Pensacola Beach

White sand beach
3 Casino Beach Boardwalk, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA
89 miles from Panama City Beach, FL
Cleanliness
Water quality
Crowded
Impressions
Overall
Grades suggested by our reviewer
Water Quality
Unknown (read more)

Beach amenities

  • Public grillsGrills or fire pits
  • LifeguardsLifeguard on duty
  • Changing roomsDressing rooms on the beach
  • Picnic tablesPicnic benches available
  • Gear rentalsEquipment for rent
  • RestaurantsF&B places nearby
  • SunbedsBeach chairs available
  • WCPublic restrooms nearby
  • ShowerPublic showers available
  • ParkingCar parking nearby
  • Pet friendlyBring your little friends!
👉 Download a FREE PDF map

About this beach

Warnings and hazards

Sand is too deep for a wheelchair!

Designated dog areas: Lots 21 and 28

Some say this is the best beach in the United States, and I tend to agree. Well, it's definitely one of them! Beautiful sugary-white sand, gorgeous turquoise waters, rich sea life, and perfect, breathtaking views create an unbeatable combination.

The beach is enormous. It stretches for miles and miles – there's plenty of parking and beach access points. Even when crowded there's plenty of space for everybody.

The area can be divided into two parts: West end and East end ("rough" and "sound" side). The west end is where Fort Pickens is. It is a massive historical old fort, built in the early 1800s. Worth a visit if you or your kids are into history.

The East end of the beach is a gorgeous, unspoiled National Seashore. If you are a pet owner, there's a dedicated dog beach on the East end – Lots 21 and 28 are where you need to go with your pup. 

Chairs and umbrellas are available for rent. We rented a couple of chairs and an umbrella from the "Lazy Days" for $8/hour. They also have a $30 for the whole day option.

The beach is not too popular among spring-breakers, which is why families love the place.

The small town is packed with superb restaurants and small stores, you can get everything you might need. All of that is only a short walk from the beach.

The beach is packed with amenities. There are changing rooms, bathrooms, and outdoor showers. A volleyball area, a picnic area with grills. Gear rentals are at your service: catamarans, jet ski, wave runners, paddleboards, etc. You have sidewalks along the entire beach, so renting bikes for the whole day is a great idea.

There's a beautiful fishing pier, but you need to pay a small entry fee to walk on it.

We went to a few restaurants and every single one of them was great! So go ahead and try different places. If you want to cook your own seafood, head to Joe Patti's Seafood Market in downtown Pensacola. It deserves a blog post of its own, as it is the largest seafood market in the Southeast. 

There are plenty of rooms and hotels nearby, and their prices are reasonable, as opposed to other neighboring beaches.

Pensacola beach is very well maintained – the area is clean and the police are always on guard. Lifeguards are also on duty.

After 5 days of relaxation leaving the beach was really hard. But we will be back!

Driving time

  • 3 hours from New Orleans
  • 8 hours from Houston, TX
  • 5 hours from Jacksonville
  • 5 hours from Atlanta, GA

Hotels and rentals

If you're considering staying for one or even a few nights, there are plenty of options available near the beach. Chose your preferred accomodation type and your favourite room provider:

Beaches nearby

Additionally, there's a number of beaches near Pensacola Beach which you can visit:

Beach reviewed by:
Daniel and Laura
Photos from Google Maps
Fishing pierPensacola Beach Gulf PierNumerous holiday-makers on the beachFishing pierMany people sunbathing on a city beachSandy beach with a fishing pierBlue sunbeds on the beachPensacola beach RV stationBlue sunbeds on the beachBeach in the eveningPinky clouds over the beachPensacola Beach Gulf Pier
Show rooms near this beach×

Pensacola Beach videos

A day in Pensacola
A nice video of the beach
Pensacola Beach
A beautiful drone made video of the beach

Weather conditions

Current weather at the beach and 3 day forecast

Best times to visit

Average temperature (°F)
Beach map and directions
The beach is located in Pensacola Beach, Florida 3 Casino Beach Boardwalk, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA (Open on Google Maps)
Drag and zoom the map to view lodging options near the beach.
Other beaches nearby
Explore other beaches near Pensacola Beach, Florida
Fort Pickens Beach
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Pensacola Beach reviews and photos
Reviewed on: April 22, 2020