Seaside
Seaside, FL
Seaside is the master-planned 30A town that helped launch the New Urbanism movement, its pastel cottages and car-free town center recognizable from The Truman Show as much as from real life. The beach itself is postcard Gulf sand, though the town charges for the parking that made the rest of it famous.
The architecture and walkable town center give it a real identity beyond just the beach, though the paid parking and its fame both bring crowds that quieter 30A towns don't see.
How we score beachesParking runs 10 dollars for the first two hours and 7 dollars each additional hour along Smolian Circle, with discounts for Bay, Walton, or Okaloosa County residents. Free 15-minute and 1-hour parking exists for quick stops, useful for grabbing something from the town center without paying the full rate.
Metered parking runs 10 dollars for the first two hours and 7 dollars each additional hour, with local county discounts available.
The town center and beach accesses have short, flat, walkable paths.
Dogs are allowed on Walton County beaches on a leash, but only during restricted hours (roughly 3:30pm to 8:30am) and only for permit holders who are county residents or property owners.
Spring and fall bring the mildest Panhandle weather and thinner crowds. Summer's heat and hurricane season, June through November, bring the biggest 30A crowds despite the warmest water.
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