What To Do On The Emerald Coast

The stretch of 30A Highway along the Emerald Coast of Florida has been on my list of places to visit for a long time. If you’ve never been or have wondered what to do on the Emerald Coast, it truly is one of the most beautiful places in the country and a must for those who love the beach. Living in Northern Kentucky, I’ve made the drive south many times for family vacations and getaways, but never to the popular neighborhoods along 30A.

If you’ve never heard of this area of Florida, it sits between Destin and Panama City, and is made up of several unique neighborhoods, each with their own personality and charm. Although I had never been to 30A (which is the name of the highway, but many refer to it as its own area), I felt like I had, given how many of my friends and family have visited and shared their photos and experiences. In early March, I decided it was time to check it out for myself.

We typically drive to the Emerald Coast and it’s not a bad 10-11 hour drive. But given I would just be spending three days on 30A, my friend and I decided to fly into the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport (one hour from where we stayed) and fly home from Panama City Beach (about 30 minutes from our rental). There are many ways to get to the area and this option worked best budget wise and to optimize our time at the beach.

The three days began on a Saturday morning and took us through Monday; we flew home Tuesday morning. There is so much to do and see (and eat!) along 30A, but we struck a great balance of relaxation, fun activities, and trying delicious local restaurants. If you’ve always wanted to spend time along the Emerald Coast and want to plan your first visit to 30A, check out how we spent three wonderful days in this scenic area of Florida.

1. Spend Time At The Beach

When visiting the Emerald Coast, spending time on the beach is an obvious top choice. This area of Florida is known for its clear, beautiful water and soft, white sand and the beaches along 30A are no exception.

Given our perfect, central location, we were near several beach accesses, but one of our favorites was Deer Lake State Park.

My visit to this park and beach was unique in that it was cool, cloudy, and VERY windy. But having just arrived in Florida, the beach had to be the first stop. It was a quick golf cart ride from our rental to the park, a $3 entrance fee, and a beautiful walk along a boardwalk to reach the sand.

You can see how choppy the water was on this windy afternoon, but it was still beautiful! Double red flags were flying this day (which means you cannot get in the water at all), but this view was all we needed.

Deer Lake State Park was a great first stop and is ideal for beach walking and watching the sunset. It is a fairly long walk along the boardwalk to reach the beach, but there are restrooms and a foot washing station, so keep that in mind if you plan on visiting.

During the rest of our three days on 30A, we visited two other access points to the beach.

Inlet Beach Public Access was further east, but still less than 15 minutes away. This spot had free parking (get there early, it does fill up!), restrooms, and a quick walk to the sand. While we were there in early March, they had also started a chair service if you wish to rent chairs and an umbrella.

This photo was taken on a Saturday morning in early March at Grayton Beach State Park. By the time we left around lunchtime, the parking lot was almost full but the beach still felt very open.

2. Stay In A Great Location With A Pool

When searching for a place to stay along 30A, there is no shortage of options. I knew I wanted to be centrally located to be able to experience everything the area has to offer and in a rental that offered a lot of amenities – pool, golf cart, bikes, etc. We hit the jackpot with this beautiful Prominence townhome rental, right across the street from the popular spot, The Big Chill (formerly The Hub).

Time Away 30A is a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhome in Prominence North. It is beautifully decorated, perfectly located, and has everything you need for a beach vacation along 30A, from a 6-seater golf cart, to a variety of bikes, to a cooler backpack for time in the sand.

It’s the perfect set up for a few couples, a girls’ weekend, two families, or anyone else who wants time away on 30A. I especially loved drinking coffee on the back patio, overlooking a nature preserve. Be sure to check out more photos and everything this 30A Prominence townhome has to offer.

3. Eat At A Local Bakery

I don’t know about you, but for me, vacation = cooking as little as possible. 30A is known for many things and delicious restaurants and bakeries are one of them. We tried both Black Bear Bread Co. in Seaside and Blue Mountain Bakery (get the cinnamon roll!) and loved them both.

4. Ride Bikes

5. Visit The Big Chill

Given our location right across from The Big Chill, it was an easy golf cart ride (you could also walk, but the golf cart was much more fun!) across the street for dinner, live music, and shopping. There is always something going on at The Big Chill and it’s an ideal family-friendly spot for a meal, a sweet treat, or both!

6. Eat Local In Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach, and Seaside

7. Shop Local

8. Dine With A View

Dining with a view is also a must during a short visit to 30A. Lunch at FOOW in Watercolor was idyllic with tasty food, drinks, and a lovely view of the beach. Watercolor was also another great area for strolling and shopping.

And here’s that famous sunset view from Bud & Alley’s. Time your visit for this ultimate sunset view along 30A.

9. Watch The Sunset

10. End A Night With A Burger From Pickles In Seaside

After the sun went down, we walked back into the heart of Seaside for one last meal. Pickles is famous for its burgers and I admit – it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. And don’t miss out on the truffle fries! The wide array of local restaurants with great food was one of the many reasons I loved our time on 30A.

Would I have loved to spend even more time along 30A? Absolutely. Were three days enough to relax and experience this popular area? Definitely. Whether you spend three days or three weeks on the Emerald Coast, it truly is one of the most beautiful places to visit. And with so many things to do on 30A, it’s safe to say that I’ll be back soon.