Seems like any time you mix boaters and shallow water, you have a recipe for a good time. Sandbar hangout spots aren’t unusual across the world.
Because it is located in the middle of a body of water, Crab Island is only accessible by boat. The sandbar’s location is particularly unique because it is open to the tidal inflow and outflow of the crystal clear, emerald green water from the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, yet it is protected from the surf and waves that you would typically experience along the beach in Destin. The official GPS coordinates are listed as N 30☂3.918, W 86☃1.236, although the sandbar spans multiple acres, and doesn’t consist of just one point on a map. Where is Crab Island?Ĭrab Island is located on the north side of the Destin Bridge (also known as the Marler Bridge) at the southern entrance of the Choctawhatchee Bay, inside Destin’s East Pass. The sandbar ranges from 1-4 feet deep in most places. Although there is no actual land at Crab Island anymore, the water is very shallow and at high tide is blue-green and crystal clear. Eventually, it became what it is today: an underwater sandbar and popular place to anchor your boat (rented or personal) for some fun in the sun. The sand from the dredging project was deposited into the Choctawhatchee Bay, forming a small island, called a ‘spoil island’, that eventually came to be known as Crab Island:Īs the years went by, drifting sands from the Gulf of Mexico, with the help of the occasional hurricane, began to erode the spoil island. Actually at one time it WAS an island, created by the Army Corps of Engineers in the 1960s when they dredged the Destin Pass and created the Jetties to stabilize the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. The name ‘Crab Island’ is a bit of a misnomer because it makes you assume that it’s an actual island. One look at this photo, and it’s pretty clear what makes Crab Island so unique: I would venture to say that Crab Island is the main reason Boating Magazine named Destin one of the ‘Top 10 Places to Live and Boat’ in the United States in 2020. It has been photographed and aired on national networks and shows such as HGTV and Good Morning America, published in various travel magazines, and featured in publications worldwide. Indeed, Crab Island is one of the Destin area’s top summertime destinations.
If you’ve ever visited the Destin area, chances are you’ve heard some mention of the popular sandbar. Crab Island is one of the most talked about attractions in Destin, Florida.