The Mermaid’s Retreat is a self-catering accommodation for the budget minded family/friends looking for a cozy nest to stay in the heart of Destin. We allow up to 2 dogs at NO CHARGE(no puppies < 40lbs). Mermaid’s Retreat is a ground floor conveniently located across the street from the beach and next to Big Kahuna’s Waterpark and The Track Park. Our complex offers 3 pools, with one being heated during the winter, and a peaceful lake walkover just steps away where you can feed the turtles from the bridge.


The space

The entire retreat has been decorated to reflect its seaside setting. You will definitely feel like you are on a tropical holiday no matter where you turn. The gorgeous white-sand beach is just a few minutes’ walk away. A grill is available right in front of the condo for home-style BBQ's for the fish you catch or buy from specialist seafood shops nearby. For those with kids, there are plenty of amusement centers of interest around the corner like The Big Kahuna’s Waterpark and The Track Family Amusement & Theme Park.
When you arrive at the complex, you will enter through one of our two gated entrances and you will be provided with the complex gate access code. You will enter the Mermaid’s Retreat with a code on our keyless entry keypad, for added convenience.
Walking into the retreat you will see the living room that welcomes you with a comfortable queen sleeper sofa with upgraded 5” memory foam mattress and two accent chairs. The living room area also provides a 54” flat-screen TV. Our dining area overlooks the patio where you can sit and sip a cup of coffee in the sunshine at a table indoors or on the patio.
Our laundry room is situated directly off the patio and has a full-sized washer & dryer for your convenience. One of our 3 pools is just a few steps away from our building.

Our kitchen area is a full open concept to the dining room, and it is fully stocked with all your cooking essentials like dishes, bake ware, pots and pans, silverware, utensils, blender, crock-pot and standard coffee maker with complimentary coffee, cream, sugar, etc.

Directly off the living area you will have easy access to both living quarters. The master bedroom is equipped with a queen size bed and comfortable pillows for a great night's sleep. The other bedroom is equipped with 2 full size beds. Both bedrooms have flat-screen televisions with ample selections of channels for relaxing in bed while watching your favorite shows at the end of the day.

Our bathroom offers a large shower with complimentary dispenser of body wash, shampoo and conditioner. We also have a fully stocked linen closet with plenty of towels and other bath supplies.

We have attempted to provide nearly everything you will need for an enjoyable family/friend’s low-cost getaway to the beautiful Emerald Coast. Perhaps the only thing you will need to bring is your bathing suit and a beach towel! We even have a limited supply of beach gear such as umbrellas, chairs, beach toys, beach mats, etc.

While the closest beach access is about a 1 mile walking distance or about a 10-minute walk, it is a short drive with plenty of free parking adjacent to the Back Porch Restaurant and the June White Decker Public Beach where you will have convenient access to restrooms and shower facilities. The Henderson Beach State Park is only 1.6 miles away or a short 5-minute drive, and I highly recommend this extremely family friendly State Park that has awesome facilities for a small fee of $6 per carload.

Your booking includes the entire first floor condo. Please note that this is a first story unit; it is possible to hear the upstairs neighbors at times.


Guest access



At Gulf Terrace, our guests have full access to the entire condo, tennis courts and three swimming pools (one heated in the winter months). Parking is free for all our guests.

Interaction with guests



We both love to eat out, so can recommend some of the best places to dine.... not matter what your budget. Jeff has been fishing in the Gulf and Atlantic waters for many years, so can give guests an insiders perspective. Gladys has a keen eye for shopping deals too. Living around the corner, we are both available to come by for a daily dose of advice or just a friendly chat.


Other things to note


We provide shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the shower, as well as dishwasher detergent and cleaning supplies. The laundry room is fully stocked with laundry soap. There are plenty of surf shops nearby to purchase any beach accessories that you may need.