TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
BY EMILY ROCKEFELLER
ALYS BEACH
U p on the Florida Panhandle’s pristine white sands and sparkling blue water, sits a seaside destination where life is fresh. Through art and architecture, nature and design, community and tranquility, life is distilled down to what matters. Alys Beach is a place where life is not just lived, it
It’s an interesting journey traveling to Alys Beach from just about anywhere in the country. Perhaps that helps make this destination all the more special. A flight might take you through Atlanta and then onto Panama City. From there a 30 minute drive will bring you to a paradise designed to facilitate a rewind and refresh. The original vision of Alys Beach included Moorish and Mediterranean flairs, with architectural styles founded in the beauty of Bermuda and with courtyards inspired by homes in Antigua, Guatemala. A combination and experience you will have to see to believe. To be a part of the Alys Beach community — as a resident or vacationer — is to become one with a life defined by excellence and beauty. Every piece of this vibrant, coastal, New Urbanist community has been built with intention, from the master design of the town to the detail in each doorway. The place is reminiscent of the world’s most beloved seaside towns. Alys Beach can trace its modern history to the 1970s, when the Stephens family purchased the property at auction. They had been vacationing in the area for years,
and the spur-of-the-moment purchase was intended to provide a retreat for the family and their employees. Smart man that he was, patriarch Elton Stephens named the paradise after his beloved, Alys. All of Alys Beach’s 158 acres are within a short and pleasant walk of the coast, and walkability was the intent, with easy access to the town center’s many shops and restaurants.
is defined, but if you haven’t
heard of it until now, you are not alone. Alys is beyond a respite or a retreat. The word “vacation” simply does not do it justice. With brilliant beaches, warm water, and lush vegetation,
this tiny swath of land creates an experience like none other. Dazzlingly beautiful white buildings fill the horizon, lined by pristine sands and azure waters. This is a place of dreams.
32 FREDRIC H. RUBEL MAGAZINE
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