Abaco Rose: Best of Rosemary Beach Vacation Rentals
Rosemary Beach

Abaco Rose is ideally situated to offer you the benefits of Rosemary Beach “civilization” – restaurants, coffee shops, day spa, children’s day camp, unique shopping, and more – AND the natural wonders of the Florida Panhandle – uncrowded white sand beaches, songbirds twittering in the natural vegetation, ancient dunes covered with sea oats, dolphins cruising in the soft warm waters, sandpipers and gulls and pelicans sharing their beach with nature lovers on a quiet stroll.

The Benefits of Civilization at Rosemary Beach

Abaco Rose is just steps away from the east Pedestrian Entrance to Rosemary Beach. In less than five minutes you can be sipping an Espresso Cubano and reading today’s newspaper at Amavida Coffee and Bakery, at the village square. Or enjoying a drink with friends in the Lounge at the Hotel Paradis.

Recreation

You can enjoy a workout at the Fitness Center, or schedule a game of tennis at the Rosemary Beach Racquet Club, whose eight clay courts are ranked among the World’s Top 50 Tennis Destinations. Golfers can test themselves against a dozen local golf courses, all within easy driving distance of Abaco Rose.

For Kids

Just for kids! Camp Rosemary offers a variety of programs and crafts every day. The Butterfly Garden is planted with flowers that draw a large number of butterflies, and the green areas within the Village offer relaxing strolls and opportunities for kids and parents to socialize.

Shopping

A variety of merchants offer a unique shopping experience in Rosemary Beach. Choose from beach attire boutiques, kids’ fashion and toys, an apothecary, fashion shoe retailers, home and lifestyle gift shops, Rosemary Beach logo wear and accessories, interior design and furnishings, contemporary boutiques with top fashion names, and art galleries.

Dining

Dining options in Rosemary include Amavida Coffee and Bakery, Courtyard Wine and Cheese , Dog Man Du (gourmet hot dogs), Cowgirl Kitchen (casual fare), La Crema (tapas and chocolate), Onano Neighborhood Café (northern Italian cuisine), Restaurant Paradis (fine dining with fresh seasonal ingredients), Summer Kitchen Café (casual breakfast and lunch; gourmet dinners),and Wild Olives Deli/Market/Bakery (casual and gourmet foods on site or to take home). And there are many other fine restaurants close by – see our Restaurant Guide for area dining.

The Joys of Nature on a walk from Rosemary Beach to Lake Powell

The Beach

Most of us come to Abaco Rose at Rosemary Beach for the pristine white sand beaches, ranked by many experts and beach aficionados as among the finest in the world. One could do worse than while away many hours under a beach umbrella, watching the kids play in the water and build sand castles as the gentle waves lap against the shore.

Rosemary Beach and Inlet Beach were lucky in the summer of 2010 following the BP oil spill in the Gulf – the tar balls that washed up on the beaches of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi did not reach this far east. So we continue to enjoy and treasure our beautiful beaches, while having this devastating reminder of the fragility of our natural environment.

A gentle walk eastward along the beach leads you to Camp Helen State Park, and Lake Powell. You’ll see lots of nature along the way!

Wildlife

The Gulf of Mexico is full of life. Beachcombers see a wide variety of shells on the beach. Little holes in the sand evidence the living organisms burrowed below. Sand crabs scuttle across the sand leaving delicate trails that document their journeys. Sharp-eyed beach walkers see their much larger cousins the blue crabs dancing under the waves, claws held high. Flounders bury themselves in the sand near the shore leaving only their eyes showing as they lie in wait for tasty morsels. Large pompanos cruise alongside the beach in the shallow waters. Jellyfish occasionally are washed ashore, encouraging walkers to give them a wide berth. We often sight dolphins about a hundred yards offshore as they hunt for food, moving along at the pace of a fast walk. Sometimes a manta ray will come close enough to the beach for a sighting. There’s always something to see!

Meanwhile, a variety of birds wheel overhead, or probe the beach sand for small creatures to eat, or dive into the Gulf for food. Large ungainly pelicans fly in formation, often disappearing behind waves as they hover just inches above the water. Tiny sandpipers cluster in groups on the beach, their legs a blur as they follow the waves out to probe the sand with their sharp beaks, then rushing inland just inches in front of the next incoming wave. Gulls sleep standing on just one leg, seemingly oblivious to the breezes and the people walking the beach. Tall herons grace the shores of Lake Powell as they watch for food. Use this helpful birding guide to identify the birds that you see.

Migrating Green and Loggerhead sea turtles return to Rosemary Beach every year to nest. These endangered species deserve our respect and consideration. Volunteers monitor the beaches through the nesting season, May 1 through October 31, marking and protecting any nesting sites. If you see a circle of tall poles laced with bright colored plastic strips on the beach it shows where a cache of eggs lies buried below the sand. In late summer and early fall the hatchlings begin to emerge. They break through their shells and climb upwards through the loose sand until they reach the surface. Then, using the lighter sky over the ocean to orient themselves, they head straight for the water. Those that survive will spend their lives at sea, swimming thousands of miles every year. The females return every two years to nest at the beach where they were hatched.

Dune Lakes

A fifteen minute stroll eastward down the beach from Abaco Rose is the outlet of Lake Powell, the area’s largest dune lake . These shallow lakes lie just behind the dunes that front the beach, and are rare geologic structures. In the United States, they are only found along the Gulf coast. Formed thousands of years ago by wind activity, they are sometimes open to the Gulf, sometimes closed off from the Gulf. When storms deposit sand to close off the outlet, lake water builds up behind this dam until it is overtopped, opening the lake to the Gulf once again.

Lake Powell is home to a richly diverse ecosystem of both salt and freshwater fish and the birds that feed on them. Its waters are coffee-brown in color, the result of dissolved tannins from decaying organic matter.

The junction of Lake Powell with its outlet to the beach is a nice destination point for a nature stroll from Abaco Rose.

Read more information on Abaco Rose, the best of Rosemary Beach Vacation Rentals.

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