This Once Sleepy Stretch of Land is Now a Booming Beach Destination
Running along the Emerald Coast in the Florida Panhandle, 30A offers charming coastal communities and lucrative real estate
If school’s out, Atlantans are swarming 30A. For those not familiar, 30A refers to Scenic Highway 30A, a lovely stretch of road along the Emerald Coast in the Florida Panhandle, running for about 24 miles through 16 picturesque coastal towns in South Walton County between Destin and Panama City Beach. Seaside is arguably the most famous on 30A—the master-planned community was built in the 1980s, was the setting for The Truman Show in the late ’90s, and inspired the founding of future regional communities including Alys Beach, WaterColor, and Rosemary Beach. While all the beach towns have their own architectural style and vibe, the common threads are the sugar-white sand beaches, emerald green waters, and new urbanist elements including walking and bike paths and intentional planning to foster a sense of community. Clocking just under six hours to make the drive, the area has long been a favored destination for Atlanta families, and Atlantans have historically made up a large percentage of the secondary homeowners in 30A. The region’s real estate market has experienced significant changes in recent years, with continued appreciation of property values and a strong demand for vacation rentals. “Healthy market” is perhaps an understatement.
HISTORY
30A was mostly sleepy until the 1980s—even during Florida’s tourism boom in the ’50s and ’60s—with all the action localized to Destin and Panama City Beach. But the literal and figurative groundbreaking event for the region was Andres Duany’s charette in 1980: Robert and Daryl Davis inherited 80 acres of beachfront land from Robert’s grandfather, and while they wanted to develop it, they didn’t want a typical suburb, but something more like Key West or Charleston, South Carolina. So they hired famed DPZ firm and the legendary Duany to come up from Miami and create a plan. The charette defined the vision for Seaside, which became a model for New Urbanism and influenced city planning worldwide, proving that traditional town planning could work in a modern context, and showed that good urban design can shape social interactions and quality of life.
$1.2M
Median sold home price in Santa Rosa Beach
$699K
Median sold home price in Seacrest
$28.5M
Highest sale in Alys Beach, a record for the Florida Panhandle
FUTURE
“The developments are filling in—Rosemary is 100% built. Seaside is 100%. WaterColor is 99%. Alys only has about 120 lots left, so it’s almost gone. There is no more land, so you’re seeing infill and the first teardowns,” says Stan Benecki of Benecki Homes, who has multiple multimillion dollar homes for sale and being built in the area, including on four of the largest Alys Beach lots. Alys Beach introduced The Dannelly & Varian residences in July 2023, marking the next phase of mixed-use condominium buildings. These residences are strategically placed at the Town Center overlooking the Amphitheater and local merchants and the initial release saw 50% of the residences go under contract before construction even began. Phase 4 of Alys Beach welcomes a nature-inspired community, designed with picturesque homes near an expansive wetland park and the Nature Preserve, with a new community amenity, The Silva, a sanctuary of greenery and relaxation. Latin for “forest,” the Silva will serve as a community hub with a lawn, pavilion, resort-style pool, terrace with a bar and café, and kid’s camp.
“30A is becoming more national, if not global. There aren’t many areas of the world like this—it’s the kind of place that grandmother loves, the kids love, everyone loves it.” —Stan Benecki, Developer and 30A Homeowner
IYKYK
30A is home to coastal dune lakes, extremely rare bodies of water that form when fresh water from the land meets the salty Gulf, creating a brackish environment that can appear and disappear depending on rainfall, tides, and storms. Outside of the Northwest Florida region, these lakes only exist in Madagascar, Australia, and New Zealand. Locals will tell you the best way to experience this magical natural wonder is via kayak or paddleboard, taking the time to survey the wildlife and mysterious ecosystem. Three to find: Western Lake near Grayton Beach and WaterColor, Draper Lake near Blue Mountain Beach, and Camp Creek Lake near Watersound.
Fun Fact
30A’s famously sugar-white beaches are more than surface-level beauty—they’re scientifically special. The sand is made of quartz crystals that originated from the Appalachian Mountains; over thousands of years, these quartz particles were ground down and carried to the Gulf Coast by rivers. The high quartz content means the sand reflects sunlight, keeping it cool even on 100-degree days, which is why you can walk barefoot on 30A’s beaches and not burn your feet.
Big Brag
Seaside is home to the world’s first Airstream Row of food trucks. Before food trucks became trendy, Seaside unintentionally pioneered the concept by converting vintage Airstream trailers into permanent food stalls along Highway 30A. The retro trailers were originally meant to be temporary vendors, but they became so popular, they turned into a permanent fixture selling just about any beachy treat you might desire.
Mascot
Sea Turtle
