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When it’s time to choose your next beautiful beach vacation, you usually limit yourself to cities or small towns, but not to an entire region.
Well, as I’m sure you know, Florida likes to stand out from the crowd (for better or for worse). In this case for the better…
How can you turn down the distance of a marathon with sugary white sand, vibrant water and affordable hotels?
That’s right. South Walton beholds 42 kilometers of paradisiacal beachesand best of all, they won’t break the bank like Miami and Palm Beach.
South Walton was just named by Reader’s Digest as one of the most affordable’Warm winter holidays‘.
Florida’s paradise between Destin and Panama City
You may know about Destin and Panama City, two incredible beach towns along the Florida Panhandle.
Among these popular beach getaways is South Walton, a 26-mile stretch of coast lined with beautiful seaside resorts, each with its own unique appeal.
While it is common in the South to only worry that ‘the tide will reach your seat’, the next step is how to choose between 16 different beach neighborhoods.
As awesome as it would be to clone yourself and experience them all, we’re just not quite there yet, mainly because Gemini can’t give me a straight answer about, well, anything.
You have some phenomenal options, and none will disappoint. Like Destin and Panama City, you can expect sparkling water, perfect white sand, and a beautiful retreat overlooking the best side of the Gulf (no offense, Galveston).
To make your decision about which beaches to visit easier, TripAdvisor has done the work for you. These are the top 5 beaches to visit, sorted by Travelers’ favorites:
- Santa Rosa
- Grayton Beach State Park
- Rosemary beach
- Blue Mountain Beach
- Beach by the sea
The perfect family vacation, but all types of travelers will love it!
If Disney World’s oversized rodents with permanent smiles aren’t your jam, Florida’s next best family-friendly vacation destination might just be South Walton, again endorsed by Reader’s Digest.
According to them there are more than 300 holiday homes making the region perfect for providing the entire crew with extra space than a traditional hotel room.
In addition to extra space to keep the kids happy, there are fun attractions for all ages, like Baytowne Adventure Zone, Peddler’s Pavilion, and even surfing lessons at Adventure 30A.
For the ‘adult’ crowd there is also 30A Ax Throwing Company and a variety of exciting water activities ranging from jet skis to boat rentals.
Whatever you do, don’t get too fascinated by the Gulf, as there are other waters that are definitely worth exploring.
Speckled throughout the area is a global unicorn. You will encounter this in very few places in the world coast dune lakesa rare mix of salt and rainwater formations that are well worth exploring through the state parks (Topsail Hill Reserve And Grayton Beach).
You can kayak, fish, canoe, paddle board or book a tour let the professionals guide you through this unusual phenomenon.
South Walton’s extensive range of affordable places to stay
Booking a trip is one of the most exciting parts of anyone’s year, but the question we all need to ask ourselves is “what’s our budget?”.
Reader’s Digest also helped us here by highlighting Miramar Beach’s Sandestin golf and beach resort as their top choice for a premiere, yet affordable, stay with prices that stick around $100 per night.
But let’s dive deeper metaphorically, just as you might want to dive deep physically The Underwater Museum of Artthe first permanent underwater sculpture park in North America.
Searching deals in the other 15 districts, these are the 5 best places to stay for overall value this winter:
- Pineapple Villas on Laguna Beach
- Cottages Christian retreat
- Home2 Suites by Hilton Santa Rosa Beach
- The Great Sandestin
- The Village of South Walton Beach
While it doesn’t fit into the “affordable” category, if you feel like splurging, check out Rosemary Beach’s The Pearl Hotela dazzling hotel on the beach with rave reviews.
And don’t forget to check out the 300 vacation rentals in the region!
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author, and not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included in the post.
