3 Casino Beach Boardwalk, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA 
89 miles from Panama City Beach, FL
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:
- Nearby rentals from VRBO.
- Nearby rooms and properties from Booking.com.
Beaches nearby
Additionally, there's a number of beaches near Pensacola Beach which you can visit:
- Fort Pickens Beach (9 miles)
- Navarre Beach (17 miles)
- Perdido Key Beach (19 miles)
- Alabama Point Beach (25 miles)
- Cotton Bayou Beach (27 miles)
2 Via DeLuna Drive, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561, United States
Drag and zoom the map to view lodging options near the beach.
9 mi away