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Welcome to Idlewild South! Located in Seaside, just steps from the beach!

Photo gallery for Welcome to Idlewild South! Located in Seaside, just steps from the beach!

A covered wooden deck with white railings and columns, leading to a view of the ocean at sunset.
A cozy room with a round table, wicker chairs, a built-in bench with cushions, and a ceiling mural.
A two-story house with a porch, wooden stairs, and a small garden area.
A dining area with wicker chairs, a wooden table, and pendant lights.
A covered outdoor shower area with corrugated metal walls and a wooden deck.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional

Highlights

  • The great outdoors
    Guests love the outdoor space here.
  • Beach equipment
    A rare find — beach equipment ready to go for your days by the sea.
  • At the centre of it all
    Stay in a top rated central location, steps from the best attractions, dining, and entertainment.
  • Discover nearby landmarks
    Near Seaside Beach
3 bedrooms3 bathroomsSleeps 6

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Air-conditioning
  • Deck or patio
  • Free Wi-Fi

Explore the area

View map
Santa Rosa Beach, FL
  • Place, Seaside Beach
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Central Square
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Place, Grayton Beach State Park
    ‪8 min walk‬
  • Airport, Panama City, FL (ECP-Northwest Florida Beaches Intl.)
    ‪45 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Back Bedroom

2 Single Beds

Front Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

Primary Bedroom

1 Queen Bed

3 bathrooms

Back Bathroom

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Hair dryer

Front Bathroom

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Hair dryer

Primary Bathroom

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Garden

About this property

Welcome to Idlewild South! Located in Seaside, just steps from the beach!

This charming Seaside cottage is conveniently located on Pensacola Street. It features a private driveway (with two parking passes), three bedrooms, three full baths, an outdoor shower, and a semi-private backyard. "Downtown" Seaside is a five minute walk.

The front walkway introduces the house with a "Golden Spiral" design. The entrance features a large wrap-around covered porch with seating for dining and entertaining. Entering the cottage, you are greeted by an open living space featuring a seating area with 65” tv, dining for 6+, a galley kitchen, and an entertainment area (music, books, games, game table). The house features murals by acclaimed artist Flournoy Holmes ("Eat a Peach" album cover, half a dozen WSP album packages) enhance two walls.

The house features two queen suites and one twin/single bedroom that occupy three corners of the cottage.

Out the back door is a small covered porch which leads down to a tranquil garden area with a table and seating for 4.

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 10:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Check-out instructions

The host requires you to complete the following before checking out:
Start the dishwasher
Gather used towels
Remove personal items and remove leftover food and drinks
Turn off the lights, lock the doors and return the keys
Please start a load of laundry before you leave. This helps our housekeeping team turn over the house in a timely manner. We really appreciate it.
Place remaining dirty laundry in front of the washing machine. Just dirty towels and sheets, please.
Please note that any lost cards or parking passes will incur a $250 fee per item.
Failure to complete these may result in a negative review from the host.
Loft access and use is not permitted.
On your day of departure, if the house is not vacated by 10am, a $250 fee every hour will be incurred.

Important information

You need to know

Property # 2989132vb
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
This property has outdoor spaces, such as balconies, patios and terraces, which may not be suitable for children; if you have any concerns, we recommend contacting the property prior to your arrival to confirm that they can accommodate you in a suitable room

About the area

Santa Rosa Beach

Located near the beach, this cottage is in Seaside, a neighbourhood in Santa Rosa Beach. Grand Boulevard at Sandestin and Baytowne Wharf are worth checking out if shopping is on the agenda, while those wishing to experience the area's natural beauty can explore Seaside Beach and Grayton Beach State Park. Sundog Books and Eden Gardens State Park are also worth visiting.
View more Cottages in Santa Rosa BeachOpens in a new window
Map
Santa Rosa Beach, FL

What's nearby

  • Seaside Beach - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Seagrove Beach West - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Central Square - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Grayton Beach State Park - 8 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Seagrove Beach East - 12 min walk - 1.1 km

Getting around

  • Panama City, FL (ECP-Northwest Florida Beaches Intl.) - 44 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Bud & Alley's Waterfront Restaurant & Bar - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Pickles - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪The Red Bar - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Black Bear Bread Company - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Chiringo - ‬6 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Welcome to Idlewild South! Located in Seaside, just steps from the beach! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at Welcome to Idlewild South! Located in Seaside, just steps from the beach!?

On-site parking is available at the property.

What time is check-in at Welcome to Idlewild South! Located in Seaside, just steps from the beach!?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Welcome to Idlewild South! Located in Seaside, just steps from the beach!?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Welcome to Idlewild South! Located in Seaside, just steps from the beach! located?

Located in Seaside, this cottage is within a 5-minute walk of Seagrove Beach West and Seaside Beach. Grayton Beach State Park and Seagrove Beach East are also within 15 minutes.

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 30 out of 30 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 30 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 30 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 30 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 30 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Leslie T.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This is a terrific house, located very close to the private beach area. There's an outdoor shower that leads into an inside bathroom. The beds are comfortable, the kitchen well-appointed. The host is quick to respond and very accommodating. We ranged in age from 4 to 78 and everybody was comfortable. A real find!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Teresa M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Had a wonderful time at Idlewild cottage! The accommodations were beautiful inside and out. The location to the beach was perfect. What a lovely place! And Jenny our host was most helpful and accommodating. We are definitely planning a return visit!
Stayed 6 nights in May 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Lindsay E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This place was perfect. It was exactly as described and stocked with everything we could think of, from the kitchen to the bathrooms. Easy beach access and at right near the town center. The location is everything we hoped for. Communication was top-notch, and I would definitely stay here again.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

June L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The house was located so close to everything, we were able to walk to the beach and to town in minutes. The house was very, very clean and had everything we needed. Communication with the hostess was very prompt and all my questions were answered. Great for a family, the 3rd bedroom with the twin beds was located in the back of the house and allowed for children to go to bed early and not be disturbed by adults in the other parts of the house. We loved our stay!
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Benjamin W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This is the perfect place to stay. Location, comfortable beds, kitchen dishes/pans, towels, are just like staying at home. The porch in the evening is heavenly. You can tell you are staying in someone’s home not a for profit rental. Staying in Seaside is worth the extra price. We hope to be back again soon.
Beach access
Pensacola at sunset
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2026
Thank you so much for those kind words! It really is our goal for it to feel like home! Looking forward to having you back again soon.
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Ashley S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We are repeat Seaside guests and have been visiting for many years. It’s such a magical community to make memories with our family. This particular home exceeded our expectations. The porch is expansive with an outdoor dining table and several seating options throughout. The home is very clean and comfortable with everything you could possibly need. The location is perfect. It’s a very easy walk to food trucks, shops, pool, and beach with small children. We would absolutely stay here again.
Behind the sofa is a large dining table and to the left is an additional breakfast table for additional seating.
1 of 3 main level bedrooms
Cute sandy path leading to and from Central Square
Side view of the porch.
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2026
Response from VrboOwner on 29 Mar 2026
Thank you for such a wonderful review! So glad to hear you got to enjoy eating outside on the porch. Seaside really is a special place where everyone can feel the magic! Looking forward to having you guys again!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Lowell H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place

Awesome location and access to beach and shopping.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Daniel K.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great Stay!

Awesome tune with family!
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Meghan M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

The happiest house in Seaside!

Our family had a wonderful stay! This is such a lovely house and centrally located in Seaside. Jenny was so helpful and responsive too.
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2025
Response from VrboOwner on 28 June 2025
Thank you for your kind words and we are so happy you enjoyed your stay! Come back again soon!
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Kenneth H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place

We enjoyed our stay. Centrally located
Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Allison I.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Excellent!

We would definitely stay there again! Great location and so fun!
Stayed 7 nights in May 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

bob m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Charming cottage in great location. Bedrooms are at separate corners of the home so good for privacy or little ones sleeping. House was clean, functional and communication was excellent.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Beth S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Take me back to Idlewild South!!!

This property is perfect in every way! Perfectly clean & organized! Perfectly located right across from the beach & steps from the town center! We are spoiled with this property and will be back to Idlewild on our next trip to Seaside!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Dana A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Delightful Stay at Idlewild

Idlewild was perfect for our family of five. The house was in a great location walking distance to the beach, shops and restaurants in the area. It was very clean with all the necessary amenities and beds were really comfy. Both the owner and property manager were very responsive to all our questions as this was our first trip to Seaside. Thank you for making our trip so enjoyable!
Stayed 6 nights in Mar 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Kyle R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect location

This house came with lots of things to keep us busy on the few rainy days during our stay. The kitchen had everything we desired and made cooking meals at home a breeze. The bathrooms and bedrooms came well stocked and extremely clean. The wrap around porch with rocking chairs and swing made relaxation easy. Plus the location to the beach and the town center was amazing. I cannot recommend these hosts and property enough.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Joanna A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great

Everything was easy. Communication fast and helpful. Property lovely and in fantastic location.
Stayed 7 nights in Apr 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Emily D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful Home!

This was our second visit to Seaside as a family and we were incredibly impressed with the house, location, and amenities. The owner was wonderful and prompt at communicating. Check-in was simple. The house itself was incredible - very clean, new, and kitchen was well stocked with everything and more. It truly felt like a home, and not just a rental property. Location to beach and center of town is unbeatable too. We hope to visit again!
Stayed 6 nights in May 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Jay J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Idlewild South is a winner!

Our time at Idlewild South was unforgettable. The home is so unique, whimsical, artsy and fun. The distance to downtown Seaside and beach access are ideal if you want to be close to the crowd but not too close. We've been coming to 30a for 15 years and our crew agreed, this was the best trip we've had. Thank you for the memories!!
Stayed 6 nights in Jun 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Bria L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This property exceeded our expectations! -The location was absolutely perfect. The proximity to the beach and town center was ideal, being just removed enough to not have to deal with the crowds in the evenings. It was so easy to access the areas we wanted to access.-The house was so well stocked. I’ve never stayed at a more well-stocked rental. The kitchen is truly fully equipped. -The covered porch with multiple chairs/swings/hammock/dining table was so nice to relax on during our one rain day of the week. -We loved the split layout, allowing for privacy for each bedroom. -Jenny was incredibly responsive and helpful during booking and during our stay. We loved Idlewild South and will absolutely consider staying there again in the future!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2025
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Dennis R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

A great place to stay in Seaside

This was our 3rd year traveling to Seaside and Idlewild South has been our favorite VRBO! It was close to the beach, to the community pool and to the Seaside central square. Michael was very communicative and responsive when we reached out. The house was perfect for our famiy of 6, and included many of the things that sometimes make VRBO's challenging, including plenty of dishes/pots/pans/silverware, cooking herbs/spices/oils, books/board games, and coffee filters/foil/plastic wrap. There were plenty of sheets, bath towels, and beach towels and the bikes were a nice addition. The layout of the house was also very convenient, and we loved all of the unique artistic and musical nuances. We really loved our stay and would highly recommend this for small families or anyone wanting to be close to all of the activities in Seaside. Thanks!
Stayed 7 nights in Aug 2023
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Nick W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Seaside House

This is our second stay at this amazing home and we enjoyed it just as much this year! Idlewild is perfectly situation in Seaside, its only a few houses down from the beach access, just around the corner from the family pool and has a shortcut sandy path that runs beside it which drops you directly behind the main city center area. Both years we arrived the home was spotless, everything was in working order and its very well stocked with key items like select spices/kitchen staples and so on. There's lots of games and books in the home as well as an incredible sound system! Outdoor shower leading into an interior shower is an incredible thing coming right off the beach and the porch is a perfect place to enjoy an early morning coffee or to post up in the evening. Beds are comfortable and the layout provides good privacy for a family with each room being at opposite corners of the house but its not a huge home so we didn't feel removed from our kids either. Michael is an amazing host, very easy to work with, always replies quickly to any messages and we've never experienced any issues renting the property. We've rented homes in Seaside that look nice in photos but are not the same in person, this house is exactly what you see so no bad surprises walking thru the doors. Once we get our dates lined up we plan on spending another week here in 2025!
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Anna C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
I can't say enough wonderful things about Idlewild South! We loved that everything was on one level, with the three bedrooms situated in separate corners of the house for added privacy. It suited our family so well (four adults, two children). From the comfortable beds and soft linens to the well-stocked kitchen and beach equipment, this house truly has everything you need. The location is fantastic—just a short walk to the beach, town, and the pool.We also appreciated the collection of puzzles and games, along with the dedicated game table, which was nice to have separate from the dining area. The TVs were great, and the spacious porch quickly became our favorite spot to enjoy our morning coffee and relax in the evenings. Communication with the host was 10/10 as well. If you're considering booking this house, do it—you won't be disappointed!
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Ashley M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We have stayed at this property twice. The house is great and the location is amazing!!
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Nick W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
This was our 3rd year staying at Idlewild and we absolutely love it. Its a perfect location being a super short walk to the beach, pool and town square along with being on the sand path to the back side of the square. We love the outdoor shower that leads into the hall shower, great when coming off the beach. Everything is functional, very clean, comfy beds and couches, full bath for each bedroom, love the porch and all the seating, lots of sand toys, board games, good layout with bedrooms. We've stayed at other homes in Seaside and look at different houses every year but always return here, its really hard to beat. The host is super responsive and easy to work with, super easy check in and out.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2026
Verified review

10/10 Excellent

Chynna A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
We absolutely loved staying at this property! It was clean, comfortable, and conveniently located near Seaside’s town center. The host was extremely easy to communicate with, and we had a great experience. Would definitely return and recommend!
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2026

About the host

Hosted by Jenny Hurlburt

Host profile image
Steve Hurlburt is an acclaimed writer, documentarian and photographer. He has owned Idlewild South since 1989. He prefers the Grateful Dead.

Why they chose this property

The sky was yellow and the sun was blue.

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests
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