BeachCrest

BeachCrest is a Gulf-front condominium tower at 3768 E County Highway 30A in Seagrove Beach, about a mile east of Seaside. Built in 1988, it rises twelve stories, and local real estate agents note that it is one of only two condo towers on Scenic 30A, the other being One Seagrove Place, because later height limits prevent new towers along the highway. The owners association describes it as a boutique, smoke-free building.

The building holds about seventy condos, mostly two bedroom, two bath units that sleep around six, with private balconies facing the Gulf of Mexico. Units on the upper floors have long views up and down the coast, while lower floors sit closer to the dunes and pool. Interiors vary widely, since each owner has renovated on their own schedule, and many units have been updated with new kitchens and coastal furnishings. The building’s height is unusual on 30A, where most Gulf-front condos are three or four stories.

Shared amenities include a Gulf-front pool that is heated in the cooler months, elevators, a grilling and picnic area that is reachable from both the pool and the beach, and a dune walkover through native vegetation to the sand. Rental companies list parking for up to two vehicles per unit. Units are individually owned and rented through owners and several local rental companies, and some include complimentary seasonal beach chair and umbrella service while others do not, so it is worth checking each listing. The association also operates live beach cameras. Walton County’s Leave Only Footprints rules require beach gear to be carried off the sand each evening, and exterior lighting is reduced during sea turtle nesting season from May through October.

Seagrove Beach is a quiet, residential part of 30A with easy access to the most visited villages. Seaside, with its restaurants, shops and Airstream food trucks, is a short bike ride west on the Timpoochee Trail, and WaterColor and Grayton Beach are just beyond. To the east are Watersound, Seacrest, Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach, and Deer Lake State Park and Eastern Lake offer dune lake scenery and quieter beaches.

BeachCrest suits couples, small families and friends who want a Gulf-front tower with an elevator and elevated views, in a central location on 30A. It is a practical base for exploring both ends of the highway by car or bike. Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is about forty minutes east, and Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport is roughly an hour west.