Canal Front Real Estate for Sale in Destin

Many people who visit Destin will tell you it’s all about the beach, but boat owners will let you know that it is really all about the water. After all, Destin resembles an offshore island almost completely surrounded by jewel-toned waters and is located three to five miles offshore of the mainland. If you have had the pleasure to be out on a vessel here, you would most assuredly agree with boat owners. The problem with owning a boat in Destin is the limited amount of docks available and the cost of mooring or storing one at a private marina.

These canal-front residential properties located in the prestigious and highly sought after world of Holiday Isle provide an uncommon opportunity. The deep canals in Destin were created by the Army Corps of Engineers many decades ago. Then the property was transferred to private developers in the 1970s. This “island” offshore from the “island” of Destin borders the Gulf of Mexico and an open harbor that provides quick access to the deep waters as well as the bay.

This isle location is minutes away from grocery stores, wine outlets, abundant shopping venues, and Destin’s crown jewel known as HarborWalk Village. It features dockside restaurants with bars with live music, open-air concerts, fun festivals year-round, exciting seasonal firework celebrations, dolphin sightseeing adventures, and romantic sunset dinner cruises. If you have your own boat, you may cruise over to dock at one of the waterfront restaurants at HarborWalk Village or party on over to the popular “water hole” at Crab Island. If you want to leave your boat, a convenient Water Taxi Service is available.

These Destin canal front homes are beautiful residences near the bright white beach and also come with their own docks to berth big boats. They are highly sought after residential properties and don’t get listed for sale often, so if you desire such a superlative locale as a boat owner and are fortunate enough to have the means to purchase one, time is of the essence. Besides providing a wonderful primary residence, it should be noted that many waterfront properties on Holiday Isle are also popular vacation destinations. Lots of them are placed on short term rental programs for extra income when owners are not vacationing here themselves. Our acclaimed Ocean Reef Resorts property management company represents many of these private Holiday Isle vacation rentals and can provide current data for annual gross income histories on comparable properties upon request. Currently, there are only four canal front Destin properties available for sale now! The following is a brief look at each one.

529 Gulf Shore Drive

One of the best values is a lovely two-story salmon colored home with a crisp white trim with five bedrooms and 2,208 square feet with a fantastic location at 529 Gulf Shore Drive.

This premier locale is on one of the deep canals with a double covered boathouse with lifts and is also a very short stroll away from the beach access point.

The grounds are bordered by a white picket fence and feature a lush green lawn studded with tropical palm trees. This is a perfect home for multiple families or friends spending time together at the beach since the thoughtful floor plan provides separate living questers on two levels. A staircase leads to a wraparound veranda that provides entry to the main living quarters upstairs.

The bright, charming living and dining areas adjoin a kitchen with brushed stainless steel appliances.

The master bedroom on this same level features a private ensuite bath while another full hall bath serves a guest room.

The spacious veranda provides perfect outdoor entertaining space with seating areas and room for a bar that looks down upon a swimming pool with a bubbling hot tub.

Another staircase leads down to an open sundeck overlooking the pool area beside the canal.

The downstairs features three bedrooms, two full baths, a family room with access to the poolside patio deck, and a full kitchen. This Destin home is listed for sale at $1,175,000.

619 Magnolia Drive

Another property that has an awesome location just two houses down from the access to the beautiful beach, located at 619 Magnolia Drive.

This place is ready for your own brand new, beautifully designed dream home since it is actually a large vacant parcel that measures over half an acre in size at 26,572 square feet. This large lot has a premier location on the corner of Magnolia Drive and Moreno Point Road, so you may have a number of spacious building pad options.

It is set among several splendid homes with lush tropical grounds and at the very end of the canal that goes out into Destin’s harbor, which affords a sense of privacy since there is very little boat traffic. White sand that was recently dredged out of the canal was placed and spread across this lot, so no new fill is required to meet building codes and begin construction.

The canal frontage includes two completed boat slips, which may be used to dock large boats. This property parcel is listed at $1,250,000.

14 Noriega Road

This charming waterfront home at 14 Noriega Road is on a wide main canal connecting directly to Destin’s harbor, which provides sweeping views of sparkling scenery.

It has a classic look with white exteriors, black shutters, and an upper-level columned veranda that spans across its width. It resembles a large gazebo-type pavilion that offers a gracious welcome. Two staircases gracefully sweep up on each side, joining together on a landing with stairs that continue up to the main entry centered upon the covered veranda. The home encompasses 3,047 square feet with four bedrooms, two of which have ensuite baths and an extra full hall bath.

The first level has three garages and a nice den that has access to a multi-leveled waterfront deck that includes a wet bar and a full-sized refrigerator/freezer for convenient outdoor entertaining usage.

The decks connect to two boatlifts, one of which is covered, and there is a lovely swimming pool with a cascading waterfall that spills down beside a blue-tiled wall at one end. A spacious sundeck runs across the covered boat lift with easy access off the upstairs living area.

Stairs lighted by a suspended shaded vintage chandelier lead up to the main open living area, which also incorporates the dining portion.

It includes a Wet Bar and fireplace with a handsome hand-carved wooden mantle next to sliding glass doors that lead out to the great sun deck.

There you can enjoy the watery views, the pool down below, and the gorgeous tropically landscaped waterfront homes around you.

An adjoining formal dining room area has a unique tray ceiling.

The separate open kitchen area features dark ebony toned custom cabinetry, two bars for entertaining, and brushed stainless steel appliances, which include an upscale side by side upper refrigerator with two freezer drawers down below, along with a double oven.

A vintage bench styled Breakfast Nook is nearby beside another set of sliding glass doors that connect to a veranda that leads out to the sundeck.

The other side of this area includes a Game Room, an office alcove, and a spiral staircase that leads up to a charming glass-encased roof-top “Widow’s Walk.”

The master suite and three guest bedrooms are off the living area. The master bedroom has sliding glass doors leading out to the waterfront veranda and an ensuite with separate vanities, a deep soaking tub sided by two walls of glass block windows, as well as a separate shower.

One of the guest bedrooms includes an ensuite bath with a walk-in shower, while the other two guest bedrooms share a hall bath that doubles as a powder room with a unique corner vanity and a tub shower combination. This canal front home in Destin is listed at $1,450,000.

516 Vera Cruz Drive

A palatial waterfront family estate at 516 Vera Cruz Drive encompasses almost 4,700 square feet with five spacious bedrooms that include luxurious private ensuite baths with an additional half bath off the living area that serves as an elegant powder room. It has a regal presence with a classic Mediterranean design, which includes white-columned balustrade balconies, arched atrium topped windows, and a two-story glass walled turret tower that encases the interior staircase.

Two deepwater docks outback are decked out with the new TREX material that is maintenance-free, cool to your feet, and will not splinter. A new seawall has a state of the arts composite material. The deepwater at these docks can accommodate a big sport fishing vessel or even a large sailboat. If you ever tire of boating, the sugary white beach is only a short stroll away.

The lushly landscaped grounds include towering palm trees, banana plants, and other indigenous tropical plantings.

A double and single car garage flank the left side of the front door, which leads into the elegant foyer facing a double-columned entry with three portals that goes into a great room.

This room has soaring two-story ceilings that rise up to an open staircase landing off the upstairs bedrooms that provides dramatic views.

Doors lead out to a magnificent open veranda with room for outdoor dining and entertainment that overlooks the lush lawn leading to the double dock boat lifts and canal.

The interiors feature light parchment toned Travertine Marble flooring, decorative niches, multiple rooms with thick white beamed tray or vaulted ceilings, and upscale appointments that provide a luxurious setting.

The adjacent open kitchen features a bar for entertaining, an island, and a spacious wraparound counter topped with rich mottled granite, which accentuates the milk-chocolate-colored cabinetry.

State of the art stainless steel appliances include a large gas range topped oven, a gleaming Subzero refrigerator-freezer, a glass front wine cooler, and an icemaker.

A Breakfast Nook nest to the bar provides an additional convivial seating area. A formal dining room nearby has a stately look with a thick white beamed tray ceiling, which matches another one in the living area.

The turret tower staircase with a vintage chandelier suspended above provides an elegant ascent upstairs past a wall of windows to the open landing with an intimate seating area that looks down below.

The master bedroom and guest bedrooms all have an individual style and include their own private ensuite luxury baths adorned with granite or marble tiling.

Two of the guest bedrooms have direct access to an outdoor balcony or patio.

The grandiose master bedroom has its own wide waterfront balustrade balcony, a large walk-in closet, a seating area, and a lavish ensuite bath. The master bath features individual vanity sinks on each side of the room topped with mottled granite and an adjoining dressing table connected to one, a deep soaking tub beside a window niche, as well as a separate glass-walled shower. This magnificent Holiday Isle mansion is listed for $1,995,000.

Canal front homes on Holiday Isle are a rare find since they are not listed for sale very often. In fact, one of Ocean Reef’s own such properties priced at $1,150,000 at 22 Norriego Road with four bedrooms and 2,034 square feet, as well as another at 507 Gulf Shore Drive priced at $1,495,000 with four bedrooms encompassing 2,775 square feet just went under contract with pending closing dates. If you may be a prospective buyer with a big boat and are fortunate enough to take advantage of these buying opportunities, the time is now. Contact our professional Ocean Reef Real Estate office today at 877-392-6085 for complete details, a complimentary Comparative Market Analysis of all active, pending and sold listings for these homes and schedule a private tour ASAP.