Hey friends,
It has been a minute since my last post over on the blog. After much request, here is the ultimate travel guide
(from my humble opinion) when you travel to the 30A area in Florida. If you are wondering what is 30A (because some of my west coast friends have never heard about it until recently), it’s a section of small, stunning Florida beach towns on a Florida highway called 30A between Panama City and Destin. On this highway, you’ll find the beach communities called Grayton Beach, Watercolor, Seaside, Seagrove, WaterSound, Alys Beach, Seacrest, and Rosemary Beach…. and I probably left out a few more!
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It can be overwhelming when you start to search for rental properties because each community is so different, and prices are dramatically higher in some areas. I usually just search VRBO or Airbnb, but there is also Home Away, 30A Escapes, 30a LuxuryVacations, 360 Blue Properties, Cottage Rental Agency of Seaside, or 30A Vacation Rentals. Prices will vary based on what time of the year that you book too. I highly suggest to book reservations and rentals a few months before your trip. It is such a popular area for a family vacation.
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I’m here to give you a few favorites and some tips from a mom of four who doesn’t want to go into debt in order to go on a family vacation. To be honest, it is not cheap anymore to even visit Gulf Shores or Orange Beach. Prices will be higher on 30A, but the beaches are worth it. The water is magical and looks as beautiful as the Virgin Islands.
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#1 tip is to rent bikes and rent a golf cart or find a rental property that offers both. You will be stuck on the highway if you try to take your car to restaurants and etc. We bike or take the golf cart everywhere. The only area that doesn’t allow golf carts is Seacrest and Rosemary Beach. We rent our bikes from Good Pedals.
#2 tip is pick an area on 30A that fits your families request and needs. I would base this on the age of your children. If you have younger kids, I would stay clear of Seaside which has attracted more families with teenagers in the last few years. If my kids were younger, I would pick Watersound or Watercolor. Both offer private pools and private beaches. I will add that we have always had to walk at least 5-10 minutes or bike to the beach. Houses on the beach are a pretty penny. And, there is only one condo complex that I am aware of in Seagrove that is directly on the beach.
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#3 tip is to plan ahead and Instacart your grocery order to your beach house. There is only one grocery store as of now on 30A, and it is a Publix located in between Seaside and Seagrove. It can get so very busy. There is always the option to buy everything ahead of time. I’m not a fan of that option though. LOL. I did hear that Walmart (groceries only) will be opening soon close to Watersound.
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Here is a list of some of our favorite Airbnb rentals on 30A that are reasonably priced:
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1)SEAGROVE has become our favorite area on 30A since we have teens. It is close enough to Seaside for them to hang out with other teens yet far enough away from the bigger crowds for us adults. I do like that most of the houses are super close to the public beach accesses.
We have stayed at three additional rental properties in the Seagrove area, but I can’t find the link to them. These are a few of our favorites:
https://abnb.me/h57SmLPbzIb {comes with golf cart}
https://abnb.me/s7lUw3YbzIb {comes with golf cart}
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2)WATERSOUND is very quaint, quieter, and was perfect when we went for the Fourth of July with my parents. The beach is a huge PRIVATE area just for the Watersound houses in that particular community which is a big plus. You do have to walk or bike across these private boardwalks to get past the sand dunes to get to the beach. It is very peaceful and beautiful, and it is not crowded at all. It has multiple private pools. And, it is closer to the Hub aka The Big Chill. If we go with older friend groups or grandparents, this is where I would choose to stay or Rosemary.
This house below was so nice + reasonable too.
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3)PROMINENCE is super close to Watersound. It’s directly across the street from The Big Chill.
We stayed in this development for the first 4-5 years of visiting 30A. It’s thee most affordable for sure. BUT, it’s the furthest away from all of the public beach accesses. When the kids were little, we just would take a golf cart. It is about a mile or 1.5 miles to the beach access. It’s just too far away from all of the action for the teens.It does have a private pool.
Here is a few of the condos that we rented that are so nice:
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3)SEACREST is amazing too. We really enjoyed this area. It’s right in between Rosemary and Alys Beach. It’s just a tad more affordable than Rosemary and Alys though. LOL. It’s a longer walk to the beach depending on which side of 30A that you rent.
Below is the house that we loved in Seacrest for the entire family.
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4)GRAYTON and WATERCOLOR are on the other side of Seaside. We haven’t ventured that far in that direction. Some people love Grayton. The last house that we rented was considered part of Watercolor. The kids did say that the private beach was too crowde, but it was spring break. Watercolor is pricier because of all of the special amenities that come with the Watercolor beach club. They do offer a private beach by Watercolor Inn too. They have restaurants on the grounds and more.
We have rode our bikes on their trails in Watercolor which is beautiful.
And, the kids love to jump in the ponds. I’m not a fan of swimming in a pond!! LOL
Here is the house that we rented. It was a little far from the beach but gorgeous:
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5)ROSEMARY and the INLET beach area is at the end of 30A before heading to Panama City. I’ve only stayed once in Rosemary at a friend’s house. It was a hike to the beach, but it’s so beautiful + very quaint in that area. It’s better for adult trips and girl’s trips. I would totally stay at The Pearl in Rosemary which is an adults only resort.
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Here is a list of our favorite spots/restaurants to eat on 30A:
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1)SEASIDE:
Airstream Row~ {we especially love the Meltdown + Mr Gyro Hero}
Daytrader {we LOVE}
Bud + Alleys {it’s easy + decent Italian}
Pickles {good fast food option~ I love the fries and tenders. The boys like the sandwiches}
Great Southern Cafe’ {we usually eat here once on our trip~ good food + service}
Black Bear Bread Co. {good for breakfast or coffee}
Nigel’s {dessert~ frozen banana and more}
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2)SEAGROVE:
The Perfect Pig { very nice + yummy}
Cowgirl Kitchen {good for lunch}
Village Market {the boys love the sandwiches}
Old Florida Fish House {it’s a long wait. But, some people love it}
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3)ALYS BEACH:
Fonville Press {love this place for breakfast or lunch~ their whipped feta is divine}
Raw & Juicy {vegan but some fabulous dishes}
George’s
The Citizen
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4)ROSEMARY:
Pescado {so good but need reservations}
Edwards
Havana Beach Bar & Grill {love this place for brunch, lunch and dinner}
Gallion’s
La Crema
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5)GRAYTON BEACH:
The Red Bar
Shuck Gulley’s
Angelina’s
Chanticleer Bakery & Eatery
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That is my updated travel guide!! We have plans to stay in the Seagrove area again this summer so I’ll make to add any new finds after that vacation!! Hope that this helps!!
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