Santa Rosa Beach :: Our Favorite Summer Getaway

Santa Rosa Beach :: Our Favorite Summer Getaway

I highly recommend Santa Rosa Beach for a family beach trip. It offers all the sun, sand, and surf you could want without the overwhelming crowds found at some busier spots. We didn’t stay directly on the beach, which actually worked better for our family.

Campground Life > Beachfront Chaos

We booked a cottage at the RVC Campground, about 20 minutes from the water. The campground was quiet, allowing the kids to roam around on their own. There was a pool, ping pong, and even a workout room. Honestly, just having that much shade felt like a luxury.

Sunscreen Strategy

Since we hadn’t been to the beach in a while, we’d forgotten the golden rule: reapply sunscreen every hour. The UV index was a full 10 every day, so we ended up getting more sun than we had planned (whoops!). Still, the water was clear, and aside from a few jellyfish and a brief sighting of a large stingray, it was a smooth beach experience.

Paddleboard Fun

We rented a paddleboard for half a day, and the boys turned it into their personal surf trainer. They rode the waves while my husband and I took turns hanging onto the ankle strap — basically human anchors. It was a lot more challenging than we expected, and it’s a real shame no one caught our wipeouts on video!

Beach Toys That Delivered

Skim boards, boogie boards, paddle ball — the kids were in constant motion. They hardly sat still for more than five minutes. Renting an umbrella and chairs was a lifesaver. We rented from 30A Shade Beach Service. They had multi-day rates and were set up on a private beach area, so less people. Having that shady spot made the beach manageable. We also brought a wagon and managed to park reasonably close — little things like that make a big difference when you’re hauling gear and kids.

Watching my boys play on the beach were the best kind of moments. They’re at an age now where we can set boundaries — like “don’t go past the sandbar” — and they mostly stick to them. The water was calm (yellow flag), and while they couldn’t always hear us if we yelled, I stayed close enough to keep an eye on them. A skip ball was the toy MVP. We found it at the shop right across from the beach, which was super convenient for backup entertainment.

Maybe Start After Lunch?

After four hours of intense play and sun, we were wiped out. Next time, we might go after lunch and stay until sunset. The umbrella rental was only available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so we based our schedule around that.

Farm and Fire: Worth the Sunburn

We cooked most of our meals in the cottage, but we went out for dinner once a day. Farm and Fire was a highlight. Yes, the afternoon sun was blazing, but there was a small beach area with ankle-deep water — perfect for the kids to play while we waited for the food. There was also a fantastic band playing, and we ended up staying much longer than planned just singing and dancing along.

A Quick Hop to Rosemary and Seaside

One of our “off” beach days, we drove over to Rosemary for shopping and lunch. The town was charming, but I have one complaint: there are no public restrooms anywhere. Maybe that’s by design, but it’s not ideal when traveling with grandparents, which cut our shopping short. Still, Rosemary had plenty of shady spots and cute shops to duck into. We ate at La Crema Tapas and Chocolate. It was delicious!

Ice Cream :: The Only Way to End a Shopping Day

We wrapped up our shopping day with ice cream at Blue Mountain Creamery. It was tasty and a much-needed way to cool off. Let’s just say — we’re not built for long hours in direct sunlight, so we take shade and ice cream whenever we can.

Santa Rosa, You’re Our Favorite

Santa Rosa is our favorite beach. It’s laid-back, family-friendly, and the perfect mix of nature, comfort, and fun. We’ll be back — with more sunscreen, a waterproof phone case to capture paddle board fails, and perhaps a boat rental!