16 Best Things to Do in WaterColor Florida

If you’re planning a family vacation to WaterColor, Florida, you’re in for a treat! The community of WaterColor is full of kid friendly activities for the whole family, including small children. With its resort pools, beautiful beaches, and scenic trails, WaterColor, FL offers something fun for everyone!

As a child, I grew up visiting Florida’s Gulf Coast on an annual basis. Each summer my family and I visited places like Sandestin, Miramar Beach, and Panama City Beach. It wasn’t until traveling down scenic Highway 30A a few years ago that the town of WaterColor, Florida piqued my interest. On our way from Santa Rosa Beach to the town of Seaside (which is the setting for the movie The Truman Show), we passed through the picturesque community of WaterColor, Florida.

With a location right on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico, WaterColor sits just east of Grayton Beach State Park and just west of towns like Seaside, Seagrove, and Rosemary Beach. This location on 30A provides direct beach access to the crystal clear waters and white, sandy beaches of the Emerald Coast in the Florida panhandle.

In this post, we will discuss our top picks for fun things to do in WaterColor, Florida. This full guide to WaterColor, FL will serve as a family review of our favorite activities in the area. We will also include some great ideas for things to do NEAR WaterColor, Florida in case you plan to venture just outside this beautiful beach community during your trip.

1. Visit WaterColor Beach Club

WaterColor Beach Club is located at the WaterColor Inn and Resort and provides incredible views of the Gulf of Mexico. You can experience all sorts of fun activities at the beach club, including beach access, swimming pools, dining options, and more! Once you check in for your accommodations, you will receive a wristband for each member of your party (5 years old and up).

This wristband allows you to access the WaterColor Beach Club. We HIGHLY recommend spending time here while in the area. As you enter the WaterColor Beach Club, each guest can pick up a pool towel for free. This is a huge relief to those traveling with kids as you don’t have to worry about lugging around heavy, sandy towels on your vacation.

The pool towels can be used both at the beach and on the pool deck. Additionally, you will find several bins located throughout the property to return your towels when finished. If you’re looking for a great restaurant for lunch, WaterColor Grill features a poolside menu with kid-friendly options.

Their menu changes in the evening to the dinner menu, and it’s just as great! My kids loved the cheese quesadilla with a side of fries. The adults couldn’t stop raving about the meatballs entree over polenta. I highly recommend trying it! With its gorgeous ocean views and live music a few nights a week, WaterColor Grill easily became one of our favorite restaurants on this trip!

2. Play on the White Sand Beaches

If you enjoy sitting on the white sandy beaches, you’ll want to consider booking beach chairs before your trip. Prior to our visit, we had an option to book the Middle Section or the West Section at WaterColor. After watching the WaterColor beach cams for several weeks, we noticed that the Middle Section tended to look less crowded.

So, we booked beach chair setups for the Premium Middle Section during our stay. It’s important to note that the West Section is closer to the Beach Club. So, make sure you are ok with a bit of a longer walk to the Middle Section before purchasing. Also, the Premium (aka front row) seats were sold out for one of our dates.

We secured a reservation for Standard beach chairs for this day, but my husband was able to upgrade to Premium seats the day of. If you are traveling with kids to the WaterColor area, we have a few recommendations on items to add to your beach packing list.

3. Explore on a Golf Cart

As mentioned above, you can rent a golf cart to use during your stay in WaterColor. This comes in really handy when you are traveling with a large group of people. The golf cart makes it super easy to tote your beach bags, boogie boards, sand toys, coolers, and chairs down to the beach.

In the evenings, we had a ball exploring WaterColor on our rented golf cart. You can easily drive around the town of WaterColor, Seaside, and Camp WaterColor. The golf cart also helps make it easy to grab groceries at Publix or to pick up takeout from a local restaurant.

4. Enjoy Camp WaterColor Pool

One of the best amenities of staying at the WaterColor Resort is the access to Camp WaterColor Pool. This elaborate swimming area features two water slides (one large and one small), a lazy river, and multiple swimming areas for families.

If you work up an appetite while swimming, you can grab a bite to eat at The Canteen pool bar. They even offer happy hour specials during certain times a few evenings a week.

5. Play Basketball

Just outside the Camp WaterColor Pool, you’ll find a small court for playing basketball. We noticed this was a popular spot for teenagers to hang out while visiting the WaterColor community.

6. Listen to Live Music

As mentioned above, the WaterColor Beach Club features live music multiple nights a week. You can also find live entertainment throughout WaterColor by checking their events calendar during the dates of your stay.

7. Play Games on the Lawn

As you walk around the WaterColor community, you’ll notice various grassy areas throughout the property. These are perfect spots to play lawn games like Cricket, soccer, or Bocce Ball while on vacation.

8. Go on a Bike Ride

As you walk around WaterColor, you’ll notice a bike path pretty much everywhere you turn. The vacation house we rented provided six bikes, but you can also rent them while in WaterColor.

Just note that you are supposed to walk your bike across the walking bridge rather than riding it. WaterColor has posted a sign about this, but we noticed many bikers riding across the bridge.

9. Book a Beach Bonfire

While reserving beach chair setups, you’ll notice the option to book a beach bonfire. You can do this via the WaterColor Inn and Resort website. Although we ran out of time and did not get to experience a beach bonfire, it’s definitely on our list for our next visit.

10. Play Tennis

The WaterColor community features five tennis courts that are perfect for visitors wanting to get in a match during their trip. You’ll also find a Pro Shop selling merchandise and renting equipment.

11. Swim in the Community Pools

In addition to the elaborate pools at the WaterColor Beach Club and Camp WaterColor, guests are free to use the smaller community pools placed throughout the property. If you’re looking for a less crowded pool, these may be your best bet!

12. Play on the Playground

Just outside the entrance to Camp WaterColor, you’ll find a nice sized playground that’s perfect for kids. With multiple slides and swings, this playground is a great option for kids of any size.

13. Explore the Nature Trails

In addition to the paved pathways you’ll find in WaterColor, visitors will also see multiple nature trails for walking or biking. These were all stroller friendly, but the ride did get a bit bumpy for my toddler. As you walk along the trails, make sure you keep your eyes out for cats, squirrels, and lizards.

Our little kids loved finding these animals on our daily walks. One afternoon, we even saw a family of deer standing super close to the nature trail near Camp WaterColor. I don’t think the momma deer was as excited to see us as we were to see her though. She watched us really carefully while we strolled by.

I want to make a final, important note about the wildlife before moving on. You will notice signs near the bridge stating NOT to jump off the bridge into the lake. We saw many teenagers ignoring this sign each day of our trip. Even though the sign is probably meant to deter them from hurting themselves as they jump in the water, the teens we passed by were not aware that alligators are present in the lake.

While walking across the bridge one evening, we saw a very large alligator swimming in the middle of the lake toward the bridge. This gator was just under the surface of the water, but when it turned around you could see the whole outline of its body. It looked to be about seven feet long or more. Many of the other visitors who stopped to watch it with us stated that their kids often swim in the lake, and they had no idea alligators lived there. Just a word of warning in are considering swimming in the lake.

14. Browse through the Local Shops

Just outside the WaterColor Beach Club, you’ll notice several shops selling apparel and other merchandise. These boutiques offered super cute items, especially for women and kids. Across the street near the Wine Bar, you’ll also find a Candy Store that was a huge hit with our crew.

15. Enjoy Water Sports

The WaterColor Boathouse is located just a short walk from the Beach Club. Here you’ll find water activity rentals like paddle boards and kayaks available for guests. You can rent equipment and even sign up for lessons for these water sports. You can rent water equipment to enjoy in the ocean as well. While we did not use the paddle board rentals at the beach, our family did enjoy boogie boarding in the waves.

16. Attend Happy Hour at the Wine Bar

The Wine Bar in WaterColor is located right in the town center near the Beach Club. With its extensive wine list, the Wine Bar is the perfect place to unwind after a long day in the sun. Since it is located right in the heart of WaterColor, the Wine Bar sits in a great spot for stopping in for a quick glass of wine on your way to Seaside. This became our favorite place to visit at the end of the evening since you can purchase a bottle of wine and various cheeses to take back to your rental house or hotel room.

WaterColor FL Rentals

Those planning a trip to the WaterColor resort town have more than likely seen images of the luxurious WaterColor Inn. The WaterColor Inn and Resort is a high-end hotel that is located beachfront in the community. This amazing hotel is a great place to stay as it features some of the best restaurants in the area along with multiple pools and amenities.

Not to mention, visitors get to enjoy the best views of Florida’s Gulf Coast right in the heart of WaterColor. Visitors traveling to the area as part of large groups may be interested in a vacation rental property in WaterColor rather than in a reservation at the inn. The WaterColor, Florida houses you find often feature much more space than a hotel room at the resort.

These rental properties may even feature additional amenities like full kitchens, laundry rooms, and private pools. If you’re worried about not being located directly on the beach, fret not! Many of the WaterColor rental houses include the use of a golf cart and/or bicycles. Additionally, you can rent golf carts and bikes from nearby vendors if your vacation rental does not provide one for you.

WaterColor, FL rentals are perfect for large families looking for a bit more space while on vacation. Our favorite website for booking vacation rentals in WaterColor is VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). With VRBO you can filter your search results by all kinds of criteria including by bedrooms, bathrooms, pools, price, and more.

After viewing the pictures and reading the reviews for each available property, you’ll be able to narrow down your search for the perfect house for your family or group. And best of all, you can still enjoy all of the WaterColor Resort amenities while staying at a rental house! So, whether you choose to book a room at the WaterColor Inn or secure a reservation on VRBO, all WaterColor properties include access to the beach club, numerous pools, amazing restaurants, and more!

Final Thoughts on Activities in WaterColor

Overall, our family vacation in WaterColor Florida was one of the best trips we have ever taken. With crystal-clear water and kid friendly amenities, the adorably quaint community of WaterColor is hard to beat! Plus, WaterColor provides fabulous dining options and a short, easy walk to Seaside!

Looking for ways to stay organized while planning your family beach trip? Our printable beach planner features 30+ colorful pages, including:

• packing lists
• outfit planners
• comparison charts
• schedules and itineraries
• trip budget spreadsheet

Check out my Etsy shop to grab your copy of the printable beach planner! You can even snag 50% off by using Code: BEACH31 at checkout! What are your favorite things to do in WaterColor, Florida? Comment below to share them with us!