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Santa Rosa Beach
is located in the scenic Panhandle region of northwest Florida, approximately 15 miles east of the city of Destin, in the area known as the “Emerald Coast.” It is one of the oldest beach towns along Florida 30-A and extends northward past U.S. Highway 98. The town's name comes from the historic Santa Rosa Plantation, which thrived in the 1800s and was located north of Highway 98 on Hogtown Bayou. Today, Santa Rosa Beach is considered one of the “Beaches of South Walton,” which includes some of the most beautiful white sand beaches and coastline in the country. As you enter the South Walton beach area and begin to glimpse the first high-end condominiums and upscale shops, you have arrived in Santa Rosa Beach. There is actually a lot to do at the main intersection of 30-A and Highway 393, including shops and restaurants, a coffee and dessert shop and a roadside park. Santa Rosa Beach itself is one mile long and consists mostly of new beach houses and several small condominiums and townhome complexes. Santa Rosa Beach also encompasses several other seaside communities, including the historic town of Point Washington, but the city of Santa Rosa is the largest of the beach communities in the immediate area. Unique shops, boutiques, art galleries and restaurants are scattered throughout the area, and the largest outlet mall in Florida is just ten miles away from Santa Rosa Beach.
Topsail Hill State Preserve is located in Santa Rosa Beach, offering beaches and sand dunes, a coastal lake and cypress swamp that remains nearly untouched, as it has for centuries. This preserve has been identified as the most pristine piece of coastal property in the whole state of Florida. Santa Rosa Beach also has several entrances to Point Washington State Forest, which is a 15,000-acre preserve with more than ten miles of hiking trails. Also nearby is Grayton Beach State Recreation Area, a 2,000-acre state park with soft, sandy beaches and dunes, hiking and camping. Three regulation tennis courts are located in Santa Rosa Beach, along with an 18-hole, championship golf course. Other golf courses abound in the area, which has been recognized by Golf Digest as one of the “Best Places to Play.” Other recreational activities in the area include canoeing, kayaking, swimming, bicycling, fishing, boating, scuba diving, birdwatching – the list of things to do is almost endless.
The restaurants in the South Walton/Santa Rosa Beach area are amazing, whether you're looking for casual family style dining, fresh, local seafood or international cuisine. Seven restaurants in the region were recognized in the “Top 400 Restaurants in Florida,” by Florida Trend Magazine. Other communities near Santa Rosa Beach include Seaside, Grayton Beach, Rosemary Beach, Sandestin and Destin. This 18-mile stretch of gorgeous coastline along Florida's Emerald Coast provides some of the most breathtaking scenery in the state. Santa Rosa Beach is conveniently located in the midst of it all, without the crowds of some of the more well known towns of the region.
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