With calm gulf waters, soothing rays of sunshine and silky sand beaches, Rosemary Beach, Florida is a great place to unwind and soak up the scenery. Rosemary Beach’s unique architecture is what first captures your attention, with its Dutch and West Indies-inspired homes and commercial buildings. Building palettes run to colors found in nature-mostly shades of rust, tan, green and brown, with Bermuda shutters, wide second floor porches, and arched garage doors. Gates and fences open with a latchkey, with steps leading to entrances on the second floor. Walls line both sides of the solid entryway steps, a feature right out of the Caribbean. Footpaths and boardwalks lead to large decks over the dunes and, of course, to Rosemary Beach below.

The result is something completely different, classical, and inspiring. The town, established in 1995 and named for the dune rosemary, is still growing, adding not only homes, but also new places to shop and dine in the Town Center.

The village centers around beautiful Barrett Square, with lanes leading off in all directions and connecting it with outlying pastoral green spaces, a racquet club featuring eight clay tennis courts, a fitness center, four swimming pools, with one being heating and enclosed, and the emerald waters and white sandy beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.