30A Florida: Watercolor and Seaside

We stayed in a perfectly gorgeous Airbnb in Watercolor and lived like locals! It was awesome to ride our bikes, that our hosts provided, all over Watercolor and Seaside and experience these stunning beach communities along Hwy 30A!

We have friends that either own property here or frequently vacation here, and we see the beautiful water and white sand beach pics. We hear how quaint and charming the area is with beautiful beaches, so we traveled to Florida to check it out and are here to tell you all about our 30A experience. 

Watercolor vs Seaside

So, I’ve always wondered exactly what the difference is in Watercolor and Seaside. I wondered if it was all basically the same and just one big area. We discovered that there are definite differences, but they seem pretty much connected so we kind of drifted back and forth. 

Watercolor Calm

Watercolor is a peaceful coastal community that is full of very nice southern style homes with large front porches, an abundance of trees. The cutest little lamp shade street lights accent the neighborhood! Members and guests here enjoy biking paths, Beach Club, shops, Camp Watercolor, lake, tennis courts, pools, restaurants, park and the beach. There are a limited number of shops and restaurants and it’s definitely calm and serene with a traditional community vibe. 

Seaside Energy

Pastel painted beach houses and cottages welcome you to Seaside along each side of Hwy 30A. The many brightly painted restaurants and food trucks are hopping with food and drink service. There is a very nice shopping hub, along with an amphitheater, that are also centrally located among the dining options and all are buzzing with energy. If you aren’t on the beach or in an oceanfront restaurant, this is most likely where you will be. 

Accommodations Watercolor and Seaside

There are several options if you are looking for accommodations for a beach vacay here. There are condos, Watercolor Inn, and many homes and cottages to rent. 

Our Bungalow Watercolor

We actually stayed in Watercolor. The Airbnb where we stayed was what I call an apartment. The hosts own and occupy the beautiful southern coastal home in front and had this fabulous apartment built over their detached garage towards the back. There is a spiral staircase for access and an elevator if needed. We sent our luggage up the elevator, but always used the stairs coming and going (quicker). It was a newer home and finished out very nicely. The decor was simple and neutral with a beach vibe. The kitchen and bath were stocked with all of the essentials. We had a super comfy bed and furniture, although we weren’t in the apartment that much. Our hosts left us beach towels, chairs, umbrella and bikes. We were usually gone on those bikes! The hosts definitely provided everything we needed and even thoughtful extras.  

Watercolor Amenities

Watercolor has some amazing HOA amenities Including Watercolor Beach Club and Camp Watercolor.  You will need an activated wrist band to access these. Our host graciously provided these for us and gave us an overview of the private facilities. There are also tennis courts, a lake, bike paths shopping and dining to keep you entertained. 

Watercolor Beach Club

The Beach Club has several pools, one being an adult only pool. These large pools are surrounded by many lounge chairs, some are even in a covered area. Food and drinks are available here and this is also where you access Watercolor’s private beach. The turquoise blue color of the water and the white sand beaches are phenomenal. 

Camp Watercolor

Another private amenity, for homeowners and guests (including Watercolor Inn guests) in the Watercolor Community, is a great new family spot called Camp Watercolor.  Here you will find more pools, waterslide, lazy river, food and drinks. The kids will especially love it here. There is also a small pavilion, where someone was having a birthday party when I popped in.  Kids were playing everywhere. Obviously, a popular spot with incredible water recreation choices. With no kids, I really preferred hanging out by the adult only pool at Watercolor Beach Club. 

Shopping 30A

There is shopping in all of the little beach communities along 30A not just Seaside and Watercolor. There was this wonderful looking shop called Summer House Lifestyle near Grayton Beach. We were grabbing breakfast and heading out of town when I saw it, but I would love to spend some time there.  So many unique boutiques and shops in the area, you could make a day of shopping-of course, broken up with dining!

Dining 30A

Similar to shopping along 30A, the beach communities just flow from one into the other revealing lots of dining options. We will have to make lots of trips here to make a dent in the restaurants available, but we did enjoy a few during our visit that we recommend. 

Crackings

For a fabulous breakfast spot, head to Crackings in Uptown Grayton. They also serve lunch. Our food and waitress were both great. I had chicken and waffles that were done very well. Frequently, that’s my bar for gauging breakfast spots!

Great Southern 

Previous guests where we were staying had added so many restaurant recs to the guest book and Great Southern was one of them. This is a Seaside bar and restaurant with covered outdoor seating. We enjoyed some shrimp tacos and a fish sandwich for lunch one day here. Very good. 

FOOW Fish Out of Water 

My favorite place for dining was Fish Out of Water in Watercolor. This modern oceanfront restaurant had a wonderful menu with reasonable prices and a nice covered patio with ocean view. We enjoyed everything about this restaurant. 

Bud and Alley’s

Another oceanfront dining option we enjoyed was Bud and Alleys. A great place for food and drinks to take in a gorgeous sunset. This restaurant in Seaside is packed with happy vacationers and locals. It’s a little pricier than FOOW, but has a a great menu selection of seafood and some other options.  We recommend enjoying at least one meal here during your stay. 

Biking Watercolor and Seaside

Adding to the quaintness of the area and to the recreational activities is biking. Not to mention, it’s also easy and convenient transportation. As mentioned, we biked back and forth and throughout Seaside and Watercolor. Sometimes we were just riding around exploring and checking things out. Sometimes we were headed somewhere, like the Farmers Market or lunch by the amphitheater, and we would park our bikes at one of the bike racks and then walk. For some reason, biking around like kids really added to our experience!

The Beach Watercolor and Seaside

There are multiple places for beach access, so depending on where you are staying, your host can give you details on that. We were able to access Watercolor’s private beach through the Watercolor Beach Club since we were guests there. 

The Seaside private beach access is also monitored and requires wrist band or being on their guest list to enter. The big tower behind the food court is where you will enter. 

Regardless of where you access the beaches along 30A, you will be delighted by the brilliant turquoise blue water and the bleached white sugary sand.  Also, the sunset views are stunning with the vibrant painted sky seemingly touching the ocean. 

Grayton Beach State Park

The beach boundary of Grayton Beach State Park connects with Watercolor’s private beach. We had to go check out this State Park that has such a beautiful beach! The entrance fee was only five dollars and no wait when we arrived. As you drive in you will see sand drifts piled over to the right and also the beach access. Grayton State Park also has three dune lakes (dune lakes are only found in four countries) so there are other activities like fishing and boating available. You can bring your own canoe/kayak or rent those at the State Park. Although you may have to reserve them well in advance, cabins are available here, as well as camping sites and hiking trails.  This award winning Grayton Beach State Park is worth a visit!

We found 30A, including Watercolor and Seaside, to be a wonderful coastal vacay destination! Look forward to returning soon!