Whether it be a 30^th birthday, bachelorette/bachelor party, family vacation, college reunion or just a memorable girls’/guys’ getaway, there is nothing more fun than making memories with your closest friends and family. One of the best ways to make memories is by getting a rental on the Florida Panhandle since there are so many things to do along the beautiful 30a highway.

Yourcation® Awaits is an amazing hospitality company that specializes in luxury vacation rentals for all types of group getaways and provides the best experiences for all, especially in 30a!

During November 2020, four other bloggers and myself stayed at the amazing Yourcation Awaits rental in Rosemary Beach, which is located in the 30a area.

In case you never heard of 30a before, it is a scenic highway in Northern Florida along with a beach road that is located in South Walton County. 30a spans 24 miles on Florida’s Emerald Coast from Rosemary Beach to Dune Allen and everyone who has the opportunity to visit the area falls in love with it!

Overall, I LOVED the 30a area in Florida! From my own personal experience, I definitely believe it is Florida’s best beach area that features glistening aqua blue water from the Gulf of Mexico, sugar white sand beaches, luxury beach communities, high-end resorts and hotels, renowned restaurants, fun beach bars and over 25,000 acres of protected state parks and forests as well as dune lakes.

In this article, learn all about the best Rosemary Beach rental as well as the town’s attractions and also discover the best things to do on 30a.

(During my stay at Yourcation Awaits’ rental in Rosemary Beach, I also invited my fellow blogger friends Hannah of Hannah Liz Weaver, Shwetha of Chasing Shwetha, Alex of East Coast Contessa and Ashley of World to Wander.)

**Please note that this blog post uses affiliate links meaning that if you make a purchase via my affiliate link, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only promote and talk about products and services that I have used and like. During my time in 30a, Yourcation® Awaits in Rosemary Beach, FL hosted me for three nights.

Pin the Below Image to Keep Handy

Getting to 30a, Florida

Traveling to the 30a area in Florida could easily be done by car if you live in a close driving distance to the Panhandle or if you’re taking a road trip, and you could also get there by plane.

I took a short and affordable flight from Newark Airport in New Jersey to Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in Panama City, Florida with a layover in Atlanta. (Since Panama City has a small airport, you will most likely have a layover if you’re traveling from faraway destinations.) Panama City is the closest airport to 30a, but you could also fly into Destin.

Only one of the bloggers drove to Rosemary Beach from Tampa and others flew from Houston, Dallas and Kentucky. Both Texas bloggers were able to get non-stop flights and the blogger who flew from Kentucky had a layover in Charlotte. You could find affordable flights through Skyscanner!

Unless you are road tripping to 30a, you will need to get a rental car when you arrive in Panama City Beach. The reason why it is recommended to rent a car is because beaches, restaurants and activities are spread out along 30a and taxis, Ubers and Lyfts, although available, could be sparse.

When you travel to the Panhandle, you want to be able to do all the best things on 30a and without a car of your own, it is hard to do that. Quite a few popular spots on 30a could be 20 minutes away from each other and there are also a variety of state parks to explore that are more remote.

(Click here if you are planning to road trip around the United States and want to rent an RV.)

The BEST 30a Rental in Rosemary Beach – Yourcation® Awaits!

During my four days in 30a, I stayed at the beautiful Yourcation Awaits‘ rental property in Rosemary Beach for three nights. It is one of the best 30a rental properties.

From the moment I first arrived at the rental house, I felt right at home! I loved the colorful and colonial architecture of the house. It reminded me of all the beautiful homes you come across in the Caribbean.

What is amazing about this Yourcation Awaits’ rental house is that it is located within a private community in Seacrest Beach, so you have access to a private beach, a lagoon pool and a tram that takes you around the community.

Another reason why Yourcation Awaits makes for one of the best 30a beach rentals is because the beach itself is only a 10-minute walk from the house, the pool is a 5-minute walk and the house is steps away from all of the eateries, galleries and boutique shops in Rosemary Beach.

Staying at Yourcation® Awaits in Rosemary Beach – Best 30a Rental Homes:

This amazing vacation beach rental in the 30a area is perfect for all types of group travel whether it be a milestone birthday, bachelorette/bachelor party, family vacation, college reunion or just a general friends’ getaway.

It sleeps up to 16 people! There are five bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, two couches and four rollaway beds.

There is a bedroom on the first floor that has a queen bed. Across the hall from that bedroom is a full bathroom.

On the second floor, there is a master bedroom (which is where I stayed) that has a king bed and features a full bathroom with a Jacuzzi and his and her amenities, along with a balcony. There are also two other bedrooms, on the second floor, that have queen beds with a shared bathroom with his and her amenities.

The third floor has one bedroom with a king bed and a full bathroom with his and her amenities.

(All of the bedrooms had a television and the bathrooms included Gilchrist & Soames spa products.)

There is also a half bathroom on the third floor along with a coffee bar, bean bags and board games.

I had an amazing night’s rest at Yourcation Awaits! The mattress was absolutely comfortable and formed well to my body and sleeping position; the walls were soundproof (which was great when you’re sharing a house with a group of people) and the air-conditioning was at a perfect temperature!

In addition to the bedrooms, I also loved how there were three balconies (one per floor). On the ground floor, there were two benches with cute pillows to sit at and read a book; the second-floor balcony was just outside of the master bedroom and there were also benches and a table with chairs (it is perfect for privacy) and the third floor had outdoor couches and lounge areas made for sunset viewing, wine and friend/family time.

On the ground floor, there was a living room, dining room and full modern kitchen. When I first entered the house, Yourcation Awaits greeted me to Champagne, Lindt chocolate truffles and a bottle of red wine.

The dining room had a beautiful farmhouse table that is perfect to enjoy a nice dinner at. In the living room, there were two comfortable couches and chairs along with a television. (All of the TVs in the house included Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.)

Yourcation Awaits’ kitchen is stunning and offers modern amenities, a wine cooler and countertop with barstools.

Since I traveled to 30a with other bloggers, we all had to log in from time to time during our four days at the rental property. What is great about this house is that there is a plethora of different areas for you to sit at and quietly get work done! There is also high-speed WiFi as well.

There isn’t much of a backyard at this rental house, but it includes a backdoor that leads to a little walkway where there is a charcoal grill for barbecues.

Overall, we all loved our time staying at Yourcation Awaits in Rosemary Beach, Florida. We also felt extremely safe staying at this rental home in the 30a area! (Please note that check in time is at 4pm and check out is at 11am.)

The house has a smart lock keyless entry where you enter a code to get in. If you don’t lock the door behind you, it will automatically lock on its own within five minutes.

(The house also came with essential beach accessories such as beach towels and wristbands to allow you access onto Seacrest Beach.)

Memorable Things to do on 30a, Florida:

Explore the Best of 30a:

One of the best things to do during a 30a getaway is to just wander and explore. There are so many bike shops along 30a where you could rent a bike for the day, a few days or even a full week.

The closest place on 30a to rent a bike near the rental house is at Peddlers in Seacrest. (It is only a 10-minute walk from Yourcation Awaits.)

Bike riding should definitely be on your 30a bucket list! For $20 USD, we rented bikes on our last day and explored all of the beautiful spots in Rosemary Beach.

The majority of the homes and buildings on 30a are brand new and luxe and they are definitely something to admire. A lot of them have a Caribbean or European flair, so you could feel like you’re in Italy, France, Spain and Greece as you explore! I also love all of the gas lamps on the buildings and houses.

Two other great places to rent a bike and explore are at the Seaside Transit Authority Bike Rentals and Watercolor Bike Barn.

Seaside is a fun area along 30a that offers great restaurants, bars and of course, the beach! Watercolor is also a stunning area that has beautiful homes featuring Southern charm.

(We only rented bikes in the Rosemary Beach area, but we did get to explore Watercolor on our third day and it is absolutely beautiful to walk through. There are gorgeous parks with gardens, walking paths and bridges to enjoy in Watercolor, plus the homes look like they are straight out of Southern Living magazine!)

Another beautiful area along 30a that you could easily explore from the rental home is Alys Beach. In this lovely seashore town, there are stunning luxury homes that will make you feel like you’re in Cyclades Greece.

Enjoy the Best Restaurant Scene on the Florida Panhandle:

One of the number one things to on 30a during a fun getaway or bachelorette party is to explore the food scene. There are a lot of renowned restaurants to discover in Northern Florida!

Visiting these eateries are also some of the great things to do on 30a when it rains.

Chiringo (Grayton Beach): On our first day, we grabbed a late lunch at Chiringo, which is a fun beach bar located steps away from the shore.

At this great indoor and outdoor restaurant, you could order tropical drinks, tapas, pizza, tacos, salads, sandwiches and more!

During our afternoon here, I got one of the best margaritas I’ve ever had with a chilled lobster roll.

Donut Hut (Seagrove): Located in Seagrove, just outside of Alys Beach is Donut Hut. When we woke up early on our second morning to create content, we stopped at Donut Hut for coffee and donuts.

This family-owned donut shop offers over 20 different types of fresh homemade donuts that are delicious and decorated beautifully!

In addition to sweet treats, you could also get kolaches, which are a Slovak pastry that could either be sweet or savory, along with breakfast sandwiches and more!

La Crema Tapas & Chocolate (Rosemary Beach): If you are a lover of Spanish food and chocolate, then you will be in HEAVEN when you visit La Crema in Rosemary Beach!

Located along the European-inspired Main Street in Rosemary Beach, La Crema is a beautiful courtyard restaurant that features stringed lights.

At this wonderful restaurant, you could savor traditional Spanish dishes like paella, patatas bravas and gambas along with some Latin and Mexican favorites such as ceviche, tacos, empanadas and tostadas. La Crema also has a great dessert menu that features chocolate fondue, chocolate dipped bacon, molten chocolate cake and traditional chocolate chip cookies.

During our lunch here on our second day, I savored the seafood paella with a sangria. I got full off of my lunch, so unfortunately didn’t have a dessert, but next time I go back, I’m not missing out on a chocolate delight!

The Bay Restaurant (Santa Rosa Beach): Another great restaurant to visit in the 30a area of Florida is The Bay Restaurant located on Choctawhatchee Bay.

Since we visited this restaurant for dinner in November, it obviously got dark early, but if you go during the summer months, you could enjoy a lovely evening on the bay beach. (The Bay is also a great lunch spot too and they also have brunch!)

Throughout The Bay Restaurant are stringed lights and a welcoming ambiance. The menu consists of seafood dishes, sushi, steak, salads and sandwiches.

During our evening at The Bay, I savored delicious jumbo lump crab cakes with fried zucchini with a red wine. I also had the key lime pie for dessert and it did not disappoint.

Big Bad Breakfast (Inlet Beach): One of the best breakfast spots along 30a, that also isn’t far from the rental house, is Big Bad Breakfast at Inlet Beach.

This awesome café has a cool indoor and outdoor ambiance and they feature a great Southern breakfast menu. We sat in their outdoor seating area that overlooked the pool and cabanas of a luxury condo complex in Inlet Beach.

During our morning at Big Bad Breakfast, I savored the delicious chicken and waffle dish with a coffee and it was amazing!

Surfing Deer (Santa Rosa Beach): A great upscale New American restaurant to enjoy in Santa Rosa Beach, between Seagrove and Seaside, is Surfing Deer.

This amazing restaurant has a nice indoor as well as a cool outdoor dining ambiance and their menu has a big seafood focus.

On our last night in 30a, we got dinner at Surfing Deer and we split the crispy calamari appetizer with pickled cherry peppers, ancho chili agrodolce and manchego.

For my main meal, I had the seafood Acadiana that consisted of grouper, lobster, crawfish, shrimp, andouille sausage, butter lobster stock, brown rice and hushpuppies. It was amazing and brought me back to my trips to New Orleans.

Creative Crepes (Seacrest): Located on 30a, steps from the rental home, is Creative Crepes. I actually eyed this café the moment I first arrived in the area and knew that I had to grab a delicious crepe at this spot before I went home.

On our last morning in Rosemary Beach, we decided to grab crepes after our bike ride and they did not disappoint. I had the delicious turkey pesto panini that also had mozzarella cheese in it along with tomatoes and it was amazing! Definitely go here if you’re in 30a.

Sip on Tropical Beverages – Things to do on 30a for a Bachelorette Party or Girl’s Trip:

The Hub 30a (Watersound Beach): During a trip to 30a, you cannot miss out on enjoying some fun at The Hub on 30a. It is the perfect place for families and friend groups! If you’re on 30a for a bachelorette party or a girl’s trip, this is an amazing spot to hit up!

The Hub consists of a variety of eateries and bars to sit at and enjoy food and drinks along Watersound Beach. (It isn’t far from Seaside.)

The places you could eat and drink at are Duos Bar, which is an all-American eatery and bar; Local Smoke, which is where you could enjoy Southern BBQ; Super Freeze, which is an ice cream shop; Pineapple at The Hub, where you could enjoy fresh pineapples and smoothies; Sauce It 30a, which has brick oven pizza; Macho Taco, which is Mexican-inspired soul food; Jack & Diane’s, which offers New Orleans Style Snow Balls and The Hub Bar, where you could get buckets of beer and really get the party going!

Havana Beach Rooftop at The Pearl (Rosemary Beach): A great place that you cannot miss out on visiting during your time in 30a is The Pearl hotel in Rosemary Beach. In fact, enjoying an afternoon or evening at this spot is one of the best things to do in Rosemary Beach, Florida.

This beautiful and posh 55-room luxury boutique hotel has a beach bar and grill along with a rooftop called Havana.

During our last evening, we made our way to Havana Beach Rooftop that has a full bar, tables and lounge areas that overlook the hotel’s pool. It is definitely a great place to sip refreshing drinks. During the day you could swim in the pool and also enjoy wonderful views of the Gulf from the rooftop.

Overall, if you’re looking for fun things to do on 30a near the beach at night, Havana Beach Rooftop is the place to go! (Rosemary Beach also has areas with fire pits to enjoy at night too.)

Modica Market (Seaside): What is awesome about 30a is that they have lenient open container laws.

Alcohol is permitted on all of the beaches and even in some areas off the beach for those who are of a legal drinking age. Please note that glass containers are not allowed. (You could also drink and bike, by doing so responsibly!) This is one of the most popular things to do for a 30a bachelorette party.

One of the best things to do in Seaside is grab mimosas to go from Modica Market. You could get them in a large or small size and take them wherever you wish along 30a.

During our time in Seaside, we all got large mimosas at Modica Market and enjoyed them in the square there. Other great items you could find at Modica Market are different pastas, sauces, pre-made meals, organic products, fresh produce, desserts and more!

Great Southern Café (Seaside): Another great place to grab drinks and food in Seaside is at Great Southern Café.

At this great Southern restaurant, you could order tropical frozen drinks, seafood, Southern dishes, salads, sandwiches and burgers.

During our time here, we all got a drink and also enjoyed some oysters. The drinks we got were the Orange Dreamsicle, Frosé, Cold Fashioned and Cocolada.

Overall, Great Southern Café is an awesome place to sit outside in Seaside on a beautiful day!

Relax at the Beach – Best of 30a:

One of the main reasons why people travel to 30a is because of the BEACH! Florida’s Gulf beaches are stunning. The water is usually calm and has a bright blue color and the sand is powdery soft. In fact, Rosemary Beach is one of the best Florida beaches with clear water.

During our time in Rosemary Beach with Yourcation Awaits, we sat on the beach in Seacrest because that was where we had free access to. (Please note that there are very few beaches open to the public along 30a.)

The first time I visited the Gulf beaches in Florida was when I was in the Sarasota area in 2014. I found them to be amazing!

These Gulf beaches are perfect for everyone, including families, because the water is usually low tide and calm.

Visit a State Park – Florida Panhandle’s Must See Sights:

One of the top unique things to do in 30a is to get your nature and adventure fix at a State Park. Some of the best state parks in the 30a area are listed below:

• Grayton Beach State Park (Santa Rosa Beach)
• Camp Helen State Park (Panama City Beach)
• Topsail Hill Preserve State Park (Santa Rosa Beach)
• St. Andrews State Park (Panama City)
• Eden Gardens State Park (Santa Rosa Beach)
• Deer Lake State Park (Santa Rosa Beach)

I hope you all enjoyed reading about my stay at Yourcation® Awaits’ Rosemary Beach rental and discovering the top things to do along 30a on Florida’s Panhandle.

If you love 30a, then you’ll also love these other destinations:

Kiawah Island, South Carolina

California Wine Country

Newport, Rhode Island

Planning a memorable USA trip? Find more USA travel tips here.

If you have any questions about my time on 30a, please email me at info@browneyedflowerchild.com.

(Yourcation Awaits also has luxury vacation rentals in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee as well as in Asheville, North Carolina.)

Basic Facts of the United States:

Currency: United States Dollar, Capital: Washington D.C., FL State Capital: Tallahassee, Time Zone: Most of Florida is on Eastern Standard Time, but the Panhandle/30a or anything west of Tallahassee is on Central Standard Time

*Anything could happen during your travels. Always make sure you are insured in case there are unforeseen circumstances such as lost luggage/theft, natural disasters, personal liabilities and more. Click here to get insured for your next trip.

Shop my 30a Look:

Click here to shop my Poshmark closet!