For the ultimate shopping, dining, and entertainment experience in the 30A, you cannot go wrong with a visit to the Village of Baytowne Wharf. Located right in the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, this community hub offers endless fun and excitement all day and into the evening. Special events round out the offerings, ensuring you make memories to last a lifetime at every visit.
To start your journey, you’ll need to stop at the gate on the main road and let the guard know you’re visiting the Village of Baytowne Wharf. They’ll direct you over to the parking garage, where you can park for free for the day. After that, you can walk around the village to check out all the sights. Plan to walk around the area before settling on where you’d like to spend your money and satisfy your cravings.
As you do that, you’ll undoubtedly come across many must-try attractions you cannot resist. The Village of Baytowne Wharf has an arcade and laser maze, ice skating rink, bungee jumping center, high ropes course, carousel, and so much more. If any catch your eye, stop in to enjoy the activity at your leisure. You’ll surely want to go again and again, so you might as well start early in your visit.
Once you work up an appetite, you can set your sights on the many fantastic eateries in your midst at the Village of Baytowne Wharf. The Ruby Slipper Café proudly serves brunch favorites like French Toast Bites, Shrimp & Grits, and Bennies in six different ways. Seafood delights await at Poppy’s Crazy Lobster and Slick Lips Seafood & Oyster House. Prefer Japanese noodle dishes and sushi galore? Skip on over to Yaki instead.
Whatever you get, remember to save room for gelato from La Cremeria. At that shop, you can get scoop after scoop of all the best flavors, including Italian Butter Pecan, Raspberry Cheesecake, and Caramel Sea Salt. They even have dairy-free sorbets and vegan gelato available for your pure enjoyment. If you’d like to take your dessert experience to the next level, pair yours with a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
Don’t hesitate to do more than a little window shopping between attractions and dining stops. You never know what will capture your heart and beg to go home with you. Chic clothing, adorable dolls, and more are all up for grabs at the many shops around the wharf.
Top things to do at the Village of Baytowne Wharf include:
Visit the Farmer’s Market
When nothing else will do but fresh produce, artisan goods, and tasty food and drinks visit the Farmer’s Market. You can find the market running every Sunday year-round from 10 am to 2 pm.
Ride on the Baytowne Carousel
For the quintessential carousel ride, head on over to the Baytowne Carousel. Set right on the water, this small yet mighty carousel lets you ride round and round on hand-painted zebras, race cars, and everything in between.
Challenge Yourself in the Escape Room
The Cloak and Dagger Escape Room challenges you to solve the puzzles in record time and make it out the door before the buzzer sounds. If you can manage that, you’ll walk away with a spot on the leaderboard and major bragging rights.
Although all the permanent attractions prove plenty entertaining, the special events make every visit to the Village of Baytowne Wharf even more magical. Through the summer, there are weekly events like Boomin’ Tuesdays featuring firework displays and Fly Guy Thursday, when Ben Merrell soars into the sky on his extraordinary fly-board. The events change all throughout the year, so check the calendar and time your visit right to avoid missing out.
Insider Tips:
-Plan your visit during the off-season if you want to skip the crowds. The tourist season brings out all the revelers ready to enjoy great times alongside their fellow travelers. The trade-off is that there are more than a few closed restaurants during that time.
-Since this is a beloved tourist trap, expect higher prices than in other parts of the city, including the Destin Commons.