This complete 30A travel guide highlights our family’s favorite places to eat, stay, and do when visiting this area of Florida. It is one of our all-time favorite vacation spots. Come check it all out!

 

 

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A Complete 30A Travel Guide For Families

We love visiting 30A Florida! We have been doing this for years, so we have some great tips to share with you!

Here’s our guide on the best places to stay, eat, and things to do when you visit 30A. Read on for all the details.

 

Where To Stay In 30A

 

There are tons of hotels and condominiums in 30A, as well as rental homes (i.e., VRBO).

Below are some highlights of staying in a rental house:

• This area of Florida has so much natural beauty! When we stayed at our VRBO this past vacation, the neighborhood our home was located in was surrounded by natural beauty, which we enjoyed so much. For Spring Break 2022, we stayed at a lovely VRBO in Blue Mountain, FL. This is the exact one we stayed in HERE. It is a great one!
• Community interaction with others who are vacationing or the ability to be near several other families you may vacation with.
• Access to fun recreational activities at your fingertips (we’ll talk more about that below!).  We always rent bikes and have them available to hop on when heading to the beach or riding around the sidewalk areas of 30A.
• Space and amenities, of course, are maximum when staying at a rental home. We had a four-bedroom house at our most recent VRBO, which allowed plenty enough room for our family of six. 

*Update 12/2022: We highly recommend the rental home we stayed in this winter. It sleeps up to 10, has two levels and porches, is located in a quiet neighborhood, is a leisurely bike ride to the beach, and has an amazing neighborhood area with pools/a firepit/a playground/hammocks, and more! 

You can rent it HERE!

 

 

*Updated 06/2023 Condo information: We had a great time staying at The Islander Resort in Destin, Florida, last week.

 

 

We stayed in unit 713, which is a platinum-rated unit with a view of the East Pass in Destin Harbor, some beach views, and sunsets.

 

 

The rental also gives you two beach chairs and an umbrella so you can enjoy being on the beach. The Islander has lots of things to do for the family, like music, painting on the beach, and fireworks. It’s in a quiet area, but not far from restaurants and The Track.

 

 

We would definitely recommend it! Book your stay HERE-unit 713!

All these things considered, your lodging is up to you, as each family is different. This is what we enjoyed the most.

What To Do with Kids In 30A

 

 

 

There is much to do in 30A, and I’m sharing what we’ve enjoyed in this 30A travel guide! We primarily go to spend time on the beautiful sandy, white beaches, but there are many other activities in addition to that.

 

 

The beach is easy to get to from anywhere on 30A. You can rent beach gear like chairs and umbrellas or bring your own.

Take a walk down the sidewalks and walkways to get to the ocean. Your rental company can tell you the best way to get to the beach.

Don’t forget to bring volleyballs, footballs, sandcastle toys, towels, a cooler, and suntan lotion if you want to have a full day at the beach!

 

 

When we are not on the beach, we are typically bike riding.  This is the primary form of transportation I’d say most guests utilize during their stay on 30A.  There are many places to rent bikes in the towns there on 30A.  Make sure you get one with a basket to hold your phone, snacks, and other things because you won’t be happy with a short bike ride through these gorgeous beach towns.

Our favorite bike ride is through Watercolor and gazes at the lovely beach homes there. They also have a must-see garden and fountain entrance as you come straight off 30A.

Seaside, Rosemary, Alys, and Grayton have some fun places to walk around and enjoy shopping. These are more high-end stores but have a lot of fun things to look around at and window shop nonetheless.

The Hub is a family-centered establishment that offers multiple food venues and an open green area for your kids to have a good time while you get a good meal.

We also enjoy going to Baytowne Wharf, another family-friendly, fun destination in Sandestin, FL. There are several outdoor activities (i.e., zipline, climbing wall, and more), and don’t miss the delicious ice cream store.

We hope you enjoy these activities as much as we do!

Where To Eat In 30A

I am most excited about this one, haha! There are so many amazing restaurants; it’s hard not to include all of them in this 30A travel guide.  I will share with you the ones we can’t stop returning to! 

• Bud And Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant & Bar.  We love this restaurant because of the beautiful beachfront views and delicious seafood.  Andy and I have enjoyed the crabcakes and the calamari appetizer (get two orders, they go fast, haha!) Our kids always get their pasta dish with shrimp and love it!
• Shunk Gulleys. This may be our absolute favorite! Be prepared to wait, but there are several little shops around that you can browse while you wait. Make sure to order their grouper sandwich!

 

 

• The Great Southern Cafe. This restaurant is a bit more dressy than Bud And Alleys but one you don’t want to miss.  Their southern cuisine is delicious for brunch and dinner.
• The Candy Bar: Your kids will LOVE this place! It is the happiest little candy shop, decorated wall to wall with candy and full of bright text and color everywhere you turn.

 

 

• Hokulia Shave Ice: This past vacation, we enjoyed this shave ice experience for the first time…and we will definitely be going back again and again.  The serving sizes are amazingly generous, and the staff is very friendly service. 
• FOOW (Fish Out Of Water) Restaurant.  This is another nice restaurant that is located waterfront too.  The food is so good, and the surroundings are quite lovely as well. We highly recommend going at sunset for the views!
• Stinky’s Fish Camp: This laid-back seafood restaurant is one of our very favorites! Andy cannot get enough to the “Stinky’s Stew,” and for that matter, neither can I.  It is a fun, local-feeling restaurant to try.
• The Donut Hole: You cannot miss this place! The breakfast here is to die for (not to mention the doughnuts, of course). We love their eggs benedict, pancakes, and breakfast sandwiches. But you seriously can’t go wrong with anything!

 

Shop some of my favorite beach essentials by tapping on the images below:

 

This travel guide can help you and your family have a great time on your trip to 30A. It’s a great area where you’ll find lots of fun activities, sights, and memorable moments for you all to share.

 

 

 

Want to read even more information on 30A? Heather of My Life Well Loved blog shares many valuable tips and tricks in her post here, including what to pack, and where she recommends staying, eating, and doing.

 

If you enjoyed this travel post, I’d recommend checking out these additional guides too:

• Quick Guide For A Family-Friendly Weekend In Ashville, NC 
• Quick Guide For A Family-Friendly Weekend In Jekyll Island, GA
• Quick Guide For A Family-Friendly Weekend In Orlando, FL