I have stood on many a Florida shore listening to more than one beach ambassador describe his or her sands as “powder white,” “golden” or “soft.” I nod earnestly, fronting that I’m totally buying into the particular spin. On the inside, I’m thinking, “Uh-huh. Sand.”

So trust me when I tell you that the Beaches of South Walton’s sands are special. Extraordinarily soft and white, they seem to me to simulate the texture of baby powder. Originating as quartz crystals in the Appalachians, over the millennia they traveled through rivers to land here, on the northwest coast of Florida.

From these beaches, on an 18-mile stretch of Walton County highway known as 30-A, anchored by Seaside (recognizable as the backdrop for the 1998 movie The Truman Show), the communities embrace a New Urbanism development ethic. These new communities are reminiscent of a variety of classic architectural styles, from the New England widow’s walk to the bright, breezy porches of Florida’s bungalows. Homes typically surround ready-made shopping areas, providing visitors and residents with eminently walkable small-town experiences. Witness the seemingly endless new construction in hamlets with names like WaterColor,  Rosemary Beach, Blue Mountain Beach and Dune Allen. You might love it. Plenty do.

 
SEASIDE WITH THE KIDS

Getting to Seaside, your drive down 30-A is half the fun. The Gulf is visible from portions of the road, and you’ll get a good view of the New Urbanism neighborhoods sprouting here. On the highway’s northern side, watch nature unfold. In a landscape more southern Alabama than Florida, you’ll find dense-growth scrub pine and live oak. Coastal dune lakes dot the road.

Seaside's lovely beachfront shows off sand dunes and sea oats, and a striated water pattern of light and dark aquamarine.

Seaside sits roughly in the middle of 30-A.  Its lovely beachfront shows off sand dunes and sea oats, and a striated water pattern of light and dark aquamarine. Waves lap gently. No lifeguards on duty mean you have to keep a close watch on the kids, but the beach offers the type of amenities needed for a family vacation. Beach umbrellas in a uniform blue, beach chairs and kayaks are all available for rental.

Just across the boardwalk from the water, Seaside serves up its beach town flair. Roly Poly, famous for its rolled sandwiches, offers a beachside dining room entrance. Perspicacity is the name of Seaside’s beach bazaar. Check out everything from peasant skirts and jewelry to throw pillows artistically arranged in wicker baskets. At Pickles, all seating is outside. Munch on burgers, grilled-cheese sandwiches and baked goods, or sip a raspberry daiquiri. Across the street, on Seaside’s town green, you’ll find Sundog. This hipper-than-you’d-expect bookstore is perfect for picking up beach reads.

 
AWAY FROM IT ALL

Topsail Hill Preserve State Park offers a different beach experience. The park’s 1,640 rugged acres are home to a dramatic landscape, including coastal dune lakes and old-growth longleaf pine forests. On the 3.2-mile shoreline, sand dunes top 25 feet. You can’t drive to the beach. Leave your car at the park entrance and take the tram that runs every two hours. (Otherwise, you’ll have a 0.7-mile hike or bike ride down to the water.) The only amenities at the shore itself are a beach house, offering restrooms, changing rooms and an outdoor shower, and a small store with snacks and drinks. Make sure to pack a beach umbrella (there is little shade) and a picnic.

Despite, or perhaps because of, the rugged landscape, this beach seems to me a pristine getaway. Even during the time of my visit in an August heat wave, the shoreline stands virtually deserted. Seagulls cry and call, sand dunes tower and the crystal water crashes more vigorously than on other Gulf of Mexico beachfronts. The water feels gloriously cool.

 
SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

Somewhere between the all-American gaiety of Seaside and the pristine seclusion of Topsail Hill Preserve State Park sits Santa Rosa Beach. This public beach, with points of access including Gulf View Heights and Ed Walline Park, does have lifeguards who scan the waters daily during the summer, from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. You’ll find lots of families here, renting beach chairs and umbrellas and frolicking in the waters. Standing in the Gulf knee-deep, I can look down and see minnows tasting my toes.

If you need a break from your day on the sand, consider visiting Gulf Place shopping center. Situated directly across 30-A from Ed Walline Park, it is anchored by a creative community dubbed the Artists at Gulf Place. Artists’ cottages stand in the middle of this shopping plaza, selling everything from T-shirts to copper art, pottery, glass and flattened Coca-Cola bottles.

To cool off, visit Miss Lucille’s Gossip Parlor at Gulf Place. Half red velvet-adorned Southern tea room, half Internet café, it’s a place to rejuvenate with ice cream, iced coffee, sandwiches and other goodies. And don’t forget to browse through the hysterical signs offered for sale. Most feature a sexy, middle-aged redhead spouting bon mots such as, “Many people have eaten in this kitchen and gone on to live normal lives.” After your meal, return to the beach for a sunset dip and time to contemplate the wonders of 30-A.

 
GEO-TOURISM

The dune lakes sitting near the Beaches of South Walton are a geological phenomenon found virtually no place else in the country. Several such lakes here were created between 2,000 and 10,000 years ago by the action of the wind, which redistributed sand to form small bodies of water off of the Gulf of Mexico. Today, passes and inlets allow the lakes to exchange water with the Gulf, leading to ever-fluctuating levels of salinity in the lakes themselves. They are an important source of fresh water for migrating birds and a host of other marine species.