So many Florida locals recommended I go to 30A. After one trip, I agree it's one of the best destinations in the state.

On a weekend trip to Panama City Beach, a beach town in Florida’s panhandle, I heard a recurring comment from the locals. “Have you made it over to 30A yet?” my Lyft driver asked. “You’ve got to — it’s the up-and-coming spot around here.” While I was purchasing tickets for the Shell Island Ferry, the cashier said, “Do you have plans to go over to 30A?” When I said no, she insisted I return to the area for a trip because it’s just that beautiful.

I live in a different Florida beach town that often gets inundated with spring breakers and summer beachgoers, so I couldn’t decide whether Panama City Beach locals were trying to run tourists out of their town or if they really meant what they said about 30A.

Eager to find out, I planned a trip to Florida’s 30A area — a roughly 24-mile stretch of beach between Destin and Panama City Beach that’s been called “the Hamptons of the South.” Turns out, those locals were right.

I agree that 30A is one of the best gems in Florida, and I liked it even more than Panama City Beach.