A Day in 30A: Guide around the Emerald Coast
I get asked all the time what attracted me to Panama City Beach and how did I find this Airbnb location? The answer is 30A. I would see all these IG posts with families on beautiful white sandy beaches and turquoise water with the same location tagged - 30A, 30A, 30A…so I did my research, worked with a local agent for about a year and finally found a place that was not only affordable but also walking distance to the beach - a WIN WIN!
So what is 30A? Known as the "Emerald Coast," it's a collection of beautiful beach towns surrounded by the Gulf Coast of the Florida “panhandle” and nestled quietly between Panama City and Destin along County Road 30A. There aren’t many tourist traps or big hotels in 30A but rather a much calmer approach to beach life with more families than college kids and more local shops than chains. Some of the most stunning beaches in 30A are located in Rosemary Beach, Seaside, Aly’s and Santa Rosa Beach and our Airbnb is located about 10-30min from some of these. For those that staying with us now or at a future date, I decided to put together a day in 30A in case you decide to visit these quaint towns while at SUN-DAZE.
Breakfast in Rosemary Beach
Start your day in Rosemary Beach, just a quick 10min drive from SUN-DAZE. Here you will find tree lined streets, cobblestone paths and picture perfect homes. The town looks like it was built yesterday, everything is clean and new. I took the kids to grab smoothies and acai bowls at Playa Bowls and we ate them in the heart of Rosemary Beach. My husband and I ate at Gallions before and it was great, however, I can’t wait to try Pescado, a rooftop restaurant overlooking the ocean. They are open for brunch but require reservations in advance and kids are allowed only until 1:30pm, after that the restaurant is only open to those 18+ older.
Lunch in Seaside
Another picturesque town, so much so that the city of Seaside was actually the inspiration of the movie The Truman Show, where filming actually took place as well! Seaside is a little more touristy than Rosemary with plenty of restaurants, bars, shops, ice cream, toy stores, book stores…its easy to spend hours here without even going to the beach! Speaking of the beach, this one is private and only accessible to guests staying in nearby hotels or you can rent an umbrella and 2 chairs for the day for $80 (the beaches by our place are just as nice so save your money and just plan on eating/strolling here). We ate at Bud & Alley’s and got gelato at It’s Heavenly. Pickles looked like another great place to eat, hopefully we’ll try it there next time!
Dinner in Santa Rosa
Our final stop in 30a (with our most favorite restaurant so far) is Santa Rosa. It’s about a 30min drive from SUN-DAZE but well worth the drive. We ate at the Vue on 30a and what a view it was! You are literally dining on the beach and its even more magical when you catch the sunset burst across the sky, turquoise blue water and white sand that we walked down to while waiting for our meal to come. Highly recommended!
Beaches in 30a
Destin had some nice public beaches but its about a 45min drive from us and the beaches there are pretty crowded. So many of the beaches in 30a are private to residences and only open to those staying at nearby properties. You can rent umbrellas and chairs to get access but that will cost you so I recommend either the public access at Inlet Beach or of course just walking 500 steps from SUN-DAZE to the beaches of Panama City Beach - it’s convenient, hassle free and just as beautiful as the beaches in 30a!