30a travel guide: where to eat, sip and shop

In June, we visited the beaches of 30A for the first time. We absolutely loved it. Growing up, my family always vacationed in South Carolina – so until recently, I knew very little about this stretch of beautiful beach communities along the coastline of the Florida panhandle.

Stay

There are so many great towns along the 30A, but we ultimately decided to stay in Rosemary Beach. It was incredibly family-friendly and everything was so convenient. The beach was within walking distance from our rental home, as well as the Town Center (which is loaded with great restaurants and shops). We rented through VRBO, but you can find lots of places here as well.

Eat

Prior to our departure, I crowdsourced restaurant recommendations on social media and gathered quite the list (linked below).

We particularly loved George’s in Alys Beach (tip: Alys Beach is pronouned “Alice Beach” – something I learned upon arrival). George’s is a very popular, kid-friendly spot and they do not take reservations.

When we arrived – promptly at 4:45 PM, which is 15 minutes before they open – we were greeted by a line of people stretching down the block. The good news: the line moved quickly, and there is a side patio area where you can enjoy cold drinks until your table is ready.

The other spot we visited daily was Raw & Juicy. It was a 15 minute walk from our house in Rosemary, so we went each morning for coffee (sometimes a matcha latte!) and a smoothie bowl.

George’s (Aly’s Beach)
La Crema (Rosemary Beach)
Raw & Juicy (Alys Beach) – great spot for breakfast/lunch (salads, smoothies and acaî bowls!)
Pescado (Rosemary Beach) – fancier spot for date night; 18 and up only
Black Bear Bread Co. (Seaside, Grayton Beach)
The Citizen (Alys Beach)
Goatfeathers (Inlet Beach) – pick-up spot for fresh seafood
Blue Mountain Bakery (Santa Rose Beach)

Sip

As you can imagine, we didn’t do much “bar-hopping” this trip – but we did enjoy one night out sans children. We had fantastic cocktails at Gallion’s, which is fairly new and located in Rosemary Beach.

Red Bar (Grayton Beach) – spot for live music
The Pearl (Rosemary Beach) – rooftop hotel bar
Gallion’s (Rosemary Beach)
Pescado (Rosemary Beach)

Shop

There are so many cute shops in the area. I feel like I barely scratched the surface during our week there, but here are a few ideas to get you started. :)

Disco (Rosemary Beach)
Willow (Rosemary Beach)
Merit (Alys Beach)
Ex Voto (Rosemary Beach)

If you’re headed to the 30A area, I hope you have a great visit! Xx