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As you have probably noticed, many of our new adventures here in Southern Alabama have taken place along the beach and, more specifically, a magical place called 30A. I have had a bunch of people ask me, “What is 30A? ” because it looks like somewhere they would like to visit, so I wanted to get a quick post up for ya’ll (see that… I’m a Southerner now)!
This post has been recently updated for 2024 and is an up-to-date overview of the 30A area!
And you can always click here to read all of my 30A guides!
What is 30A?
Put simply, 30A is a road. Florida’s Scenic Highway 30-A runs along the Gulf Coast in an area between Destin and Panama City Beach.
The actual highway 30A itself does continue east into Panama City Beach. Still, when people refer to 30A, they are talking about the area shown on this map starting at the intersection of HWY 98 and 30A west of Dune Allen and then east to Rosemary Beach / Inlet Beach.
READ: Fun Things To Do on 30A
This map is provided by 30A.com, which is a wealth of information and good vibes #BEachHappy!
30A Florida
Now, these small communities along 30A offer something much different from the busyness of the larger cities located just to the east and west. In Destin and Panama City Beach, you will find high rises, shopping malls, big touristy restaurants, amusement parks, marinas, and world-famous 30A beaches. Of course, the beautiful blue-green water and white sand beaches are present along 30A, but the pace is much slower, which is what people love about the area.
We love 30A so much that after visiting as often as possible, we bought a condo in 2020 and now own four. We are proud to be Airbnb superhosts on 30A!
Click here to check out our 4 condos in Seacrest Beach, Florida!
Or view them directly on Airbnb!
Finding Accommodations On 30A
You won’t find the big chain hotels on 30A. In fact, there are only a handful of 30A hotels.
RELATED READ: Guide to 30A Hotels
Hotels on 30A
The Pearl in Rosemary Beach is stunning, chic, and great for a couples weekend away. Children are allowed to stay there; however, they aren’t allowed in their pool area. I would save The Pearl for an adult-only vacation!
The Watercolor Inn is centrally located near Seaside, Florida, and is better for families. It actually just underwent a huge remodel and is a great beachfront, family-friendly place to stay on 30A.
In March 2023, Lodge 30A opened, a great middle-of-the-road option for 1-2 night stays. In the summer of 2023, the new Camp Creek Inn opened. Both of these aren’t on the beach but do offer a variety of amenities and add-ons for beach access.
In lieu of hotels on 30a, you will find a ton of vacation homes and condos too. Many are private homes for people who live in the Southeast but are drawn to the coast on the weekends. But many are investment-type vacation homes available for rent. These come in as small as one bedroom/studio, like one that we own!
On the flip side, other vacation homes on 30A can hold several families, like this beautiful vacation home in Rosemary Beach, Florida.
You can rent accommodations along 30A on Airbnb and VBRO, as well as several smaller companies and local agencies! Click here to check out our 4 condos in Seacrest Beach.
But I have to share one of my favorite ways to stay along 30A – camping! There are a few different campgrounds on 30A, including Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, where I took the kids camping in March.
I love camping there because you are right in the middle of things, and it only costs $24-$30 a night! This makes me not feel as guilty sneaking another trip down there because that adds up fast! If you are within driving distance, camping on 30A is something to consider!
Airports Near 30A
To see which airports to fly into and where to get nonstop flights from, make sure to read my 30A Airport Guide and my month-by-month guide to The Best Time to Visit 30A!
30A Dining & Drinks
There are also SO MANY amazing restaurants and bars along this part of the Florida Coast.
You won’t find Senor Frogs or the Rainforest Cafe on 30A. Instead, you’ll spend time in a unique setting with a mix of locals, regular visitors, and families because 30A is very family-friendly. With most of the lodging offering a small, midsize, or even gourmet kitchen, many people choose to cook for themselves at their rental homes. Don’t worry—there are grocery stores down there!
What are the Different Beach Towns on 30A?
Ok, I have to be cliche and say all of them!
Each of these little communities is so different from one another, and I love exploring all of them. You may recognize Seaside (smack dab in the middle) from The Truman Show. This charming town features a huge green space in the center with food trucks. Actually, they are cute food Airstreams lining the whole road. Grab brunch at Bud and Alleys and enjoy an amazing ocean view.
But every mile of 30A is special in its own way!
Booking.comI am going to take you through the communities from east to west mainly because that is how we visit them. We feel so lucky to have 30A, just an hour and a half away, and have already spent a lot of time exploring it!
And make sure to check out all of my 30A Guides!
Rosemary Beach, Seacrest Beach & Alys Beach
On the east end, Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach are European-inspired communities, upscale yet laid back. They have wonderful upscale restaurants and cobblestone streets. There are cute shops, and almost everyone is on a bike. In fact, people bike all up and down 30A! And there are tons of places to rent them! I will point out that golf carts are not allowed in these areas.
Alys Beach is a newer community that will make you feel like you are in the Mediterranean with its white buildings and beautiful attention to detail.
Nestled between the two is Seacrest Beach, a large neighborhood, and the Village of South Walton. We love this area so much because of its walkability, and we ended up buying here over a year after initially writing this post. Seacrest Beach should not be confused with Seacrest, which is located to the west of Alys Beach.
We love this area so much that we now own four condos in Seacrest Beach, and I am proud to be an Airbnb superhost for the 4th year running!
If you are also an Airbnb host, you will probably enjoy the Airbnb Hosting section of my blog!
Seacrest, Watersound, & Prominence
The large area west of Alys Beach is called Seacrest (again, not to be confused with Seacrest Beach).
Keep driving, and you’ll hit Watersound and also the newer neighborhood Prominence, although you may hear this area referred to simply as The Big Chill (formerly The Hub). The Big Chill is an indoor/outdoor complex with bars, restaurants, a stage for live music, and a jumbotron for the big game. The open green space has games for the kiddos to play, and it is such a great way to spend the day! It makes this area a great destination for families or even day trips!
Just past The Big Chill, you pass Deer Creek State Park, which just completed a long renovation and many upgrades. Here, you can spend the day admiring the coastal dune lake and relaxing on the beach! These preserves have the most beautiful coastal dunes, too. I love how Florida has set aside almost 30,000 acres along 30A as preserves. It just feels so peaceful!
Seagrove, Seaside, Watercolor, & Grayton Beach
In the center of 30A, you find Seagrove, Seaside, Watercolor, and Grayton Beach (you have to try the Grayton Beach Brewery beers while you are down there). If you want somewhere new and amazing to eat for every meal, this central area is a great place to be.
As I mentioned above, Seaside, Florida, is very popular right now. It’s trendy and Instagramable and still maintains its small-town vibe most of the year. It is packed to the brim during Spring and Fall breaks. If you are looking for the best time to visit 30A, make sure to read this post!
While there are many 30A vacation rentals to consider, don’t forget the option to camp at Grayton Beach State Park! They have cabins, too. In fact, all of these campgrounds have cabins available. However, these do book up well in advance.
Blue Mountain Beach, Gulf Place, & Dune Allen
Next, Blue Mountain Beach, Gulf Place, and Dune Allen.
These tend to be some of the least crowded areas and some of the best beaches. We spent five nights near Gulf Place over Christmas one year and loved it. We ate at Shunk Gully almost every day. Directly across from Gulf Place is a public beach access point called Ed Walline, and they even have a sunrise church service there on Sunday mornings.
And everyone knows that Blue Mountain Beach Creamery has the best ice cream, too!
Topsail Hill Preserve State Park
At the very western end of 30A is Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. I took the kids camping here (see my story highlight on Instagram), and we loved it! This campground was so great, and while we tent-camped, most of the other campers had RVs.
The campground has a pool and a playground. There is a shuttle that takes you to the beach, or you can walk or ride your bike. We have reservations to go back this summer, and I can’t wait! I love the vibe at campgrounds like this. The kids made friends to play with, and the energy was just good. Good vibes all around when camping at the beach!
The 30A Beaches
These are known as some of the most beautiful beaches in the World. I hope this helps you plan your trip. If you head down to 30A, please let me know! If we are down there at the same time, I would love to catch up!
Also, I know that there are a lot of fantastic places that I haven’t mentioned in this post. That is the best part about this area. Honestly, you can go down time after time and find something new or go back to your favorite places. After your second or third visit to 30A, you will know where “your place” is. For us, it’s the east end of 30A in Seacrest Beach!
I recently wrote an entire article titled “When is the Best Time To Visit 30A,” so make sure to check that out. You can click the image below to open up that post!
I hope you find your way to 30A!
And if you want to see more of 30A, check out my main Instagram account @ourlittlelifestyleblog and tap around in my stories. I have several highlights that really give you a feel of what a trip to 30A is like! Also, if you are looking at the Rosemary Beach / Seacrest Beach area, my rental’s Instagram account @ourlittleretreats has story highlights that act as a virtual guidebook for the area!
READ: My 30A Packing List: What To Bring + What To Leave At Home
Pin my What is 30A Blog Post for Later!
So jealous you are so close to beaches! Thanks for all the good info 😊
Thanks for reading! We need to meet up at one of these beaches on day! It would be such a fun trip with kids and a big house!
That’s some beautiful beaches! Australia is pretty good when it comes to beaches but this is very tempting, thank you for sharing!
Looks like a lovely family holiday location. Putting it on my list.
What a fun read and very informative! I have driven sections of A1A between Amelia Island and Daytona Beach as well as Orlando down to West Palm and enjoyed it a lot. This looks like another beautiful drive, and I’d love to stop and explore all of the small towns along the way. I’m sure the beaches are even more stunning without huge tourist crowds.
A very fun and informative article. Love how it is a perfect guide for a true blue road trip, with all the required details perfectly noted. ( Although the first time I heard, 30A seemed something like Area 51 😀 ). Beautiful beaches too. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Lovely beaches. And 30A sounds just like our kind of road — local, interesting, quirky, fun, and devoid of big chain stores and hotels.
Many years ago, I did the drive from Miami to Key West. While it was gorgeous, the cold snap of the century that always follows me to warm weather destinations when I try to escape the Midwestern winter hit. So, the convertible we rented kept it’s top up, and every time we got out of the car to explore, we were freezing. I’d love to give another scenic drive in Florida another go, and 30A looks phenomenal. I’ll just warn the locals when I have it planned so they can go buy parkas! ~ Sage Scott, the Everyday Wanderer
I was knowing that Florida as a cool sunny beachside vacation place. But was not knowing about 30A and it really looks like a fun holiday destination for families. This highway is really scenic.
I love driving along the coast. I would have loved more photos with the places you saw on the road, next to the family album photos.
What a beautiful stretch of Road 30 A is. It must be a great experience traveling along it. As you have mentioned, all the beaches sound really gorgeous. But my pick would be Gulf Place, because of its secluded nature.