City Profile: Pensacola Beach

Related Cities & Topics:

View Full Size

Play volleyball at one of two area beach parks on Pensacola Beach

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

View Full Size

Lounge at Pensacola Beach.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

Beach-going days and local shopping mark your vacation in Pensacola Beach.

Clear waters and inviting sugar-white sand beckon thousands of visitors a year to Pensacola Beach, whose atmosphere ranges from lively crowds with lifeguards to desolate beaches bordered by wispy sea grass. No matter what the season, beachgoers can relax on the sunny, peaceful shores of Pensacola's award-winning, emerald-green coastline.

In the old days, ferries shuttled eager tourists across the bay to the bustling beach. Today, long scenic bridges carry the way to this destination. Pensacola Beach occupies nearly eight miles of the 40-mile-long Santa Rosa barrier island. It is bordered by the Santa Rosa Sound to the north and and Gulf of Mexico to the south. Much of the barrier island is protected from development, preserved by a determination to maintain the natural environment for generations to come.

Yet Pensacola Beach offers an array of shopping, lodging, restaurants, beach bars and entertainment - all with minimum travel, traffic and cost. The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier and Observation Post stretches 1,471 feet into the Gulf of Mexico providing breathtaking views.

Beaches include Casino Beach, the geographic core of Pensacola Beach, where many gather for swimming and fun; Quietwater Beach near the commercial core of the beach, and many uncrowded areas where only a few congregate to unwind.