Feel the Gulf of Mexico breeze as you sit on the veranda of a ‘southern-style’ vacation rental home in the beautiful, family-friendly neighborhood of WaterColor, Florida. Located on the western side of the glistening Emerald Coast lies the 499-acre unincorporated planned community on the Florida Panhandle. Feel the ambiance of the large wrap-around screened-in and open porches of the two-to-three story columned wood homes along attractive tree-lined streets. Look-out towers and pergolas are both high and low for special visionary vistas from which to peer.
Look through the tall pine trees and other green spaces that surround the classic and opulent grandeur to small but chic properties. The simple but elegant southern architectural homes wait for you to take temporary residence in them. Metal roofs with extended overhangs provide shade from the heat of the sun while you lounge on one of the smartly furnished upper deck porches, some with swinging daybeds. A dazzling variety of vacation rentals are ready for your arrival!
You will love the colorful community filled with parks, walking trails, gardens, and a clean white sandy beach (recognized as a Blue Wave Beach by the Clean Beaches Council located in Ft. Lauderdale). Unique specialty shops, including an exclusive Lilly Pulitzer retailer, Barefoot Princess, and The Fuss Boutique offer quality merchandise and unique ladies' fashion and accessory items. The Old Florida Outfitters, an apparel and fishing tackle specialty store offers quality and durable outdoor fashion and open-air accessories. WaterColor also has excellent restaurants, a photography and art studio, nature trails, tennis courts, swimming pools, live music, and festivals. Bike rentals are available for a fee and some bicycles are included in your vacation rental as well as six-seater golf carts. Ready, set, let’s go!
Rentals
Vacation rental homes with clean lines, simple grace, and southern charm make up the colorful but classic neighborhood of WaterColor. The following rentals are just a few of the choices for you to select from.
Neenie's Heaven: A private resort experience in the popular WaterColor community, this home is overflowing with high-end amenities for a one-of-a-kind vacation experience.
The first floor features a gourmet kitchen, dining area under artistic pendant lighting, and plush living room. It also has a Master on Main-King Suite. The second floor includes another king master suite, two queen guest suites, and a bunk room with sleeping for 4 in twin bunks.
Face to the Sunshine: Designer Home with Carriage House only 1-minute bike ride to the Dragonfly Pool! Your entire family will love relaxing and making lifetime memories in this gorgeous home in the WaterColor Crossing District. This 3,751 square foot high-end home is as chic as it is comfortable. The detached carriage house is perfect for the in-laws, and it features a living area and kitchenette.
Dandelion: This classic home offers a lake view of the intercostal Western Lake. Recently renovated, this vacation rental has 3 master bedrooms with king beds, 4 full baths, a gourmet open shelved kitchen, large porches with spacious seating, 4 spaces for parking your car, and a lovely outdoor space for you to enjoy. Slightly whimsical and bright, the furnishings and accessories will make you glad you chose this location. This home is located in a convenient spot for accessing the walking trail and is a short walk to the neighboring Seaside community. Sorry but no pets or smoking permitted.
Sanctuary by the Sea: A classic beach retreat with all of the luxuries imaginable in a WaterColor Vacation. The home is professionally designed and immaculate! It is thoughtfully decorated in a classic, comfortable style.
Before entering the home, you are greeted with a furnished screened-in front porch - a cool way to enjoy your morning outside complete with a ceiling fan! The space is perfect for dropping off the beach bags on your way in, or chatting with a beverage in hand, taking in the beautiful surroundings. Inside the home, crisp, clean interiors, a gourmet kitchen, and a bonus family room await!
Mermaid's Manor: An incredible designer home directly on Cerulean Park, adjacent to Western Lake, and a quick 3-minute walk to the WaterColor Beach Club. This 4,360 square foot home is perfectly planned for large families to enjoy time together while relishing in all the best 30A and WaterColor have to offer.
Mermaid's Manor is the ideal location for anyone having a WaterColor wedding! This home is footsteps to all of the popular spots in WaterColor - the WaterColor Beach Club and beach entrance, shopping and dining at Wine World, Sunday farmers markets, events at Marina Park, kayak, and YOLO rentals at the Boat House, and Western Lake.
Attractions
The WaterColor Beach Club was completely renovated in 2021. Large three-level terraces, each consisting of distinct amenities that offer patrons swimming, dining, and lounging with open viewing of the Gulf of Mexico. There is a gulf-front luxurious infinity pool, a free form zero gravity pool, and a large family pool for all ages to enjoy! New restrooms and a newly designed restaurant and bar add to the upgraded beach club area along with a quick-service food stand. The New England shingle-style beach club offers changing rooms, showers, lockers for your convenience, and chilled towels among other amenities. Sun-screen products, gifts, and warm weather accessories are available to purchase.
Tired of swimming? No problem! An awesome stage for live bands will be erected next to the new lawn amphitheater. Cozy fire pits for cool evenings will round out the outdoor area. A third-level adult terrace offers excellent views of the gulf and provides adult lounging areas. Whether you prefer swimming, tanning, people watching, dining, or sipping cocktails… you will find the WaterColor Beach Club to be your destination for fun and relaxation near the dunes! Soak in the sun and simply engage in family time with your loved ones here in WaterColor, won’t you?
Restaurants
There are many amenities within the WaterColor neighborhood for you and your family/associates to enjoy. From small cafes and ice cream parlors to the notable James Beard award-winning restaurant ‘Fish out of Water,’ these great eateries offer a fine variety of food options and main entrees for a wide range of appetites. Whether it’s pizza, sushi, steak, or pasta, WaterColor restaurants are sure to please!
Shopping
Leisure shopping in one of the unique boutiques or a search for that specific perfect dress will be easy and likely be a big hit with high-end specialty shops as well. WaterColor Crossing, a shopping center with an assortment of shopping items including everyday gifts and artwork is also an option for your shopping needs. A first-rate fitness center, UPS store, bike rental barn, and grocery store are also available. A strikingly beautiful firehouse is located in WaterColor which was designed by DAGArchitects, who designed the upcoming new Beach Club, is fully operational and worth a ‘drive-by. The southern vernacular style of the building is quite pleasing to the eye!
Parks
Nature and ecologically-minded individuals will love the numerous parks sprinkled within this neighborhood. Close to the town center are Cerulean, Crimson, and Cobalt Parks; other parks are Viridian and Wood Fern Park to name a few of approximately 12 neatly manicured community green spaces. Convenient seating areas speckle the peaceful parks throughout the area. Keeping with nature and wildlife, very long walking trails meander throughout the WaterColor neighborhood, offering plenty of opportunities to view a variety of local plants, trees, bushes, and flowers. These trails for perfect for avid walkers, runners, or families out for a leisurely stroll to view this unique neighborhood. Cycling along the portions of paved trails is another plus for kids and adults alike!
Those who choose the WaterColor neighborhood will be pleased to know that its sits next to a natural dune lake - Western Lake! Located within the WaterColor community is the 220-acre coastal dune lake with underground springs. Canoes, kayaks, and paddleboard rentals are available as well as picturesque photo opportunities on the expansive wood footbridge which extends over Western Lake to the North side of WaterColor. More vacation rentals are located there, strategically nestled within sporadic pine groves and scrub oak trees. The nearby WaterColor Lake House is a 3,700 feet structural venue that offers meeting and party space. Complete with a full kitchen, the Lake House offers views of Western Lake and is available for weddings and special events for up to 250 guests (combining both indoor and outdoor space). The appealing cedar walls and sphere-shaped chandeliers offer a wonderful mix of rustic and elegant ambiance as well as the outdoor deck overlooking the water.
To the east of the Lake House is the Marina Park which also overlooks Western Lake and offers a swimming pool, changing rooms, and a large open green space that is perfect for an outdoor party or meeting. A nearby amphitheater that hosts the Telluride Mountain Film Festival adds to the many amenities that are located within WaterColor. The WaterColor Boat House is within its proximity and is a cottage-style building that has exposed high beam ceilings and can host up to 125 guests (using the indoor and outdoor space).
Another plus to renting a vacation rental in WaterColor is the great meandering nature trail that traverses throughout the large community. After swimming or eating at a great restaurant, families or children will love going out for a casual walk and will enjoy the path it takes. Avid runners will enjoy the scenery of the natural habitat that the nature trail runs through. Plenty of trees, bushes and flowers add to the variety of visual aesthetics that one will see while walking, running or biking along this amenity. From quiet natural settings among the trees to the vacation rentals themselves, you must include a walk on this nature trail while vacationing in WaterColor.
Due west of WaterColor is Grayton Beach State Park where nature abounds with a variety of activities for you and your family. Fishing, boating, and swimming among other activities add to the fun. Further west outside of WaterColor, one can find the Gulf Island National Seashore Park, where Shell Island and the cities of Destin and Pensacola await you. There you can rent a party fishing boat, watch a magic show during dinner, go deep-sea fishing, go ‘gator-watching,’ play golf and even go horseback riding!
WaterColor is conveniently located on the western edge of the thoughtfully planned communities of the panhandle. Its close proximity to Western Lake, Grayton Beach, sand dunes, and nearby cities, make WaterColor a super-sensible choice!