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WORLD'S THRIFTIEST FISHING VILLAGE? Destin named to list of top ‘cheap' vacation spots
Away.com has named the “Top Ten Cheap Beach Vacations for 2009,” and Destin fell in at tenth, right behind Outer Banks, N.C.
The purpose of the list, according to Alexis Anderson, spokesperson for Away.com, is to give budget-minded travelers suggestions for the “perfect summer escape” although a “far-flung, luxury beach vacation may not be in their immediate future.”
The list includes places both domestic and exotic; the top spot was awarded to Cannon Beach, Ore., but the list is full of foreign beaches such as Tulum, Sao Paulo, Jamaica and more.
Destin was also recently listed as the No. 9 Best Budget Summer Getaway in SouthernLiving.com’s 2009 travel archive.
Away.com's top ten cheap beach vacation destination recommendations for 2009 are:
1. Cannon Beach, Oregon
2. Tulum, Mexico
3. Placencia, Belize
4. Morro de Sao Paulo, Brazil
5. Negril, Jamaica
6. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
7. Cape Ann, Massachusetts
8. Huntington Beach, California
9. Outer Banks, North Carolina
10. Destin, Florida
Cannon Beach, Oregon, Away.com’s number one choice for a cheap beach vacation, gives cost-conscious beachgoers a variety of free activities. Check out iconic Haystack Rock, drive to nearby Ecola State Park, or head to Bay City for fresh seafood. In Manzanita, rooms go for as low as $70 a night during high season.
For a cheap beach vacation a little farther away from home, Tulum, Mexico, has the same beachfront views as Playa del Carmen at budget prices. Visit the nearby Mayan ruins, or stay near the beach, where ocean-view properties have offered rooms for $60 a night, and airfare from the States can be had for less than it’d cost to fly to Florida or California.
In Negril, Jamaica, daily happy hours, electric sunsets, and Acapulco-style cliff divers keep costs low and spirits high. Beachfront hotels can start at $74 a night in high season.
“In these tough times, people tend to forget that it is possible to take a beach vacation without spending your life savings,” says Eric Brodnax, general manager of Away.com. “But it’s easy, and it all begins with picking a destination a bit off the beaten path.”
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| I have friends that joke that if you can shoot deer in deer season why can't you shoot tourist in tourist season. I in fact enjoy that other people can enjoy the place I love so much. If it can be done at a reasonable cost so much the better. |
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| Bill - Jul 26, 2009 01:24:01 AM | Remove Comment |
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| The word "cheap" bothers some folks. Locals know when to go where to enjoy the place without busting the budget or being to crowded. Wink wink nod nod I bet you all know someone to call when you want to get a meal ahead of the crowd in tourist season. |
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| Bill - Jul 26, 2009 01:19:29 AM | Remove Comment |
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| To Mary and Cathy- Amen sisters! Could not have said it better myself! |
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| sickofstupidity - Jul 25, 2009 07:15:52 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Destin is very affordable comparitavely with other resortt towns, the fact that some people can't afford it doesn't mean it's expensive. Try Naples or Sanibel, see if you find Destin more affordable then. |
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| destinite - Jul 25, 2009 03:01:16 PM | Remove Comment |
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| I've never thought of Destin as "cheap." Expensive, yes. I once lived in the area, and as locals know it is possible to have a permanent residence and a reasonable lifestyle. But to visit the rentals motel or condo are outrageously priced for what they are. I love Destin and wish I had never left but the cost of coming as visitor is extremely high just for a bed in paradise! |
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| Jay - Jul 25, 2009 12:36:50 PM | Remove Comment |
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| If they had used the word "inexpensive" and not the word "cheap", would you have felt better! C'mon, people - the fact that it isn't expensive is what keeps a lot of us here! |
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| Shannon - Jul 24, 2009 04:46:25 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Time for Walmart to expand to include a water park then they can spend the whole day there. Never thought that Destin would fall below Panama City. |
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| Local - Jul 24, 2009 11:51:13 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Great, more redneck tourists, I agree this is not a distinction to be proud of. How much did the TDC pay to get us on this list? |
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| Mary - Jul 24, 2009 10:49:39 AM | Remove Comment |
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| Frankly, I do not believe this is a list to be proud of being on. Seems that the more "progress" we have the "cheaper" we get. |
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| Cathy - Jul 24, 2009 09:56:22 AM | Remove Comment |
