What is 30A?

Rosemary Beach sits at the eastern end of 30A, just before Inlet Beach. The town is built around a central plaza inspired by St. Augustine and the Caribbean — cobblestone streets, dark-wood balconies, and a tightly walkable footprint. If you've seen 30A on Instagram, half the photos were taken here.

The beach is wide and uncrowded compared to Seaside, with most beach access dedicated to homeowners and guests of the Rosemary Beach Inn. Public access at the western edge near Cowgirl Kitchen makes it possible to visit even if you're staying elsewhere on 30A.

Restaurants worth the visit: Edward's for steak, Restaurant Paradis for upscale Italian, and Pescado for rooftop sunset cocktails. For bonfires in Rosemary Beach, we set up just east of the public access — call us and we'll handle the permitting and beach access logistics.

Seaside is the town that started it all. Built in the 1980s as one of the first New Urbanist communities in the U.S., Seaside's grass amphitheater, white-picket pastel cottages, and red-and-white striped post office are the defining image of 30A. The Truman Show was filmed here in 1998 — much of the town is recognizable from the movie.

The town center wraps around Highway 30A itself, with shops, restaurants, and the famous Airstream food trucks just steps from the beach. Every Saturday morning a farmers market fills the green. Modica Market is the go-to for groceries, picnic supplies, and the legendary chicken salad sandwich.

Public beach access is well-marked at Seaside Avenue. The amphitheater hosts free concerts most summer evenings. For bonfires in Seaside, we typically set up just east of the main pavilion where the beach widens — earlier in the evening to avoid the post-sunset crowd.

Alys Beach is unmistakable — every single building in the town is a brilliant white, with butterfly-roof architecture inspired by Bermuda and Antigua. The whole community is car-free in the interior; you park outside and walk or bike in. It feels more like a Mediterranean resort than a Florida beach town.

The beach itself is gated and private to homeowners and guests, but the public beach access is just east of the town at Tradewinds. The beach club, the Caliza Pool, and the Saturday-night fountain shows at the central plaza are the cultural anchors.

Dining is upscale: George's at Alys Beach for casual, Neat (a 12-seat speakeasy) for cocktails, and the Beach Club for daytime. For Alys Beach bonfires, we set up on the public beach access just east of town to keep permits clean and avoid the gated zones.

Inlet Beach is the easternmost community on 30A, right at the boundary with Walton County and Bay County. It's less curated than its neighbors — no master-planned community, just classic Old Florida cottages, mom-and-pop seafood spots, and a wide stretch of beach with the bluest water on 30A.

The 30Avenue shopping plaza on the east edge of town is a recent addition with stores like Lululemon, Williams-Sonoma, and a mix of restaurants. Old standbys include Donut Hole 24/7 (yes, really) and Local Catch Bar & Grill on Camp Creek Lake.

Public beach access is plentiful — Walton County maintains free parking at multiple points. For Inlet Beach bonfires, this is one of our most-requested locations because the parking, permit logistics, and beach width all favor a smooth setup.

WaterColor is nestled between Western Lake (one of 30A's rare coastal dune lakes) and the Gulf, just west of Seaside. The community is designed around the lake with boardwalks, a boathouse with kayak rentals, and dense longleaf pine landscaping that gives the whole town a nature-immersed feel.

WaterColor Inn anchors the beach side with one of the best beachfront restaurants on 30A (Fish Out of Water). The Marina Park area has stand-up paddleboards and small sailboats for rent. The Camp WaterColor pool complex is a hit with families.

Beach access is mostly through the WaterColor Inn or via the public access at Seaside (a short walk). For WaterColor bonfires, we typically set up on the beach side at access points shared with Seaside — pristine sand, wider than the 30A average.

Grayton Beach is the oldest town on 30A and the most authentically "Old Florida" of the bunch. No master plan, no HOA rules — just funky cottages, a relaxed pace, and the unofficial motto "Nice Dogs, Strange People." Grayton Beach State Park, just east of town, was repeatedly ranked America's #1 beach by Dr. Beach.

The Red Bar is the town's legendary live-music institution, rebuilt after a 2019 fire with the same eclectic vibe. AJ's Grayton Beach is the other long-standing dive bar. Both have changed remarkably little since the 1980s.

Beach access from town is direct via Hotz Avenue; from the state park there's a quarter-mile walk over dunes to one of the most beautiful beaches on the panhandle. For Grayton Beach bonfires, we keep setup near the town beach access where parking is easiest — the state park beach is permit-restricted.

Santa Rosa Beach is the most populous and the largest community along 30A, stretching across the western half of the corridor. It's less a single town and more a collection of neighborhoods (Blue Mountain Beach, Gulf Place, Dune Allen Beach all fall within Santa Rosa Beach for postal purposes).

Goatfeathers Seafood Restaurant has been a Santa Rosa Beach institution since 1986 — the boiled shrimp comes whole with the heads. Cafe Thirty-A is the upscale-dinner anchor. For brunch, Pescado at Rosemary or 723 Whiskey Bravo in Seagrove are short drives.

Public beach access is abundant via Ed Walline Park (west) and the multiple Gulfview Drive accesses (east). For Santa Rosa Beach bonfires we usually set up at Ed Walline because the parking, permitting, and bathroom logistics all align — though we cover the entire Santa Rosa Beach footprint.

Seagrove Beach sits right between Seaside and WaterColor, often overlooked because it doesn't have the same brand recognition. That's part of its charm — it's quieter, less photographed, and has the natural coastal dune landscape that makes 30A famous.

The town center is small but well-loved: Old Florida Fish House for waterfront seafood, Cafe Tango for upscale Italian, and 723 Whiskey Bravo for brunch with a Bloody Mary bar. The Goat House restaurant is the local secret.

Beach access is straightforward via several Seagrove Beach access points along 30A — most have free parking and short walks to the sand. For Seagrove bonfires, this is one of the easier permit setups on 30A because the public access infrastructure is good and the beach itself is wide.

WaterSound Beach is one of the most exclusive communities on 30A — private, gated, and dotted with extremely high-end homes along a stretch of beach that's wider and less crowded than almost anywhere else on the corridor.

The public beach access just east of town (at Camp Creek Lake) is one of 30A's best-kept secrets. The lake itself is a coastal dune lake — fresh water on one side, the Gulf 100 feet on the other.

Dining inside WaterSound is members-only at the beach club, but Camp Creek's Grille and the nearby Hub at WaterSound have public dining. For WaterSound Beach bonfires we set up on the Camp Creek Lake public access — same beach, same view, full permitting clarity.