Between Pensacola And Tallahassee Is One Of Florida's Best-Kept Secrets With Unsung Christmas Markets

When you celebrate Christmas in Florida, you trade white snow for white sand, puffer coats for swimsuits, and Santa's reindeer for surfin' Santas. Though the Sunshine State may be better known for sand castles than snowmen, one stretch of coastal beach towns does the holidays better than most: Santa Rosa Beach, a magical community along the famed 30A Highway. 30A, the scenic ribbon winding through Florida's Panhandle, strings together small, personality-packed beach towns with their own quirky vibes and charming names, like Seaside, WaterColor, Rosemary Beach, and Grayton Beach, one of America's prettiest. Santa Rosa Beach is a community in its own right, though the name's often used to refer to the 30A corridor between Destin, home to the world's most beautiful beaches, about 17 miles west, and Panama City Beach, 25 miles east.

Santa Rosa Beach has been called one of America's best holiday towns, and Christmas starts early in the Panhandle, kicking off around Thanksgiving, when throngs of visitors visit Seaside's weekend Holiday Market, Grayton's Christmas parade, and the 30A Holiday Market. But as the season goes on, Christmas festivities continue to light up 30A, and Santa Rosa Beach's sure to have some festivities saved for you. Some of the ongoing activities include the seasonal ice-skating rink at Baytowne Wharf in Miramar, which runs from Halloween through February, and keeps the holiday spirit going all winter. At Rosemary Beach, have "S'mores with Santa" and take photos with Saint Nick himself on several different nights in December. More mid-month merriment includes Grayton's "Christmas in Waves" on December 10, featuring vocalists from Surfside Music Theatre. Toward the end of the month, Miramar Beach also hosts a "Coastal White Christmas" in its Town Center, with music, Santa appearances, and horse-drawn carriage rides down Grand Boulevard.

From December 12 to 13, Santa's Camp Christmas offers kids a chance to visit Santa Claus' workshop, ride the Polar Express, and participate in other family-friendly activities at Topsail Hill Preserve State Park. Don't miss "The Big Chill Holiday Party" on December 19, featuring a pop-up holiday market for last-minute shopping, visits with Santa, Christmas music, and more. On Christmas Eve, the WaterColor Inn hosts a Christmas Eve Breakfast featuring the chef's specials and gift cookie-decorating kits for kids. During the week between Christmas and New Year's, the inn hosts a holiday brunch buffet accompanied by live jazz and a bottomless Bloody Mary and mimosa bar. 

December temperatures at Santa Rosa Beach hover in the high 60s Fahrenheit, so while locals might call it chilly, snowbirds and out-of-towners will bask in the mild air and still-welcoming Gulf waters, ideal for boating, sandbars, and kayaking. Rent a bike or e-bike to cruise Timpoochee Trail (the 30A Bike Path), an 18-mile paved route meandering through charming 30A towns like Grayton Beach and Seagrove Beach — each one worth a stop for holiday shopping at local boutiques, art galleries, and cozy restaurants. Don't miss The Stalls of 30A, open daily — a year-round "holiday market" of sorts, featuring vendors selling jewelry, handmade textiles, ceramics, and other one-of-a-kind finds.

The most direct route to Santa Rosa Beach is to fly into Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport. Rent a car at the airport or use rideshares and local beach-town trolleys for convenient transit. Alternatively, fly into Pensacola, which may offer more flight options, though it's about 100 miles away.