Alys Beach, Florida
Scenic Highway 30A’s newest—and perhaps the most visually striking—community features architecture influenced by the brilliant-white, traditional homes of Bermuda. When complete, the 158-acre resort town of Alys Beach will be twice the size of nearby Seaside and will consist of 900 custom villas and courtyard homes.
As you enter Alys Beach, the first architectural features you’ll notice are the white “butteries” that stand like centurions at the property’s edge. Before refrigeration (and even before ice was manufactured), homeowners in Bermuda’s hot island climate often maintained butteries, which were unattached minaret-shaped structures designed to make, store and preserve butter, milk and other perishable foods. But the four white butteries perched along 30A in Alys Beach preserve something quite different: Sixteen unique mosaic murals depicting scenes of the region’s history and heritage. Concetta Rothwell Morales, a highly talented and well-recognized mosaic muralist, created the murals. The butteries are open to the public.
The community also features a 21-acre nature preserve, an amphitheater, neighborhood parks, tennis courts, and Caliza—one of the most elegant swimming pools and restaurants in the world.
“Caliza is the stuff that dreams are made of,” wrote The Miami Herald.
Photo: Paul Johnson Photography
And indeed, Caliza’s dramatic design (by town architects and Alys Beach residents Erik Vogt and Marieanne Khoury-Vogt) features a 50 x100-foot saltwater pool, a 60-foot-long family pool, a 75-foot-long lap pool, secluded outdoor living areas flanked with tropical palms and gardens, and alfresco architecture punctuated by arched colonnades, private cabanas and bubbling fountains. In its poolside restaurant, the chef creates a fresh coastal menu that is approachable and familiar, yet new and exciting.
Fonville Press is a friendly gathering place that offers breakfast, coffee, magazines, newspapers, and unique books daily. It’s a magical spot to sip coffee or wine—inside, or in the courtyard while the kids play on nearby Fonville Hill. There’s also the wildly popular restaurant, George’s at Alys Beach, where one can easily “behave or misbehave,” depending on one’s dietary mindset.
Click here to visit Alys Beach’s official website.
