We have a chance to go to Destin during the week of Dec. 21 - 27. Could anyone please give me an idea of what the weather is like during that time? Also, do all the fishing boats, tour boats etc. go out then? Thanks for any help.

Cold. Often very cold. It would be rare indeed for it to be warm enough to walk on the beach comfortably, and the ocean will be ice cold and rough. Many "seasonal" shops & restaurants will be closed as well.

It is not necessarily cold in Destin in the winter. The average high in late December (according to weather.com) is 63 F. I lived in Destin from 1979 to 2001, and I remember on most Christmas's we would all take a walk around the neighborhood after dinner. In fact, some Christmas's I remember it being quite warm.

Also, very few stores/restaurants that I can think of close during the winter (or anytime). More and more, Destin is becoming a year round destination. Many people from Canada and the Midwest come down and stay for months at a time in the winter.

As far as fishing, it all depends on the weather. It is usually stormy in the winter, so it might be rough out on the Gulf. It is hit or miss. I would say the main attractions/activities during the winter would be shopping, eating out, and relaxing. You could probably walk on the beach during the day comfortably. And if you stay at the beach, you get to enjoy looking at it from the warmth of your condo.

Okay, I can't argue with statistics, but a cold seabreeze makes 63 feel like 50. Not to be pessimistic, but my visits to the FL panhandle area from Nov-Feb have been uniformly COLD and stormy/wet.

(I'll never forget the big March blizzard in the mid-90's. WOW.)

Gekko, that March blizzard was in 1993!!
Marydee, Destin could be nice or like Gekko said it could be cold.

I was going to post a very similar question as we will be in Destin 15-17th December enroute to New Orleans from Orlando.

From the sounds of things it doesn't look like I'll be going snorkelling

No way. The Gulf is ice cold in December.

Ah, March 1993. The blizzard. My lost youth.