Most folks are familiar with Florida’s Panhandle and its reputation for beautiful beaches. One of the loveliest parts of the Panhandle is known as the “Emerald Coast”, which stretches from Panama City to Destin. Clearly, the beaches are the big draw, but it turns out that there is a lot more to this part of the state than we imagined.
Even though we grew up in central Florida, we had spent very little time in the Panhandle. In fact, we had visited beaches in Panama City and Pensacola on only two occasions, quite a few years ago. They were nice, but since we had plenty of great beaches in our area of the state, we just never felt motivated to return.
That all changed in 2021, when we had an opportunity to escape the North Carolina winter and spend a few weeks there during late January and February. We were truly impressed with the Emerald Coast, especially a little stretch of the coast known as “30A”. We would like to tell you a little bit about this wonderful spot, and what you can expect if you decide to visit.
Where is 30A?
If you are like us, you may have never heard of 30A. Located in Walton County, Florida, 30-A is a scenic stretch of road that follows the Gulf coast for 26 miles. Along those 26 miles you will find more than a dozen little beach towns, each with its own individual vibe. What you will not find are many chains of any kind. There are a couple of gas stations and a Subway sandwich shop, but other than those we did not notice any chains. Instead, almost every shop and restaurant are privately owned. There are a couple of resorts, including 2 high-rise condos, but most of the accommodations found along 30A are private rentals.
As such, each of the little towns along 30-A feel more like ‘neighborhoods’ with their own restaurants, bars and shops. We really enjoyed the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere that we found in all of these little towns and in no time at all we felt like ‘locals’!
I must acknowledge though, that winter anywhere in the Panhandle is much different than areas in central and south Florida. It tends to get a little chilly there in the winter, at least by Florida standards. So, unlike points south, winter in the Panhandle is the slow season and summer is high season. Therefore, we found 30A to be very quiet in comparison with the beach towns of south Florida during winter.
Visiting in the summer though may be a different story. The beach towns of the Panhandle are very busy from May through October. There are tons of festivals and events throughout these months and since approximately 60 million people live within a day’s drive, it can get pretty busy. However, from November to April things are much quieter, so this article is focused on the winter months.
TIP: As mentioned, it does get chilly in the Panhandle in winter months. Daytime temperatures for January and early February can range from the low 50’s to the upper 60’s. If a cold front is passing through the area, it can be even cooler overnight. That said, unless a front is passing through, the daytime is usually very sunny and the weather is ideal for being outside for long walks on the beach, biking and hiking.
Coastal Lakes and Sand Dunes
One of the biggest surprises about our visit to 30A is the number of state parks and state forests that are right off 30A, not to mention many others that are just a few miles away. In fact, almost half of the land in south Walton County is protected as a state park or state forest. We visited several of these state parks including Camp Helen, Deer Lake, Grayton Beach and Topsail Hill Preserve.
Most of these parks offer beach access, as well as hiking trails and boardwalks through typical Florida inland landscape of scrub oaks, magnolias, cypress trees and palmetto palms. But two of the most unique and most unexpected finds are the coastal dune lakes and ubiquitous sand dunes found throughout the area.
There are some 15 coastal dune lakes along 30A, and they are actually quite unique, existing in only a few places around the world. These mostly freshwater lakes are fed by inland streams and rivers, along with rain and runoff from the surrounding area. Typically located within a few hundred feet of the Gulf of Mexico, the lakes also experience periodic surges from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
When the lakes are full, they overrun their banks that are adjacent to the beach. Excess water pours into the Gulf, forming deep and sometimes swift-moving channels across the beach. These channels come and go on an almost daily basis, depending on the water levels of the lakes and the tidal changes of the Gulf.
The other notable geographical features are the large sand dunes throughout the region. We have visited many beaches all around Florida and have never seen dunes of this size anywhere else in the state. In some places, the sand dunes extend inland hundreds of feet from the beach. But the biggest surprise to us was the height of the dunes. In some places along 30A, the dunes are as high as 60 feet!
Beach Towns Along 30A
As mentioned earlier, there are many little beach towns along 30A and they all have different personalities. We thought we would pick out a few of them to tell you about.
TIP: This area of the Panhandle is referred to by multiple terms including 30A, South Walton and even SoWal. So don’t be confused if you hear these terms used somewhat interchangeably. Another potential point of confusion is the fact that the official postal address of all of the towns stretching from Seagrove Beach to Dune Allen is actually Santa Rosa Beach. So, this entire area is sometimes referred to as Santa Rosa Beach.
• Inlet Beach to Seacrest
Beginning on the eastern side of 30A and heading west, the first towns include Inlet Beach, Rosemary Beach, Seacrest and Alys (pronounced like Alice) Beach. Developed using principles of New Urbanism, Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach are both relatively new planned communities and although they are very close to one another, they have a completely different appearance.
Walking through the streets of Rosemary Beach, we were surprised to find cobblestone streets and European-style buildings. Portions of the community actually look like a small German village. However, the town’s architecture is intended to emulate the colonial architecture of the Dutch West Indies.
Alys Beach, with its all-white stucco buildings, looks more like something you would see in Greece or in the Middle East. However, the intent was to create an environment that incorporates aspects of Moorish, Spanish and Mediterranean architecture. The homes with courtyards, villas and rooftop decks are luxurious, while still emphasizing the natural environment. Interestingly, there are no private hotels in Alys Beach. All accommodations are private rentals.
• Seagrove Beach
Seagrove Beach is located along a 2-mile stretch of 30A and is where we made our home while visiting the area. Seagrove Beach is an established community of mostly residential homes and low-rise condos. We loved Seagrove Beach because it has more of a real ‘neighborhood’ feel including lots of local restaurants, shops and even a huge beer garden that was within walking distance of our condo!
The beaches in Seagrove Beach are outstanding. This area of Florida is said to have some of the whitest sand on earth because its primary ingredient is white quartz crystal that was left behind by glaciers during the last great Ice Age. I can certainly attest to the fact that it was the whitest sand I have ever seen and even appears like snow in a lot of our photos.
In addition, there are several coastal lakes in Seagrove Beach, including Deer Lake and Eastern Lake. Both of these lakes periodically ‘break through’ and empty their excess water into the Gulf. These breakthroughs result in frequent and interesting changes to the landscape of the beach.
The color of the Gulf of Mexico is truly a beautiful emerald green. The stunning hue is the result of the sun shining through the water and bouncing off the white sand of the ocean’s bottom, along with a particular type of harmless, virtually invisible algae that is present in the water year-round.
There is a lot of wildlife living near the beaches and coastal lakes. Each day we saw pelicans, many types of shore birds and dolphins. In fact, the dolphins were very active and literally treated us to a show on many afternoons!
TIP: Usually beginning in June and continuing throughout the warmest months, a different type of green algae is often seen along the coast. The algae, commonly called June Grass, is very noticeable and frankly kind of unpleasant. Swimmers probably will not want to go in the water when June Grass is present, even though the algae itself is harmless and in fact, provides a food source for sea life and shore birds.
• Seaside and Watercolor
Just to the west of Seagrove Beach are the villages of Seaside and Watercolor. Even though these two villages are adjacent to one another, each has its own personality.
When you first arrive in Seaside, the town square may give the impression of a carnival atmosphere. There are tons of great food trucks and restaurants with walk-up window service right along 30A, along with some very good restaurants and bars around the square. The Great Southern Café is perfect for lunch or dinner and Bud and Alley’s rooftop bar is a wonderful spot for watching the sun set.
Despite initial impressions, Seaside, just like Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach is a master planned community using the principles of New Urbanism. Beyond the town square is a beautifully designed community with pedestrian walkways and open spaces.
Adjacent to Seaside is the village of WaterColor. WaterColor is an absolutely gorgeous village consisting of green spaces and southern-style wood homes with large wraparound porches and without traditional lawns. Instead, most of the homes are nestled into private wooded settings using native plants for landscaping.
Also located in WaterColor is the only beachfront hotel along 30A, the WaterColor Inn. This 60-room luxury hotel has direct beach access, a spa and an upscale restaurant The Fish Out of Water.
• Grayton Beach
The term ‘eclectic’ comes to mind when thinking of Grayton Beach. Of all the towns along 30A, Grayton Beach is the oldest, most unique and definitely has the most distinctive character. The streets are narrow and shaded by old oaks and magnolias. Many of the residences in town are quaint, old beach cottages. And even when remodeled, owners choose to maintain their relatively rustic appearance.
Much of the town actually falls within the boundaries of Grayton Beach State Park. At 400 acres, Grayton Beach State Park is larger than some of its sister parks along 30A and as such it has everything, including dense forests, hiking paths, a coastal lake, salt marshes, large sand dunes and of course a phenomenal beach! The beach has been designated as a Blue Wave Beach for its emphasis on cleanliness, safety and environmental concerns.
Grayton Beach has a small downtown area that has some cute shops and restaurants. It is also home to Grayton Beer Company, an excellent brewpub that serves up its local brew along with lunch and dinner.
• Blue Mountain Beach
Relaxed, quiet, beautiful and less crowded is how we would describe Blue Mountain Beach. The beach here is sublime. Like most of the beaches along 30A, the beach is well maintained and immaculately clean! But the most spectacular part of Blue Mountain Beach are the dunes. In fact, the highest point on the entire Gulf Coast can be found here, and at 65-feet, that’s pretty tall by Florida standards.
We wondered why the town was named Blue Mountain. As it turns out, the tall dunes along the coastline were once nearly covered with Blue Lupine, a flowering plant with bright blue and purple flowers. When Spanish explorers first mapped this area of Florida from their ships offshore, they noticed the blue ‘mountains’ and apparently the name stuck!
• Dune Allen Beach
Dune Allen Beach is located at the western end of 30A and is the last of the small communities that are actually on 30A. Offering 3.2 miles of coastline, this community is a nature lover’s paradise. The village surrounds Lake Allen and Oyster Lake, two coastal dune lakes and there are a couple of very nice beach access points complete with restrooms and picnic facilities. In addition, Dune Allen is very close to the Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, with 3 miles of pristine beaches, hiking trails, dunes and coastal lakes. Topsail Hill is the perfect place to sight aquatic wildlife and birds of all kinds.
Dune Allen is mostly residential and there are fewer commercial establishments in the area. However, one of 30A’s best restaurants can be found here. Known for its fresh and delicious seafood, Stinky’s Fish Camp is very popular with tourists and locals alike. They offer a New Orleans style take on many of their dishes as well as some traditional Florida favorites.
Restaurants
There are so many wonderful restaurants along 30A and in South Walton that there is no way we could cover them all. However, we did find a few favorites that we will list here, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. If you are visiting the area, your best bet will be to check out tourist guides and websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor to find those restaurants that are most to your liking.
• The Hub – The Hub is located in the community of Watersound Beach, between Seacrest and Seagrove Beach. The Hub is actually a collection of small eateries that may best be described as an outdoor food court. There are several good spots here and since it is sort of a food court, everyone in your party can choose the food they prefer. We enjoyed the Local Smoke for its pulled pork and brisket.
• Coastal Dune Company – Located in Seagrove Beach and just a short walk from where we were staying is the Coastal Dune Company. This was our favorite spot to sit outside in the ‘beer garden’, overlooking Eastern Lake, while enjoying one of their many craft beers, wines or gourmet coffees.
• Old Florida Fish House – Immediately adjacent to the Coastal Dune Company and sharing their garden space is the Old Florida Fish House. They serve typical Florida seafood and we especially like the blackened grouper sandwich.
• The Perfect Pig – We first thought that The Perfect Pig must be a barbecue restaurant, but we were wrong. They do serve some barbeque and smoked dishes, but the emphasis is on modern southern food. The food at any of their 3 locations along 30A is considered among the best in the area. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and a fantastic brunch at their Gulf Place and WaterColor locations.
• Seagrove Village Market Café – We did not actually dine in at the Seagrove Village Market Café, but we got takeout from there at least 6 times during our stay. Everything we had, including blackened grouper sandwiches, shrimp Po-Boys, shrimp tacos and fried shrimp were fantastic. The side items were great too. Takeout there is fast and efficient and we can’t recommend it enough!
• Angelina’s – Angelina’s is a small Italian restaurant in Seagrove Beach and was another favorite spot for takeout. Their menu has all the Italian favorites you would expect and we were not disappointed by any of our meals from Angelina’s.
• The Great Southern Café – The Great Southern Café is located on the square in Seaside. It is a local favorite and offers a fusion of traditional and upscale southern specialties, along with heavy emphasis on seafood and international cuisines.
• The Fish Out of Water – The Fish Out of Water (FOOW) is an upscale seafood restaurant within the WaterColor Inn. The food and service are both excellent. Fine dining is available inside and outside on their wonderful veranda. It’s a great spot to catch the sunset!
• The Wine Bar at WaterColor – Wine Bar/Wine World at WaterColor was one of our favorite spots to enjoy a meal or a glass of wine. The inside of the restaurant is open and spacious, but we preferred the lovely outside patio for people watching and enjoying the sunny, warm days of winter in Florida. The cheese plates, pizzas, and chicken salad are excellent as is the service.
• Stinky’s Fish Camp – Don’t be turned off by the name! Stinky’s Fish Camp is well known for their fresh seafood prepared New Orleans style, including oysters, crawfish, shrimp and more.
Places to Stay
The types of accommodations that you will find along 30A are primarily privately rented homes, and condos. We rented our condo through VRBO, but Airbnb rentals are also available. In addition, there is a multitude of private, property management companies that handle all sorts of rentals. There are so many that we could not even begin to list them.
If you are looking for one of these private accommodations, your best bet is to first determine what size of accommodation you need. You will find everything from studio apartments to 10+ bedroom homes, and there are a lot of choices. Next, determine which village or villages that you are interested in having as your home base. Then start searching the Internet for the rental companies that may specialize in your areas of interest. As you can imagine, the sooner you make the decisions, the better selection you will have. So start your planning early!
Things to Do
Of course, the whole reason to come to this part of the state is to enjoy the beaches and the ocean. But there are lots of other things to do when you are visiting 30A. Here are a few ideas.
• A Bonfire on the Beach – A trip to the beach is great in the day time, but what about joining family and friends for an evening bonfire? Here are a couple of places that will arrange a customized bonfire for you. We watched bonfires from our condo on many evenings and they looked like a lot of fun. A special permit is required to make a fire on the beach, so don’t even think about doing this yourself!
• Biking – Biking is everything a long 30A and there are rental companies everywhere along the route. People of all ages from small children to the elderly engage in this pastime. The Timpoochee Trail is an18-mile bicycle and pedestrian path that stretches from Inlet Beach to Dune Allen. The trail parallels 30A for most of the route and since the terrain is almost uniformly flat, it’s a pretty easy ride most of the way. That said, if you decide to ride the entire length of the trail, take water, sunscreen and be prepared to be a little sore the next day.
• Fishing – Both freshwater and saltwater fishing abound in the area and there are many bait and fishing shops in the area as well. Be aware, that a fishing license is required for any fishing, even from the beach and they can be purchased online. Florida residents may fish from the beach for free, but they are still required to obtain that free license from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
• Golfing – Its Florida, so of course golfing is a popular pursuit. Many of the golf course in the area are private, but there are some open to the public. Check out this golf guide for Walton County for more information on the public courses in the area.
• Hiking – If you like the outdoors and enjoy communing with nature, visit any of the state parks mentioned in this post. For more information on these and other hiking spots in the area, check out this website.
• Boating/Eco Touring – If you are interested in getting out on the water, but not necessarily fishing, consider one of the many boat tours offered in the area. There are tons of boat tours available that include everything from sightseeing to parasailing. If you enjoy boating, you will find a lot to choose from in Walton County.
Panama City Beach and Destin
The focus of this post has been 30A and the surrounding areas of south Walton County. However, I would feel remiss if I did not mention the nearby, and probably more well-known cities of Panama City Beach and Destin. Both of the cities have many more amenities like malls, chain restaurants, big box stores and the like. As such, they can tend to be more popular and more crowded than the beach villages of 30A.
However, if you are looking for all those amenities, by all means look into Panama City Beach, Destin and their surrounding communities. After all, they share the same coastline with 30A, so of course they also have wonderful beaches too!
Well, that sums up our review of 30A. We hope you enjoyed learning about this area of Florida. As I mentioned, even though we grew up in Florida, we never new about this charming, laid-back area of the Panhandle. During our winter sojourn, we took a short trip to St. George Island, about 100 miles east of where we were staying in Seagrove Beach. It is a spectacular place, that we plan to share with you in a future blog post. So, stay tuned if you like to know more about this unique and gorgeous island!
Until next time, safe travels!
Oh, you have piqued my interest since these areas sound just like our preferred type of visits! Now that things seem to be improving with the pandemic, it’s time to start touring again!
That’s so good to hear! Hope you enjoy your visit!
Really great article about the Emerald Coast. It is a beautiful area of the panhandle and this article will be a benefit to those wishing to experience the pristine sands
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We have been frequenting the 30-A area for about 8 years especially Seagroove. We absolutely love all the family oriented feeling, bicycle paths along the whole 30-A highway, neighborhood feel, wonderful restaurants and bars, and people are just friendly. If you have never visited this area you are missing a treat. We really like the down season from November thru February.
Thank you for the comment. We are looking forward to returning in January.