<p class="ingestion featured-caption">I visited 30A, an up-and-coming beach area in the Florida panhandle. Terri Peters</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>30A is an up-and-coming beach area in Florida that's being called "the Hamptons of the South."</li><li>I spent two nights in 30A and was blown away by its beautiful beaches and unique towns.</li></ul><p>I've <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/surprising-things-moving-to-florida-with-family-2023-8">lived in Florida</a> for eight years but only recently heard of 30A, a growing travel hot spot in the Florida panhandle.</p><p>Nicknamed <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/30a-highway-florida-rentals-beaches-real-estate-investors-growth-2024-8">"the Hamptons of the South"</a> by visitors, the area is located between Panama City and Destin and sits along a <a target="_blank" class href="https://floridascenichighways.com/our-byways/panhandle-region/scenic-highway-30a/">24-mile stretch</a> of highway known as County Road 30A.</p><p>30A is known for its white-sand beaches, stunning views of the blue-green Gulf of Mexico, and charming little beach towns.</p><p>Once only popular among Southerners who lived within driving distance, 30A continues to gain steam with vacationers around the country.</p><p>Florida's South Walton County, which includes the 30A area, had one of its <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-places-to-travel-in-the-summer-2022-5">busiest tourist seasons</a> in 2023, seeing over $1 billion in spending and over 1 million visitors between March and May alone.</p><p>I was curious to see why 30A's communities like Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, and Seaside have been drawing so many, so I planned my own two-night stay in the area.</p><p>Here's what it's really like in Florida's up-and-coming beachfront hot spot.</p>