It's not a town, but it seems like one. WaterColor has shops, restaurants, houses and a hotel. Its streets and establishments are open to anyone who passes. Sounds like a town, right? Technically speaking, it's a master-planned resort community where people live and vacation by the sea, but the general public is embraced in this neighborhood along the Emerald Coast of the Florida Panhandle. WaterColor is steeped in the sustainable principles of New Urbanism -- a pedestrian-friendly place where development is kept in check and blends in harmoniously with the natural surroundings.
New Urbanism Nirvana
- WaterColor is situated on a stretch of the Emerald Coast known as South Walton. The blacktop lifeline of South Walton is Scenic Highway 30A connecting WaterColor to similar New Urbanism developments and old-school, low-key Florida beach communities. Seaside, widely considered the birthplace of the New Urbanist movement, is right next door to WaterColor, blending in almost seamlessly with its neighbor. South Walton and 30A have a lifestyle much different from other beach areas in the Panhandle. You won't find high-rise condos, pulsating nightclubs with neon signage or tacky souvenir shops here. Things are less hectic and more refined along this part of the coast, and also a bit pricier.
Play by Day
- Aside from beachcombing the blinding white sands and taking a dip in the aquamarine waters of the Gulf of Mexico, visitors to WaterColor have an array of other activities to choose from. There's typical resort fare such as tennis, golf and spa treatments, but nature also provides an alluring draw. Hiking, biking and stand up paddle boarding on the dune lakes are popular off-beach activities. WaterColor has its own activity dock on Western Lake where bike and paddle board rentals are available. Nearby are a handful of state parks and a state forest with plenty of trails worth exploring. And there's a pedestrian bike path running alongside the length of Highway 30A to help you get where you want to go without getting in your car.
- Stay the Night
- WaterColor contains one major hotel property and plenty of vacation rental homes. WaterColor Inn is a AAA Four Diamond hotel on the beach. Only a handful of rental homes are on the beach side of Watercolor, but plenty more are found on the picturesque neighborhood streets on the other side of 30A, some within easy walking distance of the beach. Reservations for a hotel room or a vacation rental property can be made through the WaterColor Inn and Resort website.
Gulfside Dining
- Fish Out of Water is the signature restaurant at WaterColor and one of the go-to fine-dining spots in the South Walton area. It's inside the WaterColor Inn and overlooks the Gulf of Mexico. Plan to go at sunset for the best views; reservations are recommended for dinner. Other dining spots in WaterColor include more casual, walk-in restaurants where you can grab a quick bite or nurse a glass of wine with your meal. The Seaside community also offers plenty of dining options. Don't miss Bud and Alley's, a culinary pioneer in the area with a rooftop bar overlooking the beach, where you'll find locals mingling with tourists day and night.
