Rosemary Beach faces the Gulf of Mexico along Florida’s western coast. The community was founded in 1995 and is home to about 4,300 residents living on just over 105 acres. The yearly weather is humid but temperate, with temperatures ranging from 45 to 63 degrees and summer temperatures ranging from 75 to 90 degrees.

Rosemary Beach is a fast-growing community popular for its many outdoor activities. With its gorgeous weather year-round and lack of tourists crowding the beach, restaurants, and boutique shops, Rosemary Beach is a coveted gem along the Gulf of Mexico.

Homes for sale in Rosemary Beach have a median home price of $1,700,000, down from the previous year’s median price of $3,087,500. Part of the reason is the area’s compact footprint and the demand for housing. Still, those fortunate enough to grab a new home with the help of a Rosemary Beach realtor can enjoy the surf, sun, and outdoor activities this beach area has to offer.

Located just 3.8 miles from Rosemary Beach is Timpoochee Trail. Nearly 19 miles long, it’s an ideal place to walk, hike, or ride a bike. The trail is flat, runs parallel to the beach, and offers breathtaking panoramic views of the vibrant waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Rental bikes are readily available, and one of your stops should be at the Topsail Hill Preserve Park. Here, you can bike or walk over the trails and through old-growth coastal forests. You can return to your new home in Rosemary Beach at the end of your day.

Along the Timpoochee Trail, you’ll find Deer Lake State Park, one of several South Walton Beach areas protected from development. It’s a nearly 2,000-acre park with a boardwalk path to get you from the parking area to the beach. Nature lovers will enjoy the beach and ocean and the array of plants and wildflowers. Southern magnolias, goldenrod, and asters abound, and butterflies and migratory birds populate the warm gulf air around the beach. Visitors can hike on dedicated hiking trails, sunbathe, swim, or fish, but those just here for a relaxing day can set up a beach picnic on the dunes.

Just a quick eight miles from Rosemary Beach lies Panama City Beach, where soon-to-be new residents of Rosemary Beach can book a charter boat to enjoy a two-hour tour of the Gulf of Mexico. Why? To see schools of dolphins, of course! And not just any old dolphins, but the friendliest kind, the "Flipper" kind—bottlenose dolphins. Depending on the cruise, families can see the dolphins from the boat deck or get up close and personal by actually swimming with them.

Paddleboarding involves a paddleboard or surfboard and a large oar. Outdoor sports enthusiasts can lie or kneel on the board and use an oar or their hands and arms to propel themselves forward in the water. Paddle surfing is an offshoot of paddleboarding, which involves standing on the board and using an oar for propulsion. Either way, there are numerous rental shacks along the beach that provide lessons for first-timers—or those who are “out of practice.” (Yes, that’s what you’ll tell the kids.)

A kayak is like a compact, narrow canoe with a stretchy top cover that secures the rider into the vessel and renders it waterproof while giving the rider some buoyancy. It prevents you from sinking, and lessons will guide you on how to quickly upright yourself should you tip over. A double-ended oar is the propulsion tool of choice, and kayaking is a fantastic way to ease yourself and your kids into shallow, calm waters when you're just starting out. Kayaking the shores of Rosemary Beach is a perfect afternoon activity for the whole family, as it’s a relaxing and fun adventure out on the water.

Drive up the road about 11 miles and dive into a real adventure with an airboat tour of the backwaters of South Walton. An airboat is the most common method of transportation in marsh-ridden or shallow waterways. These vessels are also known as swamp boats, bayou boats, fan boats, or plane boats and offer adventurers an effective, eco-friendly way to travel through protected or fragile areas that would otherwise be threatened by traditional modes of transportation such as motorboats. Depending on what boat company you choose, you can just enjoy the ride or opt to fish as well.

Playing in the sand is always fun for young kids and the not-so-young. What's even more fun is learning how to build a professional-level sandcastle. Families can enroll in multi-hour courses on how to build sandcastles the way professional sand artists do. Not only will you learn how to build structurally sound, creative sandcastles, you’ll also learn the art of sand sculpting. Students will learn which tools to use—whether dedicated sculpting and molding tools or found objects and household items—and how much water to add to sand, so it's the ideal texture for building your own pieces of sand art.

Do you want to live year-round in the fabulous Rosemary Beach, or are you looking to buy a vacation home in this gorgeous destination? Reach out to trusted Rosemary Beach realtor Sarah Davidson to discuss your options.