Sandestin Beach Guide
If you’re looking for an easy vacation that is more in your budget range than Rosemary and 30A and still have the crystal white sands and perfect gulf water? Sandestin is the answer, let me tell you why! Well, for one, Sandestin is still on 30A so you have every benefit that people come down to the gulf area and more! We have traveled to Sandestin for years, since the kids were little, because it was always a really easy vacation and everything in one spot. It’s also a bit less crowded than 30A these days and still very much the place to be! The reason we love it so much is because we don’t have to go anywhere outside of it when we stay there, everything is in one place. Robert has 4 golf courses, we have beach access wherever we stay within Sandestin, restaurants, a luxury spa, AirBnB condos with golf carts, and the amazing Village of Baytowne Wharf! This might be our favorite thing with young kids because there is so much to do. Overall, Sandestin has 70 neighborhoods that are condos, villas, homes, and townhomes.
Let’s start at where we stayed this time around because it was new! Osprey Pointe is the newest luxury property within Sandestin on the bay side. Whether you prefer beachfront or not, this property is so good because it’s spacious and new. We had a little serene spot with a beautiful view of the bay! You can take the trolley to the beach or drive right across the street, either way it’s super easy to get to (and I’m saying this with 3 kids). We cut out the trouble of bringing our own chairs and just rented them. Sometimes with young kids on trips far away from home, you weigh your luxuries. It’s 100% worth it to go right out to the beach, have someone set up chairs and an umbrella for you, and just sit! Tip: get out there as soon as they open to get front row, whether you are beaching it for the day right away or not, you can come back later and they will reserve your spot. You need to come day of, you cannot call ahead. We stayed in a 3 bedroom condo at Osprey Pointe because we brought my mom, who was so excited to see the beach after so many years. The place was so clean, and as I get older, this is just a non-negotiable for me, so it passed my test. There is a zero-entry pool and hot tub, perfect for all ages in a family. What I love about the location on the bayside is that there are easy and walkable sidewalks to the Village of Baytowne Wharf, bikes to rent and ride (highly recommend doing this), and you can even get to the huge Grande Boulevard at Sandestin which is a luxury outdoor mall. This is where my beloved Black Bear Bread Company is (it’s the second location, the first one is in Grayton Beach).
I am so happy it’s there, it’s truly the cherry on top of Sandestin for me. At Black Bear Bread Co. you will find the best bagels on the planet (former New Yorker here), bakery everything, and Stumptown Coffee! They have the best lattes and make their own syrups, count me in! I honestly look forward to it every time I come to Florida.
The day we got there we went straight to the beach, so dinner crept up on us, and if you are reading this with young kids, you know restaurants are no easy fête! We ordered Slick Lips Seafood to-go and it was one of the best meals we’ve ever had on vacation! OG readers know we are foodies so food is important and I can honestly say the Village of Baytowne Wharf has great options.
Here is the best of what we ate while there over the weekend:
Slick Lips Seafood: fried oysters (homemade spinach and breadcrumbs!), homemade fettuccine alfredo for the kids (incredible!), sliders for the kids, parmesan crusted chicken… I would eat here every night. Tip though: you cannot call ahead for takeout, so we had to go and order there. Robert did while the rest of us showered and it really wasn’t that long of a wait (about 20 min).
Roberto’s Italian Pizzeria: We came here in between obstacle courses and activites for the kids and it was so perfect. An easy dinner, kid-friendly, and very good! The Caesar Salad was so good (cold and homemade Caesar dressing), which if you follow my instagram, I fully judge restaurants based on this.
Another night we traveled 5 minutes down from our condo to the beautiful Hotel Effie. Aesthetically this is where you want some family photos, and I would also love to stay here next for a full hotel experience. It’s very luxury and Atlanta locals, it reminded me of Hotel Avalon which we love back home. It also has the only rooftop pool on the Emerald Coast. We came here to eat at their acclaimed restaurant Ovide with chef Hugh Acheson. The food was so good and it was easy to get a reservation. We did 6pm and it was the perfect time as we did see it get more crowded by the time we finished. By the end the kids were done and got to roam the conference rooms hallways, we were in and out without a trace! Our meals were so good and so beautiful, I took pics, so scrolling through these instead of a description will do it justice best!
Sandestin is just a minimal planning, easy vacation for our family that is under 6 hours from our home north of Atlanta! I stayed here a few years ago on a blog press trip (blog post HERE) about Fort Walton’s art district, and truly fell in love ever since. One step onto those Sandestin beaches and into Black Bear Bread Co., and I have been hooked ever since.
Here are a few other things to do, places to try:
The Grande Boulevard has all our favorite stores, but such a great selection of summer styles. You know stores at the beach/vacation areas get different items/colors/styles than in town and I love shopping when on vacation for this reason!
The Beach House is a restaurant (and pool) on the beach that is perfect to walk right up to for lunch and Sandestin vacationers get access!
The Hilton Sandestin is another great (hotel) option, as well as for spa and nice restaurant (that blog post HERE).
In Village of Baytowne Wharf, the kids did trampoline jumping, the raised obstacle course, and Gable highly recommends a mini obstacle course for littles. The area also has activities and programs for kids at the amphitheater area, seasonal fireworks, magic shows, and mini concerts.
Let me know if you ever book, it’s even better for Spring Break (we came here then too with neighbor friends) or in the Fall! Personally my preference because I love the cooler weather and the quietness of the non-summer months, but this is the place for you summer people too!
I hope you enjoyed my recap of the great Sandestin, I hope you give it a visit!
