The Best of Santa Rosa Beach

Enjoy The Best of Santa Rosa Beach! Founded in 1910, Santa Rosa Beach, also called South Walton, has a rich history. This long-standing vacation destination remains a hotspot for visitors years later — in fact, Santa Rosa Beach was recently named as one of Travel + Leisure’s Top 5 Favorite Towns in America. Santa Rosa Beach’s sugar-white sand and turquoise water draw in vacationers from around the world; retreats like Point Washington State Forest attract those searching for an all-natural escape. Delicious dining, boutique shopping, and family-friendly attractions round out this lively beach neighborhood. Continue to read out Santa Rosa Beach Tourism guide, to get everything you need to know to plan your next vacation here. Visit the area beaches in Santa Rosa Beach and along the Emerald Coast.

Santa Rosa Beach Weather – When to Visit

The best time to visit Santa Rosa Beach is between mid-September and October when both spring breakers and family vacationers have departed the city, leaving the beaches, attractions and restaurants devoid of peak season crowds. The weather is still moderate this time of year, and the risk of hurricanes wanes, too. The late fall and winter months of November through February are considered low season, with dropping temperatures and room rates. Heavy crowds of students and families swarm the city and its beaches in peak season’s early spring and summer to take advantage of the prime beach weather.

Best Santa Rosa Beach Area Beaches

Seaside Beach

From sun-bleached sand and soothing surfs to charming walking paths and cool Gulf breezes, Seaside Beach is an idyllic adventure. Enjoy an exhilarating day or romantic evening on the beach, or enjoy a leisurely stroll on Seaside Beach.

Dune Allen Beach

On the far west end of Santa Rosa Beach is Dune Allen Beach. Dune Allen is definitely one of the more secluded beaches and stretches down to Gulf Place on the east end, an entertainment complex with pubs, dining, shopping, and events. Ed Walline public beach access across from Gulf Place offers free parking, public restrooms, and a beach ramp that is ADA accessible.

Blue Mountain Beach

This beach neighborhood draws its name from the blue lupine flowers that sway in the coastal breeze and the fact that the area is home to South Walton’s highest elevation. The water is clear and cool, and the view of the “Blue Mountains” from the gulf is a site to be remembered long after your trip is done.

Grayton Beach

Located along the Gulf of Mexico between Pensacola and Panama City, Grayton Beach is home to a designated Blue Wave Beach and Grayton Beach State Park. The park is a 400-acre sliver of paradise featuring pristine sugar-sand beaches, a rare coastal dune lake and a wealth of nature. Its nature trail winds through a salt marsh, steep dunes and a coastal forest thick with twisted scrub oaks and magnolias.

WaterColor Beach

The resort community of WaterColor has grown into an entire beach community featuring southern nature and hospitality at its finest! Golf, bike, or rent a paddleboard and ease your way into the many inlets, creeks, and beach and bay accesses of the 30A area. Watercolor Inn & Resort is of course a world-class resort, with lodging options for a family getaway, romantic rendezvous, or a major event like a wedding or reunion.

Best Santa Rosa Beach Restaurants

Café Thirty-A $31 – 50

Café Thirty-A is a casual fine-dining restaurant featuring grilled & fire-roasted seafood, organic meats & poultry, wood-oven pizza, vegetarian fare & hedonistic, “architectural” desserts. The menu changes daily according to availability of ingredients. Fine wines & cocktails including a creative menu of the “best martinis in the area” complement the meal. Telephone: 850-502-5001 Web: Café Thirty-A.

Basmati’s Asian Cuisine $11 – 30

They specialize in Asian-inspired Classical Cuisine and Sushi. Creative use of Asian influences to fresh, local seafood, beef, lamb and duck. As well as, the areas best sushi, rolled to order using only the freshest of seafood and vegetables. They are a small, intimate fine dining restaurant featuring an interesting, but affordable wine list, with a full bar featuring a creative Martini Menu. Telephone: 850-267-3028 Web: Basmati’s Asian Cuisine.

Trebeaché $31 – 60

From the creative team that brought you great restaurants such as Stinky’s Fish Camp and The Lakeplace, they proudly present Trebeaché- South Walton and 30A’s newest, exceptional restaurant and event venue. Perfectly located in the heart of Blue Mountain Beach, Trebeaché boasts an elegant yet resort casual restaurant offering a menu featuring classic to contemporary fare with a variety of ethnic flares. Telephone: 850-937-7793 Web: Trebeaché.

Chanticleer Eatery $11 – 30

Chanticleer specializes in fresh, made from scratch, real good food! They bake all of their breads fresh in house, smoke their own meat, make their sauces and utilize the best quality ingredients possible. At lunch they serve: amazing sandwiches and salads, pasta, chops and some down south good cooking like shrimp & grits, chicken & rice and jambalaya! Don’t leave without getting some dessert. Their cookies and key lime pie are their specialty! Telephone: 850-213-9065 Web: Chanticleer Eatery.

The Red Bar $11 – 30

The Red Bar is South Walton’s most popular indoor destination. It’s the place for fun with friends and family while taking in all of the eclectic decor, listening to great live music and enjoying great food and cocktails. The simple but varied menu includes pasta with crawfish and shrimp, panné chicken and mashed potatoes, stuffed eggplant, crab cakes and fish of the day. Oh, and don’t forget about the salad – it is the best anywhere on the Emerald Coast! Telephone: 850-231-1008 Web: The Red Bar.

Best Santa Rosa Beach Bars & Nightlife

The Red Bar – My Personal Favorite!

The Red Bar is South Walton’s most popular indoor destination. It’s the place for fun with friends and family while taking in all of the eclectic decor, listening to great live music and enjoying great food and cocktails. The Red Bar Jazz Band plays almost nightly during dinner. The party gets cranked up a notch after the dinner crowd thins, creating a more funky atmosphere. Don’t be surprised to spot celebrities here late at night. But please be cool, everybody just wants to chill at The Red Bar. Telephone: 850-231-1008 Web: The Red Bar.

Surf Hut

This brand new, open air restaurant is located directly on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico and is the place to be all year long! The Surf Hut has a menu that goes far beyond your typical ‘beach fare’, with a little added surfer flare to a cuisine that includes Seafood, Oysters and St. Louis Style BBQ. They’ve got a custom game area on the beach where you can grab a game of corn hole while you watch the waves and sip a delicious signature frozen libation from our full bar! Telephone: 850-460-7750 Web: Surf Hut.

Louis Louis

Louis Louis is very similar to The Red Bar, in decor and menu, but also has it’s own distinguished attributes. The family strives to deliver a fantastic meal, in a unique atmosphere, with great service. You can come to Louis Louis on a first date, to celebrate an occasion, or right after a fun day at the beach. They look forward to taking care of you, whether it is your first time with them, or whether you have become a regular customer. Telephone: 850-267-1500 Web: Louis Louis.

Hurricane Oyster Bar

Hurricane Oyster Bar & Grill is a 30A original–Offering menu selections inspired by the Gulf Coast, Caribbean Islands, New Orleans and the Low Country. They are the perfect spot to grab an affordable meal for lunch or dinner. Their food, happy hour and atmosphere cannot be beat. Telephone: 850-231-0787 Web: Hurricane Oyster Bar.

Local Catch Bar & Grill

Local Catch Bar & Grill is located on the beautiful 30A serves the in coastal cuisine while adding a southern twist. Telephone: 850-622-2022 Web: Local Catch Bar & Grill.

Best Santa Rosa Beach Area Hotels

32 Comments

Jamar May 30, 2018 at 9:23 pm

I have lived in Florida my whole life and I have never heard of Santa Rosa Beach. This is now going to be my next weekend get away for sure. Thank you and I am adding your page to my favs.

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1. Leahrae (Post author)May 31, 2018 at 1:10 am
  
  Oh Jamar, I am not super fond of Destin because of the traffic. But Santa Rosa Beach is absolutely beautiful. But then it is really quite a distance past Destin (traffic wise :). Thanks for visiting Santa Rosa Tourism.
  
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Diana March 31, 2018 at 2:21 pm

Omg! Why haven’t I heard of Santa Rosa Beach before?? It’s beautiful! I’ve lived in Florida most of my life and I had no idea such an incredible beach existed.

Gonna have to make it a weekend trip and soon!

Thanks for sharing,
Diana

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1. Leahrae (Post author)March 31, 2018 at 2:24 pm
  
  Diana, Santa Rosa Beach is wonderful! There is a restaurant close to there that cannot be missed. For the life of me I can’t think of the name LOL. But if you go, just ask for recommendations and I am sure they will direct you to the one I am thinking of. Thanks for visiting Sana Rosa Beach Tourism.
  
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John February 1, 2017 at 10:56 pm

This is an Awesome article! I didn’t even realize there was a place in Florida where the temperature rarely went above 92 degrees. Santa Rosa seems like a great beach to visit the next time I am in Florida. How is the humidity there? Does being next to the water help lower the humidity at all?

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1. Leahrae (Post author)February 2, 2017 at 2:35 am
  
  It is a wonderful beach 🙂 You know, I have curly hair and in humid weather it just gets really curly. I was there for a week this past summer, and I didn’t think it felt that humid. Plus my hair didn’t go crazy 🙂
  
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Rhett February 1, 2017 at 9:53 pm

Santa Rosa sounds like and excellent place to visit. Usually I travel internationally to find great beaches, particularly to Central America like Costa Rica or Nicaragua. One reason I really like to go down that direction is the cost; it is so much less expensive to travel and stay down there versus the U.S.

A big reason it is so much less expensive is hostels. Are there any in or around Santa Rosa? How about camping opportunities?

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1. Leahrae (Post author)February 1, 2017 at 10:52 pm
  
  There are camping opportunities right on the beach. Santa Rosa RV resort is very nice and right on the beach in Santa Rosa Beach. Camp Gulf in Destin is also a nice camping site. There are a few others as well, but these have the best ratings and facilities. There are no hostels close by. Thank you for reading Rhett.
  
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Debra February 1, 2017 at 6:21 pm

Hello BeachTravelDestinations,
I am so glad I came across your site! We are planning a trip to Santa Rosa Beach, we have never been.. Your site is an amazing wealth of information, I love it! Now we can pick and choose Hotels, places to visit and all sorts of fun things to do right from your recommendations on your site.. Thank you so much for having such a wonderful and informational site for us to use and enjoy! Now I know we are going to truly enjoy our Vacation..
Thanks again… Debra

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1. Leahrae (Post author)February 1, 2017 at 10:47 pm
  
  I am glad it was helpful for you Debra 🙂 You will have a wonderful time! Take some time to drive up down the Emerald Coast towards Destin, you can do it in a day. Avoid driving during rush hour as traffic is less than optimal during that time. Santa Rosa Beach is beautiful, enjoy!
  
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Emrah Yalpur February 1, 2017 at 3:34 pm

Hey, Leahrae,

I’m so happy that I came across your site as I’m looking to holiday in the states (I’ve never been before). All my friends have been and told me how awesome it is!

I love travelling.. Santa Rosa Beach seems amazing! I’m trying to get as much information as possible to plan my itenary and I love the beach.

Where is Santa Rosa Beach, which coast is it on? Do you think I can plan an itenary around Santa Rosa?

Thank you for the great info!

Emrah.Y

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1. Leahrae (Post author)February 1, 2017 at 10:46 pm
  
  Hi Emrah, Santa Rosa is part of the Emerald Coast which is on the Florida Panhandle close to Destin. So it is going to be on the Gulf of Mexico. You most certainly can plan an entire itinerary at Santa Rosa Beach. You can visit the entire Emerald Coast if you want. I did it in a week and really enjoyed it.
  
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J.R. February 1, 2017 at 6:23 am

Wow! This is such a helpful post. I’ve always wanted to visit Florida but wanted to stay away from the “tourist” towns like Miami. Until now I had never heard of Santa Rosa but I’m very intrigued now! Feel like I should print your page out and use it as a tour guide 🙂

Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!

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1. Leahrae (Post author)February 1, 2017 at 10:44 pm
  
  The west coast of Florida and the panhandle is generally less crowded and much cheaper. I have been to all, and really prefer the west coast and Emerald Coast of Florida. Thank you for checking out our Santa Rosa Beach Tourism.
  
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Jordan February 1, 2017 at 5:24 am

Wow this place looks amazing. I am currently in a situation where money may be bit low, is there a recommended time when things might be a little more less costly. Would you recommend any resorts or hotels that are cheaper but not to cheap if you know what I mean. Also is there any scuba diving available in the area?
Thanks,
Jordan

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1. Leahrae (Post author)February 1, 2017 at 10:43 pm
  
  Hi Jordan, Any time except June thru August is going to be cheaper. The summer months are their peak months. October thru February is going to be the cheapest. There is not a lot of hotel choices in Santa Rosa. Your best bet would be staying in Fort Walton at the Best Western Fort Walton Beachfront. This is actually a REALLY nice hotel with a rating of 4 1/2 stars. Yet, the price is great. You can scuba dive with Scuba Diving Fort Walton Beach which as really high ratings for customer satisfaction. Fort Walton is just a hop, skip and a jump from Santa Rosa 🙂
  
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Tam January 31, 2017 at 5:29 pm

Santa Rosa is now on my bucket list for vacation destinations! So many choices of great places to stay in Santa Rosa, too! Louis Louis sounds like a place to go for a special occasion and planning this special occasion in Santa Rosa is totally worth it. This vacation looks like a dream come true and I’m excited to plan for this trip. Is there a good or best time to plan my trip to Santa Rosa? Cheers, ~ Tam

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1. Leahrae (Post author)February 1, 2017 at 3:13 am
  
  Yes, I agree, Santa Rosa Beach is a wonderful area for vacationing! As far as best time, it depends on what you are looking for. To avoid the summer crowds, you will want to go in March thru the end of May, or the end of August thru October. November thru February is also very nice, but the water is quite chilly. I did go in the winter before, and I did go in the water, but it was chilly. October is still actually really great.
  
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Michael F January 31, 2017 at 6:19 am

Hi! Such a great page website Ive just visit! Definitely saving this one up to my favorite ones, great information source, loads of useful links and lovely person above that! Really enjoyed my reading and I will be back for some holiday packages! Take care :))

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1. Leahrae (Post author)January 31, 2017 at 2:33 pm
  
  Thank you Michael for your thoughtful comments, and I am glad you enjoyed the information on Santa Rosa Beach Tourism.
  
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Emcqueen January 31, 2017 at 12:05 am

Santa Rosa is absolutely amazing. The weather there is borderline perfect. The service (that I received) was excellent! It was truly a great vacationing experience for me! How was it for yourself? Hopefully you had an experience similar to my own! 🙂 If you did, please tell me so I can have a more accurate depiction of how it is there, besides my own experiences.

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1. Leahrae (Post author)January 31, 2017 at 2:05 am
  
  I thought it was darn near perfect! Only thing I did not like was the traffic, when you want to head down or up the Emerald Coast. Everything else, perfect!
  
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Rhett January 30, 2017 at 11:12 pm

Santa Rosa does looks like a beautiful place to hang a hammock! I was wondering how much a person may want to consider bringing for a weekly budget on a trip here? Also, are there any budget accommodations around, like maybe hostels or camping areas?

If a person wanted to do some surfing where would they be able to find information on the great local spots?

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1. Leahrae (Post author)January 31, 2017 at 2:04 am
  
  Yes, there is a campground right on the beach called Camp Golf. Click on the link and you can get more information on it. There is not a lot of hotels around Santa Rosa Beach. Mostly vacation rentals which you can get for about $100 a night. Camping on the beach is actually pretty awesome!
  
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Jocelyn January 30, 2017 at 9:35 pm

Great page. I love the pictures colours and the information you have shared! This is very similar to what I want my page to be like! I love how you have reviews for your products and you talk about places and have a number of links for flights and things to do. Just wondering do you make money of this page? If you do can you tell me how? The beach and travelling is defiantly my area of interest. I am just starting in this online world and I am feeling overwhelmed by the information overload.

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1. Leahrae (Post author)January 30, 2017 at 11:01 pm
  
  It takes a long time to get things moving. I have been working on this page for a year now, and not really seeing any returns yet. I won’t give up, it’s my passion. Good luck to you!
  
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Merlin January 30, 2017 at 4:43 pm

Wow, this looks great! I’ve been dreaming of such white, sandy beaches for my whole life. I plan to travel to the states next year and Santa Rosa Beach is definitely on my priority list now 🙂 Thank you for your excellent guide, I’ll be well prepared! I love traveling, and your information is really helpful. I’m looking forward to giving the Red Bar a try. 😉

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1. Leahrae (Post author)January 30, 2017 at 7:50 pm
  
  Yes, do give the Red Bar a try 🙂 You’ll love it. Glad the information was helpful and thank you for checking Santa Rosa Beach Tourism out!
  
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Luke January 30, 2017 at 3:07 pm

This is some great information about Santa Rosa beach, Florida. Many people will find this helpful if they are planning a vacation to Santa Rosa Beach. I like how you included many helpful resources such has car rental, bars and nightlife, and things to do in the area. As a traveler myself, I know how helpful this information is when traveling to a new place.

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1. Leahrae (Post author)January 30, 2017 at 3:17 pm
  
  Yes, I just recently visited the Emerald Coast last summer, and I wish I had such a guide before I went! Thanks for visiting Santa Rosa Beach Tourism.
  
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Michael January 30, 2017 at 11:01 am

I would really love to visit Santa Rosa after reading this post! Didn’t realise it was in the top 5 towns…I’m a big fan of Oysters so I would like to check out the Hurricane Oyster bar! The selection of best hotels is also great – thank you for your help, will definitely be coming back to your site again (and again!)

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1. Leahrae (Post author)January 30, 2017 at 3:59 pm
  
  You are welcome Michael. I too absolutely love oysters, and the Hurricane Oyster Bar is great! I am glad my information was of help to you. Please let me know if you need anything else. Thanks for visiting Santa Rosa Beach Tourism.
  
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