Perdido Key has some of the best beaches
anywhere.
Indeed, Perdido Key State Recreation Area was
ranked No. 12 in a 1994 survey listing the best beaches in the nation.The survey asked
geographers and coastal experts to rank beaches on the basis of 50 factors including water
quality, sand, cleanliness, congestion and accessibility.
The beach, which is easily accessible from paved roads, offers
both ample space for those who want solitude and amenities for folks who want picnic
shelters, showers and restrooms.
This island is key to the good life Perdido Key is a beauty of a
beach that overlooks the Gulf of Mexico between Pensacola and Alabama, making it the
westernmost island in Florida.
The key is linked to both states by high-rise bridges which whisk the traveler
over water and onto the barrier island, which offers nationally ranked beaches, stylish
condos and memorable old-time nightspots that draw locals and tourists alike.
Perdido Key, about 15 miles west of Pensacola, was first discovered by the Spanish in
1693 and it has long been a treasured getaway island for beach connoisseurs.
But its popularity has exploded in the past decade as more people learn of its charms.
Nearly 70 percent of the key is protected parkland; nearby Big Lagoon State Park offers a
user-friendly setting for everything from nature walks to pops concerts; and the Perdido
Key area is growing rapidly, as new homes and state-of-the-art public schools attest.
The beaches are so fine that they were rated No. 12 in the entire
nation by "Dr. Beach." The Maryland geologist, Dr. Stephen Leatherman, ranked
beaches around the nation on the basis of softness of sand, water and sand cleanliness,
number of sunny days, smell, pests, access, crowds and crime.
Perdido Key, which means "lost island" in Spanish, offers the Gulf of Mexico
on one side and tranquil Olde River on the other side.The variety makes it ideal for all
sorts of family watersports, including fishing, skiing, snorkeling, surfing and swimming.
While upscale development has modernized part of the key, more than half of the island
is preserved from growth by federal and state parks. The results: Plenty of access for the
public and plenty of room for those who want to roam the sand or sunbathe in near-silence.
The parks also provide covered picnic areas, restrooms and other amenities designed to
keep tourists comfortable.
At Big Lagoon State Park, a 40-foot-high tower provides a fine view of birds
and other creatures in a habitat of woods and marshes.The park's attractions range from
campgrounds, hiking trails and picnic areas to a pavilion where concerts brighten the
warm-weather night air.
Summer time isn't the only prime time for Perdido Key. It's a favorite spot for
snowbirds each winter, when they trade Northern snow for the beach and proximity to such
westside attractions as the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola Greyhound Track
and a smorgasbord of golf courses, art galleries, cafes and restaurants.
The key also is headquarters for an annual gathering of practitioners of an unusual and
romantic trade. Every November upwards of 150 songwriters gather for 10 days of music and
seminars, giving the public a chance to hear some of the nation's favorite songs sung by
the men and women who wrote them.