The amenity picture at Watersound involves three distinct layers — HOA-included amenities, St. Joe's commercial development plans, and the phased buildout timeline that affects what early buyers have access to vs. what buyers in later phases will see.
Latitude Town Square
The Latitude Town Square is the social and amenity center of Watersound. It opened in phases alongside home sales and has been expanding. As of 2025, the Town Square includes the following open amenities:
Resort-style pool with beach entry, cabanas, and Tiki Huts. Covered by HOA — no per-use fee for residents.
Outdoor performance venue for live music and community events. Margaritaville programming runs regularly — Jimmy Buffett-style concerts are a core part of the brand identity here.
Full-service restaurant and bar at Town Square. Not a cafeteria — a real food and beverage operation with a tropical theme. Part of what makes Watersound distinct from standard active adult communities.
Rooftop bar with panoramic views of the Intracoastal Waterway. One of the few amenities at any 55+ community with genuine destination-quality views.
Full fitness facility. Covered by HOA. Group fitness classes included.
Multiple courts. Pickleball has seen rapid adoption across the community. Courts are included in HOA — no separate court fee for residents.
Dedicated dog park with the community's characteristic branding. One of the more popular amenities based on resident feedback — this is a dog-friendly community.
Direct Intracoastal Waterway access for kayaking and paddleboarding. This is the amenity that separates Watersound from inland 55+ communities — actual waterway access, not just a lake.
Creative programming space for resident clubs, classes, and workshops. Included in HOA.
St. Joe has plans for a marina adjacent to the community within the broader Bay-Walton Sector Plan. Timeline and scope not publicly confirmed as of 2025. This is a St. Joe project, not an HOA amenity — it would be part of the commercial village development.
St. Joe's broader plans include a commercial development adjacent to the community with retail, dining, and services. Timing is tied to St. Joe's overall Bay-Walton Sector Plan buildout — not controlled by Minto or the HOA.
The "planned amenity" distinction matters for buyers: When you hear about the marina and commercial village, those are St. Joe Company projects — not HOA commitments. They're part of the larger 110,500-acre Bay-Walton Sector Plan that St. Joe controls. They can be delayed, redesigned, or adjusted based on St. Joe's commercial priorities. If proximity to a marina or walkable retail is a deciding factor in your purchase, verify the timeline directly with St. Joe before relying on it as a certainty.
The Intracoastal Waterway Access
Watersound's most distinctive geographic feature — 15 miles of Intracoastal Waterway frontage in the Bay-Walton Sector Plan — is real. But it's worth understanding precisely what that means for residents.
The 15 miles of frontage is the larger St. Joe land holding, not 15 miles of community shoreline. The community itself has direct waterway access at the kayak launch (Port of Indecision) and the Vista Collection homes sit directly on the Intracoastal. Interior lots throughout the Beach and Island collections are not waterfront — they're within the community that has waterway access, which is different from having a water view from your home.
If a waterfront lot or water view is important to you, specifically ask which lots in your target collection have Intracoastal frontage, view corridors, or canal access. The Vista Collection is the only collection explicitly positioned as waterfront. Some Island Collection lots may offer partial views depending on positioning and tree coverage.
The "Change in Latitude Getaway" is worth doing before you buy. Watersound offers a two or three-night overnight stay in a Conch Cottage model for $199/night, including a community golf cart and full amenity access. This is a genuine preview of what living here feels like — the Town Square, the pool, the restaurant, the kayak launch. If you're seriously considering a purchase at this price point, a $400–$600 overnight trip before committing is one of the better due diligence investments available.
Lifestyle Programming
The Margaritaville brand isn't just visual theming — it drives programming. Live music events are regular, not occasional. The food and beverage operation runs as a real restaurant, not a community kitchen. Resident clubs form around the lifestyle brand rather than the generic active adult template of arts-and-crafts and walking groups.
This is either a strong fit or a significant mismatch depending on the buyer. If you find the Margaritaville brand appealing and enjoy an energetic social community with regular entertainment, Watersound is genuinely differentiated from comparable price-point communities. If you prefer a quieter, more conventional active adult environment, the programming energy here may feel like too much.
The community survey data from the Daytona location (which has been operating longer) shows that resident satisfaction is high among buyers who self-selected for the brand — but some residents note the community can feel louder and more social than expected. That's a feature for some buyers and a friction point for others.
We can help you compare Watersound to other 55+ options in the corridor — including communities that offer similar amenity quality at different price points or with a different social dynamic.
Talk to a Research Advisor