It’s easy to know when you’ve arrived in Alys Beach, particularly if you’re a connoisseur of architecture and design. Even to the untrained eye, the clean lines, iconic butteries, and palm-lined entries to secluded courtyards and intimate green spaces impart a Mediterranean feel to the neighborhood.
This exclusive enclave of peacefulness calls to mind white-washed Greek villages perched above the sparkling sea. Crisp, bright-white homes in ivory stucco contrast with brilliantly blue skies and the pristine beaches of the Emerald Coast. Residents live an equal-parts relaxed and active lifestyle here in this delightful beach neighborhood. It’s easy to indulge one’s love of the beach, as well as a preference for understated luxury, as you take in the waves over your morning coffee, explore the town’s countless live music and art events, and dine at welcoming eateries.
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Practically every home in Alys Beach allows residents an easy, pleasant walk to the sand – if not a prime, waterfront location. Choose from classic and contemporary architecture, homes surrounding quiet courtyards and extravagant villas. Many homes are in the zaguan design style common to South America. Essentially when you open the door, you’re entering a covered courtyard, intended to protect you from the heat. Small pools, grottos, earth- and beach-toned pavers and terraces surround many of the homes, providing comfortable indoor-outdoor living. Notice, too, that every home offers a “gift to the street,” perhaps a quiet bench along a pedestrian walkway, a fragrant rosemary bush, or a decorative water fountain.
Soak up the views while biking along the Timpoochee Trail, stroll along the Alys Beach nature trail, or lounge on the beach or at the indulgent Caliza Pool, where private cabanas and food and beverage service complete the perfect day in your beach paradise. Sandy feet are par for the course, as beach lovers wander home for lunch or sunset cocktails, where dinner parties take place under the stars, and where neighbors are friends. With its quiet street, inviting courtyards, promenades, and marketplaces, Alys Beach was intentionally designed to be innovative, timeless, and close knit.
There’s no shortage of delicious dining, engaging entertainment, and upscale shopping in Alys Beach. Recognizing residents’ commitment to active, healthy living, Raw and Juicy serves acai bowls, eggs and greens, fresh-pressed juice, overnight oats and more in its sun-bleached restaurant.
The upscale, yet casual George’s at Alys Beach occupies an adorable beach cottage with cedar shingles, outdoor porch dining, and a rooftop viewing deck overlooking the beach. Dig into the freshest Gulf-to-table seafood around, paired with a thoughtfully curated wine list, batched cocktails, and decadent desserts. The Citizen is another local favorite, a coastal tavern serving creative fare along Florida’s scenic Highway 30A. Choose to sit at the bar, the raw bar, or in the light-filled dining room to dine on Southern specialties, many of which are cooked over a wood-fired hearth.
Gather friends for a lovely evening at the Neat Tasting Room, a sleek, chic ambiance for specialty cocktails, shareable plates, snacks, and charcuterie and cheese boards. Regular “wine and song” evenings offer tableside wine tastings and live music. Next door, pick up artisan spirits, wines, and craft beers at the well-curated Bottle Shop for your next soiree.
Over at Caliza, dining is perfectly private, available only to homeowners and vacation-rental guests. Enjoy light bites and casual American cuisine next to the stunning Caliza Pool.
What’s a perfect beach town without a perfect beach club? The homeowner-exclusive Beach Club at Alys Beach is one of the town’s best amenities and offers the most coveted beach club experience in South Walton. This gorgeous, gleaming white villa elevates the beach lifestyle with five star-resort like touches, from private white-sand beach access (with food and beverage delivery) to an infinity swimming pool, casual dining venues to furnished deck spaces. Within this central neighborhood gathering space, you can mingle with neighbors in a fitness class, at the pool, on the beach, or at the Sunset Terrace and Bar.
A distinctively upscale beach lifestyle calls for exquisite shopping opportunities. Homeowners are drawn to the Alys Shoppe for bespoke fashion and accessories. With trademark white walls and a stunning gulf-front location, the shop is as decadent as its surroundings. Choose from women’s and men’s fashions, activewear, jewelry, gifts, and more. Trunk shows take place throughout the year, bringing fabulous pieces from around the world right to the Alys Beach.
All those Alys Beach white-washed walls make for spectacular canvases, a fact local art aficionados have not overlooked. The neighborhood, typically so quiet and calming, lights up for the annual, must-see Digital Graffiti event. This unique digital-projection art experience brings in artists from around the world to showcase their work on the white-wall canvases. Submissions arrive from as far away as Israel, Australia, and India.
Throughout the year, sculpture tours are available, a pleasant way to soak up the neighborhood architecture as well as its passion for art. The neighborhood’s collection includes pieces made from teak, bronze, marble, and more. Look for marble, resin-coated sculpture of a dancing woman, created by world-renowned German artist Christain Peschke, and “Alberta,” by Sonia Eberling of Brazil.
Alys Beach residents love to be active, whether it’s strolling the nature trail through 22 acres of natural preserve space, playing in the Gulf of Mexico or visiting Lake Marilyn. Tucked away at the back of the community, this town water source features an eye-catching, towered bridge, pine forests, and signature white stucco houses lining its banks.
Learn more about Alys Beach’s defining architecture through the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County and the town architect herself, Marieanne Khoury-Vogt – including more about the stark white masonry walls and why this style was chosen, as well as the Caribbean influences that beckon you to stay.
Alys Beach is a choice spot for those looking to make their permanent residence feel more like a vacation. Whether your luxurious primary home, a secondary home or an investment property, Alys Beach’s appeal remains the same: a place to relax, reconnect and call home in beautiful Northwest Florida. Alys Beach homes range from pastel-colored cottages to lavish mansions to upscale condos. You’ll find 1,400-square-foot condos starting at $2.5 million all the way to luxurious 7,500-square-foot beachfront estates that can sell for up to $20 million.
