Crab Island Adventures: Your Guide to Water Fun

Crab Island is one of the most popular, and most picturesque, attractions in Destin, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area each year. Adding at least one trip to Crab Island during boating season is a must for many travelers and locals alike. If pictures of Crab Island have inspired you to rent a boat or take the Crab Island Shuttle Boat to pay the underwater sandbar a visit this season, here are some of the adventures that await when you get there:

Crab Island Adventures

1. Water slide - The Crab Island Water Slide is a giant inflatable slide (the kind you see at kids' birthday parties and carnivals) anchored on the sandbar. You can buy an armband for around $10 and spend the day sliding down into the crystal clear water below. Kids love this. (Update: The Water Slide no longer exists at Crab Island. There is a 4-hour adventure tour that includes an inflatable water slide and trampoline as part of the excursion, though.)
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3. Water Park - The Crab Island Water Park offers another level of fun with inflatable obstacle courses, rock-climb wall, slides, and more. Armbands are typically around $15 and can be purchased at the pontoon boat tied to the entrance of the water park. You'll find kids and adults playing here.
4. Food vendors - Floating restaurants and mobile food vendors offer everything from pizza to BBQ to boiled peanuts. There are even ice cream boats that circle the island playing music and selling ice cream. You can bring your own food if you like, but buying from a floating food vendor is a unique experience.
5. Concerts - On many weekends and holidays, you'll find local bands or DJs playing on a floating stage. Fair warning: the closer to the stage you get, the more "adult" the activities tend to be. If you have children with you, you'll want to anchor somewhere else.
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7. Water volleyball - typically set up near the Reef Burger floating restaurant is a volleyball net. You can join a game, make some friends and spend the day taking part in some friendly competition.

There are so many Crab Island adventures that you can experience, or you can bring your own. Pack a frisbee, football, and floaties and anchor away from the crowd and spend the day playing in the water near your boat, catching some rays, and just enjoying the company of those you brought with you. After all, that's what vacation is really about.