Two women friends thinking of going to Florida Panhandle this summer. Where is the prettiest and most interesting beach town or resort. We would prefer not being around a lot of children (leaving ours at home). We like quaint towns, interesting architecture, fun shops and wide quiet beaches. Any suggestions?

Without a doubt Greyton Beach--on Scenic 30A near Seaside--old Beach town with interesting bungalows--no high rises and near the best stretch of beach in panhandle--
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I agree with Alan except this area of Florida is really inundated with families in the summer. There are some great restaurants that seem to adult oriented at night: Cafe 30A, Criolla's(not a favorite, vastly overated and overpriced, but all adults!), Bud n'alleys's (at Seaside). We rent a house a Blue Mountain Beach(from Dune Allen REalty) at a very quieet end of the beach and found the solitude we wanted. This is very close to Greyton Beach and is still a desirable area, but is developing very fast--in fact Disney is working in conjunction with someone to develop the wild area right next to Seaside. If you are interested in architecture, please visit Seaside. It is VERY crowded and filled with families, but there are some very interesting homes and buildings there. The designers are credited, of course, with the idea of "new urbanism".

I will email you with more information if you like. We have spent many summers in the area.

Go to seaside!I know some say its disney but the architecture is interesting, the beach spectacular & huge. good restaurants in nearby towns.

Seaside is worth looking around but I don't know if I would stay there. As the above posters have stated, it is VERY crowded any time of year and traffic is tricky. Still worth visiting though! I agree about Grayton Beach too. If you're up for something a little different, try the Red Bar. A newer area is Rosemary Beach, which has very interesting architecture. Kind of a Spanish/Old West/Dutch thing going with all of the houses, town halls, stores, etc. And Blue Mountain Beach is pretty and winding.

If you stay get off Highway 98/30 and take the scenic route 30A, you will drive right through all of these little towns. On 98, look for the "Beaches" signs with the Beaches of South Walton logo (w/ 3 little red/white umbrellas). In addition to Dune Allen rentals, you can also try Abbott Resorts and Arnsdorff Gulf Front Realty. Enjoy!