Sanctuary by the Sea

Sanctuary by the Sea is a gated condominium resort at 1363 W County Highway 30A in Blue Mountain Beach, on the Gulf side of Scenic 30A between Blue Mountain Beach and Grayton Beach. Its 23 acres sit between the Gulf of Mexico and one of South Walton’s rare coastal dune lakes, so the property has both a private beach and a lakeshore with walking trails.

The community was completed around 2007 and has roughly one hundred condos in four-story Mediterranean-style buildings, according to county-based building data. Units include condos and penthouses with ten-foot ceilings, chef-style kitchens, wet bars and gas fireplaces, and balconies look out over the Gulf, the lake or the grounds depending on the building. Floor plans range from multi-bedroom condos suited to families to larger penthouse residences. Building layouts vary, so some units look primarily at the Gulf while others focus on the lake and nature preserve.

Amenities are extensive for a 30A condo community. There are three pools and two hot tubs with poolside cabanas, a fitness gym, a movie theater and media room, a game room, a virtual golf center, barbecue grills and outdoor showers. Trails connect the buildings to the beach and to the lake, where guests can fish, canoe or kayak, and owners have covered and underground parking. Units are individually owned, and rentals are handled mainly through an on-site rental program plus some owners and other local companies. Real estate agents note that the association restricts short-term rentals for newer owners, with existing owners grandfathered, so the rental pool may shrink over time and services vary by unit. Walton County’s Leave Only Footprints rules require beach gear to be removed from the sand each evening.

The resort is a short drive from Grayton Beach, with its state park, Western Lake and the Red Bar, and from WaterColor and Seaside. Blue Mountain Creamery and the shops at Redfish Village are a few minutes west, and the Timpoochee Trail runs along 30A for biking in both directions. Point Washington State Forest offers inland hiking and cycling trails.

Sanctuary by the Sea suits families and groups who want resort-style facilities, such as multiple pools and indoor entertainment, in a secluded gated setting directly on the Gulf. It also appeals to travelers who like quieter nature activities, since the dune lake and trail system are right on the property. Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport and Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport are both about an hour away by car.