Pensacola Beach offers miles and miles of unspoiled white sand, clear
sailing on green-and-blue water, a wide variety of restaurants and nightlife, and a strong
flavor of history. This all comes with a minimum of fuss or traffic.That is because the
beach community has a mellow blend of neighborhoods, recreation opportunities and
lifestyles.
Santa Rosa Island, home of Pensacola Beach, was first discovered by some of the
earliest Spanish explorers centuries ago, and now is rediscovered daily by tourists from
across the United States.
Sun-seekers can mix and mingle at one of several popular beaches
or, if they prefer, they can amble down the dunes to isolated stretches of sand they can
call their own.
Motorboats and sailboats coexist easily in the Gulf of Mexico and in more
tranquil sound side waters while parasailers float overhead and fishermen try their luck
from the shore.
For those who want other slices of life, quick trips will take
them to Pensacola, a city full of museums and nightclubs, and Pensacola Naval Air Station,
home of the fabled Blue Angels acrobatic team and one of the world's largest aviation
museums, complete with an IMAX® Theatre.
Pensacola Beach is part of Santa Rosa Island, a former federal preserve
that still retains a strong emphasis on nature. Much of the barrier island is protected
from development, preserved by a determination to maintain the natural environment for
generations to come. This preservation comes courtesy of Gulf Islands National Seashore, a
federal program that keeps beaches accessible to people and pays tribute to the area's
environment and its history.
At the west end is Fort Pickens, a Civil War fortress and later a
prison for the Indian chief Geronimo.The fort area also is popular with campers, whose
tents and recreational vehicles can be seen winter and summer. (Campers aren't the only
ones to visit in the winter. Many "snowbirds" trade the frigid north for
Pensacola Beach's mild winters, when rents are low and traffic is minimal.)
Just down the road from the fort are tall, upscale condominiums and
stylish houses overlooking the Gulf. Many homes are occupied year-round by people who came
to the beach for a week one summer and were so enthralled that they became permanent
residents.
The central business district offers restaurants, nightclubs,
souvenir shops and amusements.The calendar is filled with special events, from a
rollicking Mardi Gras to stylish wine-tastings, scrumptious food fetes and a Bushwhacker
Weekend.
Local businesses rent bicycles, scooters, jet-skis and other
transportation. Bicycle paths funnel bike-riders, joggers and inline skaters, giving
spectators an ever-changing parade of people to watch.
More cottages, motels and a growing number of large homes provide
a variety of vacation retreats and year- round housing.A recently upgraded elementary
school and two churches are evidence of the increasing year- round population, and a
lively newspaper serves a weekly report of happenings on the beach.
Pensacola,
Florida - Located on Floridas Panhandle, close to the
Alabama border, Pensacola draws visitors looking for the ideal seaside vacation to play or
relax on the sugar-white sand beaches next to the soothing Gulf of Mexico surf. Visitors
enjoy fun in the sun and all its inherent activities, from wind-surfing to fishing, to
exploring a plethora of historic sites and taking in the show-stopping Navy Blue Angels
precision flying team.