The Floridian beach town that looks like Santorini

The striking all-white architecture of Alys Beach may conjure Europe and the Caribbean, but its walkable streets and luminous Gulf beaches are pure Florida.

Golden sunlight kisses your bare arms as you stroll through a maze of whitewashed concrete buildings, stark against a bright blue sky. Your sandals tread stone pathways, passing Grecian trellises draped in purple bougainvillea. In the distance is a chalk-white beach with sand soft as sifted sugar and an emerald green sea: a backdrop from Homeric myth. But as you make your way past chic boutiques and pavement restaurants, a Moorish archway pops into view; further down, an Andalusian-style courtyard. Elegant homes are topped with Dutch gabled roofs. There's not a car in sight, just the tinkling chime of bicycle bells.

You'd be forgiven for wondering where in the world you are: Amsterdam, Andalusia, Greece. But look closely; it's Gulf oysters on those bistro plates, and your waiter speaks with a southern US drawl. This is no European escape; you're in the Florida panhandle.

An elusive sense of place

Welcome to Alys Beach, a planned luxury coastal community where bicycles rule the streets and every corner you turn conjures someplace else.

The whitewashed enclave is found towards the eastern end of 30A, Florida's most scenic highway. Along the 20-mile coastal corridor, Gulf-front restaurants serve freshly caught seafood, while state parks, colourful beach towns and sugar-sand beaches beg you to pull over and explore.

But at Alys Beach, you won't find the typical Floridian tiki huts and manatee mailboxes.

"The interesting thing about Alys is [its] architectural language so strongly references familiar architectural languages. It feels like you are somewhere you can't quite place," says Diana Lane, the town's director of public relations.

Dating to just 2004, Alys Beach has become a regional icon thanks to its all-white palette, which contrasts sharply with the sherbet-coloured cottages, stilt-built homes and towering condos commonly associated with other coastal areas in the Sunshine State. Most visitors immediately liken it to Greece, says Lane: "I think that's because of the white masonry." But the town's design DNA was actually inspired by Bermuda and Central America, among other places. Oasis-like interior courtyards with flowing fountains recall residences in Antigua, Guatemala, while island-style stepped roofs gently harvest rain. Four steepled Bermudian butteries flank the town's entrance.

There's even a hint of New Orleans. "Walking around, you'll see balcony rails on a second-storey porch or veranda overlooking a courtyard area that feels very reminiscent of Creole design," says Lane.

Though the town is most recognised for its striking all-white environs, its engineers had something different in mind.

Founded by the Stephens family, Alys Beach – named for the family matriarch – was planned as a centre of New Urbanism, championing walkability, sustainability and community connection. Pioneering New Urbanist Duany Plater-Zyberk, the designer of neighbouring New Urbanist communities along Highway 30A like Seaside and Rosemary Beach, was tasked with the master plan, while town architects Erik Vogt and Marieanne Khoury-Vogt drew upon their travels to design the town's unique look. They also helped develop its groundbreaking green policies. Every residence in Alys Beach is certified to Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) standards, prioritising energy efficiency, water conservation and hurricane resilience. 

Cars are only allowed in designated parking areas, and the town centre is intentionally dense. A grid of vehicular streets connect to parking courts that link to pedestrian paths.

"Everything is connected easily to encourage walkability," says Lane. "People are immediately joining common space when they step out of their private residence. The idea is for residents and guests to park their car and walk to anything they need during their stay – restaurants, shops, amenities, even a market for sundries and necessities." The town's custom metal bike racks are strategically placed throughout the community – and painted white, of course.  

Alys Beach's pedestrian-friendly nature and aesthetics drew Atlanta-based podcast host Julie Silber and her husband to purchase a holiday home here in 2021. 

"Every community [on 30A] really has its own vibe," says Silber. She describes nearby WaterColor as having a "preppy feel", while Seaside, the pioneering New Urbanist community made famous by the 1998 film The Truman Show, skews a "bit more bohemian" with its sea of lavender and pink homes.

She likens Alys Beach's sophistication – with its excellent restaurants and cafes and exclusive beach club above the dunes – "to the feeling you get in St Bart's, perhaps, or St Tropez".

Luxury, but make it accessible

From the beginning, says Lane, the town's vision prioritised long-term community over transient density. The local government doesn't track full-time residency, but estimates that 15-20% of homeowners live here for most of the year, while several thousand guests visit annually.

When to go: June to August are peak season. March to May offers pleasant weather, fewer crowds plus events and festivals. Hurricane season runs from June to November. 

Get there: The closest airport is Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) in Panama City, a 30-minute drive. Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport is serviced by more carriers and is roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes away.

Stay: The Alys Beach Vacations rental programme exclusively handles private residence rentals and offers concierge planning services, but accessible hotels like Camp Creek Inn in Inlet Beach and The Pearl in Rosemary Beach are less than two miles away. Families gravitate to Santa Rosa Beach’s gulf-front WaterColor Inn, with two pools, a lazy river and playground.

"Alys Beach was intentionally designed as a scenic coastal community rather than a resort," Lane says. As such, there are no hotels. Holiday accommodations are only available in privately owned residences, and rates start around $2,570 (£1,945) for three nights in a one-bedroom home.

Further adding to the exclusive feel; only owners and holiday renters may access the community's private stretch of pristine beachfront or frequent the zero-entry, Moroccan-inspired Caliza Pool.

But even if an Alys Beach holiday rental is out of budget, it's possible to swim or stroll along its "wet" coastline, shop its boutiques, visit for a meal, attend its frequent events or simply immerse yourself in its distinctive architecture and laid-back vibe (if you want to plant an umbrella, the public beaches of Inlet Beach and Seagrove and are a brisk bike ride away).

Discrete but attentive hospitality is threaded throughout the community. Silver likens the holiday experience to "a cross between a country club and a five-star hotel", where staff sometimes know her order before she does. Restaurants tend upscale. O-Ku, a trendy sushi and sashimi spot overlooks the town amphitheatre, while The Citizen is known for its lively oyster happy hour.

• The US neighbourhood where cars are banned

• The French Riviera's picture-perfect car-free island escape

• The US island with no cars and one horse for every person

Public art embellishes landscapes and the events calendar draws visitors for festivals throughout the year. The marquee annual event, Digital Graffiti, douses the white town in brilliant colours after dark, with digitalised art projected across Alys Beach's facades, pathways and landscaping.

"It's ephemeral. This world gets created for two days and then it's gone. It's like a full-body sensory experience," says photographic artist Jonah Allen, who has a gallery in nearby Seagrove.

Must-hit 30A Festivals

30A Songwriters Festival - Staged in outdoor amphitheatres and makeshift listening rooms across South Walton County, this music festival draws more than 120 artists to perform over a four-day weekend each January. 

30A Wine Festival - One of 30A's key festivals for foodies plays out in February on the streets of Alys Beach with a grand wine tasting, gospel brunch, wine dinners and other ticketed events.

Visitors should venture beyond the town, too. Just west of Alys Beach, Inlet Beach is home to 30A's latest development, Kaiya Beach Resort, also designed by the Vogts with a similar white aesthetic. In Seaside, a line-up of vintage Airstream trailers-turned-food trucks lures locals and visitors to Seaside Airstream Row for lobster grilled cheese sandwiches and açaí bowls al fresco. Further west in quirkier Grayton Beach, The Red Bar serves southern fare like seafood gumbo alongside live jazz, while Grayton Beach State Park is the place to kayak around the area's rare coastal dune lakes.

For Allen, Alys Beach is 30A's "crown jewel".

"It's kind of like the last frontier in Florida, this area, in terms of development," he says. "There's not many places you can go that aren't urban, that aren't suburban, that aren't rural. It's like a combination of all three."

But does it still feel like Florida? Yes; for all its multi-national glamour and polish, as soon as you step past the whitewashed streets and onto the sugar-white sand, the illusion falls away. You are unmistakably on the same dazzling Gulf shore that has always made this stretch of Florida irresistible.    

If you liked this story, sign up for The Essential List newsletter – a handpicked selection of features, videos and can't-miss news, delivered to your inbox twice a week. 

For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Apple at 50: The tech devices that defined a generation

Tech Now asks what's next for Apple as the tech giant marks its 50th anniversary.

Investors hoping for Iran war de-escelation

US stock markets are starting the month higher, as hopes grow that the war may soon de-escalate.

Jacob Elordi turned an insult into an Oscar nomination

Jacob Elordi jokes about an early career review calling him so wooden he could only play Frankenstein's monster.

How early humans faced a terrifying Ice Age predator

Ella Al‑Shamahi ventures into muddy cave systems to uncover the secrets behind a deadly prehistoric hunt.

Quarterly earnings to shed light on economic impact of war

The major US stock markets open higher despite rising oil prices amid the ongoing war on Iran.

Life after the wildfires in the Rockies

Nature is once again reclaiming the land and tourists are starting to return after the 2024 wildfires in Canada.

Inside the school teaching students to slow down and observe

At the Royal Drawing School, students rediscover drawing as a powerful way to see and experience the world anew.

Young people say they feel lost - What’s happening?

Katty Kay on why large numbers of young adults say that they’re struggling to find purpose in life.

The video game bringing Medieval Europe back to life

BBC Tech Now meets the makers of Total War strategy series to uncover how they bring medieval cultures to life.

Reports of a US peace plan for Iran send oil prices lower

Jon Cheigh at Cohen and Steers gives his take on Wall Street's reaction on a possible ceasefire.

Earth's spectacular and remote 'capital' of lightning

With storms occurring between 140 to 160 nights a year, it's no wonder the area is a world record holder.

Wall street remains volatile after Monday's market rally

Catherine Avery at Concurrent Investment Advisors explains that investors will continue to see a volatile market.

Prehistoric footprints reveal a mother's perilous journey

Fossilised footprints at White Sands National Park in New Mexico reveal an extraordinary human story.

Brent Crude tumbles as Trump trails easing pressure on Iran

Brian Szytel at the Bahnsen Group explains that oil prices dropped in response of President Trump's remarks.

Meet Britain's pudding royalty

The Travel Show meets a family keeping the 18th‑century Aughton Pudding Festival alive.

US stocks open in the red again as energy fears grow

Market Intelligence Strategist Ed Moya warns of the risk of stagflation if energy prices are not contained.

OnlyFans, loneliness, and rise of explicit direct messages

Katty Kay speaks to writer and podcaster Ed Elson about the adult content industry's pivot to direct messaging.

From vineyards to farms, new tech is transforming crops

Tech Now meets the innovators using tech to improve seed, grains and crops for Australia's agricultural industry.

Investors seem to be relatively calm, expert says

Oil prices staying this high could trigger a global recession, warns Main Street Research CIO James Demmert.

Mass Neanderthal murder discovery in Spanish cave

Deep within Spain's El Sidrón Cave, 49,000‑year‑old bones reveal a Neanderthal family's dark fate.

Film's greatest action hero is not who you think

The Hong Kong actor made a series of films with director John Woo that revolutionised the action genre – and key to them was his beguiling mixture of toughness and tenderness.

This island is saving koalas from chlamydia

A disease-free island enclave could hold the key to koalas' survival – but it is also a genetic bottleneck. Can scientists stop their decline, before it's too late?

What happens when remote travel goes wrong

As off-grid travel surges, travellers are arriving in remote destinations unprepared for the silence, wildlife and discomfort that come with them.

The genius of The Sopranos' most shocking episode

In 2006, The Sopranos' season six opener gave viewers two of the most startling scenes in television history. Twenty years on, here's why it's time to reconsider Members Only.

Why weight-loss drugs aren't a quick fix

Weight-loss drugs are not the easy solution that many people believe, especially if you hope to keep the pounds off in the long-term.

© BBC