The northwest Florida coast offers some of the best beaches in Florida (and the country.) Here’s why you should visit “30A” and its white sand coast.
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Introducing 30A: Florida’s Best-Kept Secret
Florida’s Highway 30A, often simply referred to as 30A, is a scenic highway that meanders along the Gulf Coast of the Florida Panhandle. 30A is renowned for its stunning beach communities, each with its unique charm, nestled between the popular tourist destinations of Panama City and Santa Rosa Beach. South Walton County, the district that hosts this scenic highway, boasts some of the most idyllic beach towns you can find, making it the perfect Florida vacation spot.
Town-Centered Beach Communities: A New Concept in Vacationing
30A is town-centered, meaning that each community is organized around a central hub, usually offering a variety of shops, restaurants, and activities. This design promotes a sense of community, and tourists often find themselves feeling more like residents than visitors. These beach towns, each with their unique architectural styles and atmospheres, include Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, Seacrest Beach, and Blue Mountain Beach, among others.
A Panoramic Tour of the 30A Beach Towns
Grayton Beach State Park
Grayton Beach State Park is a must-visit for nature lovers. This sprawling park offers a refreshing blend of coastal dunes, clear blue waters, and a unique coastal forest that forms a beautiful backdrop against the Florida beach. The park is perfect for a day trip or an extended stay at one of the 30A vacation rentals within the park.
Seagrove Beach and Dune Allen Beach
Seagrove Beach and Dune Allen Beach are the epitome of tranquility, offering serene landscapes and stunning beachfront views. Seagrove, with its old-Florida charm, and Dune Allen, with its three coastal dune lakes, are both perfect for those seeking a peaceful escape. Dunes are rare in the state of Florida so this adds additional unique charm.
Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach
Alys Beach, known for its white stucco buildings and green spaces, and Rosemary Beach, with its West Indies-inspired architecture, are the epitome of luxury. Both are upscale beach communities that offer high-end 30A vacation rentals, exquisite dining options, and a variety of activities, making them excellent choices for a lavish Florida vacation.
Blue Mountain Beach
Blue Mountain Beach, named for the blue lupine flowers that grace its dunes, is a quiet community that offers a unique, laid-back vibe. This beach town is perfect for those seeking a tranquil vacation home away from the bustling city life.
The Ideal Florida Vacation on 30A
A 30A vacation beach rental is the perfect home base for exploring the Florida Panhandle. From luxury beachfront houses to cozy cottages, there is something to suit every traveler’s taste and budget. Whether you’re planning a family vacation or a romantic getaway, 30A offers an array of activities and attractions. Waking up to the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline, spending the day exploring the local beach towns, and winding down with a picturesque sunset over the Gulf Coast. It’s a far cry from South Florida (either coast) and hectic Central Florida.
Conclusion
The beaches of 30A offer more than just a typical Florida beach experience. The town-centered approach to community design, the variety of beach towns, and the stunning natural beauty of places like Grayton Beach State Park all come together to create a unique vacation destination. So, for your next northwest Florida vacation, skip the crowded beaches of Panama City and instead explore the charming beach communities along the scenic highway of 30A in South Walton County. This hidden gem of the Gulf Coast is sure to provide an unforgettable experience.
What do you think? Have you visited the beaches of 30A? How was your experience?
@Kylie, if you had gone more east you would have visited Apalachicola and St. George’s Island, some of the best beaches in the State.
They are both old Florida with a charm not found anymore where in most parts of the State.
Added to that some of the best Oysters in the State.
*found anymore in most parts of the State.
Replied to my comment because I am unable to edit posts on this site.
I thought the Oyster industry in Apalachicola had collapsed?
Apalachicola, the town, while being a place that I like, isn’t necessarily going to appeal to a broad segment of the population.
St George has a great beach, but it’s not particularly convenient for people coming in by air, unless you have your own small plane, then it’s super convenient. Otherwise it’s 2-2.5 drive from the nearest airports. The whole point of St. George is that there isn’t a lot there other than the beach, which appeals to some folks, some of the time.
The 30A stretch from Pensacola to Panama City while being more crowded is much more convenient for folks coming by air and has a much wider variety of accommodations, restaurants, and leisure opportunities.
100% agree about St. Georges Island and Apalachicola especially during the seafood festival if you can get a room. From Gulf Shores all the way over to St. Georges Island Florida you will find the most beautiful sugar white beaches. I know because i have lived in that area all of my life. Nothing wrong with 30A except it has been discovered and can be crowded these days while St. Georges Island is a bit further but much less crowded.
Is it safe to visit Florida? All the travel advisories make it sound like it’s not
@Matt: stay away from Florida. That is indeed a very dangerous place. Go hang out in Chicago, New York or San Francisco. These are very safe places, clean and with nice people on the streets.
Chicago is a great place to go during the summer. Right now there is a large latin music festival going on right downtown and its been very peaceful. The best part is Maga losers like the poster above are afraid of it so you won’t run into any of them there. And you won’t get your face eaten off by some meth head.
Don’t go to Florida if you are pregnant. If you have the misfortune of a miscarriage while there you will be condemned to death.
@Billy Bob: Read my post again. That’s exactly what I said. Chicago is safe, clean and has only nice people on the streets.
It does. People here are much nicer than the fake southern hospitality I encountered living in the south for two of the longest years of my life.
Great point, New York state has a lower homicide rate than Florida and NYC has a much lower rate than Miami.
“According to the FBI’s 2020 Uniform Crime Report, the homicide rate in Florida was 5.9 murders per 100,000 people and the violent crime rate was 384 per 100,000. New York, meanwhile, had a murder rate of 4.2 and a violent crime rate of 364 in the same time frame.
For New York City, the homicide rate in 2020 was 5.6 per 100,000 people, slightly below the national average of 6.5. Miami, however, experienced a 12.8 homicide rate per 100,000 in 2020—more than twice that of NYC. Miami’s violent crime rate of 556 in 2020, though, was a bit lower than New York City’s 584.”
It depends on how comfortable you are visiting God’s waiting room.
It’s safe enough for the head of the NAACP to live there.
@Matt, Florida is absolutely safe to visit as a tourist.
Politics ruins everything and politics on both sides is ruining Florida.
However, as someone who lives in Florida, it is safe, yes there are these warnings out there and the State is going leaning very conservative right now with some very extreme policies, but at the end of the day it is still part of the USA and it is safe .
Just curious how politics on both sides ruining Florida. The gop has a complete stranglehold on the state. DeSantis has been given carte blanche
White supremacists seem to enjoy it quite a bit, along with insurrectionists and people who support fascist authoritative rulers.
Also, you’ll be safe from homegrown terrorists like drag queens and transgender people who cause so much chaos and damage in other states.
But if you have a vagina you may want to avoid Florida….because they have complete control over that part of a woman’s body. Other’s can visit Florida comfortably, knowing that the state gets to decide what goes on there.
And finally, if even after all this government control you feel unsafe, alas, in Florida ANYONE can carry a gun, any type of gun. No permit or license required….
You just can’t find a safer state than Florida….
This reads like a paid advertisement. 30A is anything but hidden. Every minivan and kid haulin’ SUV in Texas has a 30A bumper sticker. Nearly the entirety of white upper middle class Atlanta moves there during the summer.
There’s also a bit of irony in that the same blog that has recently reviewed the Four Seasons Bosporus, numerous park Hyatts, and some of the world’s best F products calls Rosemary Beach the “epitome of luxury.”
I lived in Fort Walton Beach for 3 years. that’s the town just west of Destin. 30A truly is lovely. However, the whole “Emerald Coast” part of Florida….maybe roughly from Pensacola to Panama City….is REALLY seasonal. This specific area has turned into the Summer Beach Resort of the “deep south.” I say the “deep south” because nowadays it anywhere that you can throw the family into the Yukon and drive 12 hours.
So, from probably Memorial Day to Labor Day, everything will be outrageously busy. Most vacation rentals turn on Saturday…..so expect a massive crush as everyone tries to check in at the same time. Then the crush moves to Publix where there are beer and food runs happening at the same time. Restaurants? I hope you dont mind sitting in traffic for an hour to drive 5 miles.
The truly secret part of this area is on the shoulder season…..early October can be incredible, and much less busy. I moved away due to a military relocation and generally liked area, although you will be exposed to plenty of pickup trucks with flagpoles, shall we say. The food was lovely…Grouper and Snapper, Snapper and Grouper. The oysters are good but pollution has wiped out the Florida oysters so they all come in from Texas and Louisiana. Enjoy but be warned you won’t have this place to yourself in summer.