Picture this: a cozy, laidback beach town with bayside and beachfront activities. Plenty of restaurants for a new meal every night. Activities for rainy days, sunny days, and the days in between. You’ll get all this and more in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida!
While we could talk about new homes in Florida all day long, we would be remiss without mentioning that one of the best things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL is to relax. Compared to its Destin and Panama City Beach neighbors, Santa Rosa Beach has remained quaint and casual, with fewer commercial developments, no high-rise hotels, and a more hometown feel.
Sound like the place for you? Grab your itinerary planner! We’ll help you explore the most fun things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL!
In this article:
Get to Know Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Things To Do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Florida Panhandle Real Estate
Get to Know Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, is a quiet community along Florida’s Emerald Coast. The laidback 30A beach town sits conveniently between Destin and Panama City Beach, making it centrally located to many of the surrounding villages. The beach communities of Seaside, WaterColor, and Grayton Beach are technically smaller towns inside the larger area of Santa Rosa Beach.
Unique among its neighboring communities, Santa Rosa Beach is nestled between the Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, providing a one-of-a-kind bayside and beachfront lifestyle. Because of its positioning between bodies of water, Santa Rosa Beach is known for its outdoor activities, casual restaurants, and laid-back atmosphere.
Florida panhandle is chock full of some of Florida’s most sought-after homes — and there’s good reason for this. As the largest beach neighborhood in South Walton, Santa Rosa Beach offers plenty of opportunities to explore nature, go on a food adventure, visit historic sites, or simply sunbathe on sandy white beaches.
Things To Do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL
There’s a little bit of something for everyone when it comes to things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Santa Rosa Beach has it all, whether you’re here for the outdoor activities, the fun, or the food.
Things To Do Outdoors in Santa Rosa Beach, FL
If you’re looking for things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, state parks are at your doorstep! Santa Rosa Beach is home to Point Washington State Forest, which covers more than 15,100 acres of preserved land waiting to be explored. Primary activities include off-road bicycling, hiking, and trail hiking.
Small but mighty Edens Gardens State Park is home to the historic Wesley Mansion, built in the 1890s. The Wesley Mansion is open for guided tours and features a collection of antiques and family heirlooms. Visitors can also enjoy acres of beautiful gardens, green space, and fishing off the Tucker Bayou dock.
Visit Santa Rosa Beach’s white-sand beaches and warm, turquoise blue water for a relaxing day spent in the sun. There are various public beach access points along Highway 30A in Santa Rosa Beach and the surrounding beach towns. Grab a blanket and an umbrella for a full day in the warm sunshine! You can even stay all night long and enjoy a late-night beach bonfire! Other water activities include fishing charters, stand-up paddleboarding, and boat rentals.
Foodie Things To Do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL
Foodies have no fear of filling up here! There are plenty of things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, if you’re smitten with the kitchen. Start your day with a hearty homemade breakfast at Scratch Biscuit Kitchen, or grab a quick pastry and coffee at Black Bear Bread Co. It’s essential to start the day off right with all of the fun things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL!
When settling in for lunch or dinner, you’ll enjoy choosing from all types of nearby cuisine. The Bay offers southern Gulf cuisine and sushi–the perfect combination for seafood lovers! Seaside’s Bud & Alley’s offers Southern coastal classics with ocean views from its roof deck.
Need a bit of variety for the whole crew? Chanticleer Eatery combines American favorites like burgers and pulled pork with seafood specials like crab cakes and shrimp and grits. Taco Tuesday takes place at Chiringo, with happy hour cocktails and brews on deck. There’s nothing like a post-beach day pizza pie from Pizza by the Sea.
Fun Things To Do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL
The list of fun things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL, doesn’t stop at food or the outdoors!
Breweries make great places to gather with visitors, neighbors, and friends. Luckily, there are two breweries right in Santa Rosa Beach! Grayton Beer Company and Idyll Hounds Brewing Company feature locally brewed beers and beverages, with special events like trivia and outdoor games for patrons. Even your pups are welcome!
Even when it rains, there are still plenty of things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL. For kids and adults alike, creating art is a relaxing experience! Enjoy the creative release at The Shard Shop, where you can create artistic works from shards of colored glass and resin. For more souvenirs to take home, shop to your heart’s content at the nearby Seaside shopping district, where you’ll find clothing, jewelry, housewares, and gifts.
Florida Panhandle Real Estate
If all of these fun things to do in Santa Rosa Beach, FL sound too good to be true, we’ve got good news for you! You can make Santa Rosa Beach your home and explore nearby activities every single day at The Shoal.
Tucked away in Santa Rosa Beach between the bay and the gulf, The Shoal features new one- and two-story floorplans in an intimate setting of only 30 homesites. Florida panhandle real estate doesn’t get any better than this. Quietly tucked away next to the 15,000 peaceful acres of Point Washington State Forest, homes in this neighborhood include spacious main floor living and luxurious spa bathrooms. The community offers the best of bayside living with plenty of common areas to entertain and play and ample green space throughout.
Whether you make it your beach home or year-round residence, you have the opportunity to create moments of relaxation and comfort with a lifestyle full of nature, outdoor activities, entertainment, shopping, and dining by living in The Shoal. If you decide to make our neighborhood your new home or home-away-from home, you’ll love living in Santa Rosa Beach! Contact our team to be one of the first to schedule a tour of this incredible 30A community.