Sunset. Let them sit 10 minutes while the grill heats.
  2. Heat the grill to medium high, clean the grates well and oil them with a folded towel.
  3. Lay the fillets on at an angle and leave them alone for 3 to 4 minutes, until they release on their own.
  4. Turn once and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, until the flesh is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
  5. Spoon the orange butter over the fish, scatter cilantro and serve with lime.
Worth knowing. Beautiful Sunset runs a little sweet, so keep the heat at medium high rather than blazing. If snapper is what came home in the cooler, the same method works.

Another one from our kitchen: Beautiful Sunset Pork Chops

Questions

Questions about Miramar Beach

When is the Sandestin Wine Festival in 2027?

April 9 to 11, 2027 at the Village of Baytowne Wharf in Miramar Beach, according to the festival's own site. It will be the 40th festival. The 2026 edition ran April 16 to 19.

Is Miramar Beach part of Destin?

No. Destin is a city in Okaloosa County. Miramar Beach is an unincorporated community just to the east, across the line in Walton County, and it is the western gateway to South Walton.

Is triggerfish in season near Miramar Beach?

In Gulf state waters the FWC opens gray triggerfish from March 1 to May 31 and again from August 1 to December 31. The limit is one fish per person, at least 15 inches fork length.

Was Miramar Beach affected by Hurricane Isaias?

Isaias made landfall near Destin on October 9, 2026 as a Category 2 hurricane. Damage assessments were still under way in mid October, so check Walton County Tourism's updates for current beach and access conditions.

Do you ship to Miramar Beach?

Yes. We ship anywhere in the U.S. Orders go out within two business days, and shipping is free over $45.

Run a shop, market or kitchen in Miramar Beach? Carry JollyGringo'z by the case. Tell us about the shop and the price sheet, the case packs and a sample bottle come straight back.

Get the price sheet

Keep going

More Florida towns near Miramar Beach

Okaloosa County

Destin, Florida

The World's Luckiest Fishing Village and a fishing rodeo that fills October

Walton County

30A, Florida

Rare coastal dune lakes, Seaside's Saturday market and a November wine weekend

Okaloosa County

Fort Walton Beach, Florida

Seventy years of Billy Bowlegs pirates, a temple mound and Santa Rosa Sound

Bay County

Panama City Beach, Florida

Two 1,500 foot Gulf piers, the spring cobia run and mackerel

All 47 Florida town guides

Before you go

The organizers

More from us

Where our facts come from

We checked every date and title on this page against these sources in October 2026. Festival dates move, so confirm with the organizers before you travel.

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