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Destin Florida The white beaches and emerald green waters of the Destin area attract several visitors. Florida's Department of Environmental Protection estimates that more than 80 percent of the Emerald Coast's 4.5 million yearly visitors travel to the region to see Destin. Visitors can charter fishing vessels from the harbor, and there are 12 beach access points in the city. Among the access points is Henderson Beach State Recreation Area. A section of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, the Okaloosa Day Use Area, is just across East Pass on Santa Rosa Island. The sand on Destin's beaches is a few of the whitest in the world. The sand comes from the Appalachian Mountains, and is made of finely ground quartz crystal giving the appearance of sugar. Residue flows down the Apalachicola River and is deposited into the Gulf of Mexico. Because of the currents the sand drifts west along the Gulf Coast and settles from east of Panama City to the Alabama coast.Several occasions likewise take place throughout the year. For the month of October, the annual Destin Fishing Rodeo draws anglers to Destin each year since 1948. In the month of October is the Destin Seafood Festival, where fresh seafood and local artists gather for one weekend every October.In addition to a variety of hotels and motels, many high-rise condominiums are located in Destin. The very first condominiums in Destin were built in the 1970s, and construction continues today. Visitors play a large part in Destin's economy-- the city's population of around 12,000 balloons to 40,000 during the tourist season.Destin's environments consist of other prominent tourist destinations. Sandestin, Florida, located to the east in Walton County, is a prominent golf and beach resort. Further east also the coast are Cheap Florida Vacations -planned community of Seaside, filming location of the 1998 movie The Truman Show; Grayton Beach, Florida; and Rosemary Beach, Florida. To the west are Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach, and the Civil War fortification Fort Pickens is located at the western end of Santa Rosa Island. Rife celebrities own homes in the area.</html