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Top 11 Things to Do on Pensacola Beach

Like many Florida locals, I keep a go-bag in my car for emergencies. No, it’s not for leaving the country, nor is it for hurricane evacuation. But whenever I want to escape our corporate life or the hum-drum of daily errands, I evacuate to the beach. My go-bag has essentials: shorts, flip-flops and sunscreen. I find a stretch of sugar-white sand and the gentle waves wash the stress away. While I rate that blissful inactivity 10/10, there’s so much more to do than idle your afternoon away in the sand.

So, here are some ideas to enjoy your visit to our beautiful stretch of squeaky, white-quartz shores.

Take a Walk on the Pier Side

Stretching over 1,400 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier is a storm-tested icon with a majestic vista of our coast. After Hurricane Opal splintered the old pier in 1995, this pier rose out of the Gulf with a purpose. The hex-shaped concrete pilings deflect wave energy, and the 500-pound wooden panels are designed to blow out under hurricane storm surge to keep the pier’s structure intact.

You can fish without a fishing license, or you can just pay a few bucks for a 24-hour pass to walk the pier and take in the views. If you are looking to delve into the fishing scene on Pensacola Beach, be sure to check out Panhandle Salt Beach Fishing for all your fishing needs and you'll be set!

Along the pier, keep your eye out for dolphins, sea turtles, speedy gamefish, rays and the occasional shark from the comfort and safety of the pier deck.

Ride the Ferry; Bring your Bike!

Launching from scenic downtown Pensacola with stops at historic Fort Pickens and the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk, the Pensacola Bay City Ferry offers the smoothest cruise to Pensacola Beach. Or, if you’re already on the beach, pack up your bike and take the ferry to tour Downtown Pensacola.

The 145-passenger ferries named “Turtle Runner” and “Pelican’s Perch” provide an air-conditioned main cabin and spacious topside open-air or covered seating. A light on-board bar serves beverages. There are bike racks so you can bring an extra set of wheels with you. Round-trip and one-way rides available.

Fort Pickens: Majestic Guardian of Pensacola Pass

Speaking of Fort Pickens, after nearly 200 years, the still-proud granite walls and massive cannon pose an imposing, majestic presence as they stand guard over Pensacola Pass. The sprawling fort, which once imprisoned the great Geronimo and where Union troops outgunned Confederate forces at Fort Barrancas, is nestled among the sand dunes with historic features like the fort itself, Battery Cooper and Battery Worth.

Fort Pickens is part of Gulf Islands National Seashore, where there’s plenty of beaches with designated parking, bike paths, a fishing pier and a campground. There’s also plenty of wildlife, including nesting sea turtles, osprey and colonies of least terns and black skimmers. You can ride your bike out to the fort — 9 miles from the fort entrance.

Find Flipper — Take a Dolphin Cruise!

Who doesn’t want to experience Flipper up close? Trust me, watching dolphins at play in the wake of a boat is a phenomenon you’ll never forget. Fortunately, Pensacola Beach offers multiple options to watch dolphins in the Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay – offering everything from shared tours to private cruises, from two-hour boat rides to full-day excursions. Take your pick of options!

Check out these dolphin cruises

Experience the Activity Mega-Plaza at Laguna’s

Ever see a place that packs in so much fun, you’ll have to have plastic surgery to wipe the smile off your face? (Sorry, Chevy Chase).

Laguna’s Adventure Park and Beach Bar & Grill packs a pile of activities and good times for the whole family in its spot along the Santa Rosa Sound.

There’s a go kart track, a 3-story ropes course, a splash pad, zip line rails, and clip n climbs to properly wear out the kids. For the adults, there’s the Tiki Deck, with a massive screen to watch Sunday football or worship at the cathedral of college football on Saturdays. Out on the water, Laguna’s offers parasailing and other high-flying water sports — paddle boards, pontoon boats and more. There’s truly no excuse to not have fun here.

Beam Me Down to UFO’s Pensacola Beach

UFOs Pensacola Beach Mini Golf

The iconic Pensacola Beach mini golf course offers down-to-earth fun along Pensacola Beach. Located next to Sideline Sports Bar and Restaurant on Casino Beach, UFO’s Pensacola Beach offers a fun walk through a network of mildly challenging holes nestled along the Gulf of Mexico. The fun doesn’t stop there! Beyond mini golf, UFO’s also offers arcade games, ice cream, hotdogs, and nachos... even access to the pool next door!

Paddle with that Glowing Feeling

Glow Paddle lights up the kayak, paddle and pedal boat scene on Little Sabine Bay and Santa Rosa Sound. With LED-lighted clear kayaks, it’s a completely different experience paddling through the protected waterways of Santa Rosa Sound and Little Sabine Bay. An adult must be in the same vessel with children under 10. Children between 10-17 can rent a kayak solo with parental permission.

Bike and Dine the Bistros

One of the beautiful things about Pensacola Beach is the diversity of great eateries and relaxation joints within a short distance. Whether you brought a bike or rented one from the many rental places, you can cruise the beach bike paths to dine, and even take a sojourn through the eclectic neighborhoods.

Try The Grand Marlin for a fine-dining experience on the Sound, or stop in at Felix’s for some Cajun fare. Continue your cruise to Red Fish Blue Fish for some casual seafood, or to Paradise for tasty poboys, a Bushwacker and live music.

The beachfront on the Gulf side features some great family dining and fun at Crabs We Got ‘Em or some gorgeous Gulf views and casual eats at Casino Beach Bar and Grill.

Cruise west and you can linger over lunch between hammock hangs at The Salty Rose Bar & Grill, or head a few more miles down to the beach’s iconic destination for freshly shucked oysters at Peg Leg Pete’s!

Libations, Libations, Libations … The Mighty, Mighty Bushwacker

Casino Beach Bar Bushwacker
Credit | @Casino.Beach.Bar

Every place has a culture carrier —something that represents the flavor and culture of a community. Ours is the Bushwacker — an ice-creamy rum-laced concoction that was born in the Virgin Islands, but like many outlanders and ex-pats, found its forever home here.

Linda Taylor Murphy brought the drink to the Sandshaker Lounge on Pensacola Beach in 1977, but now you can find it just about everywhere in our bistros and establishments.

They’re all good, but I’ll share my favorites here: The Sandshaker’s of course, is the O.G. and a must-try. Paradise Bar and Grill has a compact, hand-made version of the Bushwacker, as does Peg Leg’s which offers a 151 floater on top.

Catch the game… with a Beach Vibe!

Pensacola loves its football teams and just because you’re chilling at the beach doesn’t mean you can’t get in some gridiron screen-time.

We have many home teams — the New Orleans Saints, due to proximity, are claimed by many of us. But so are the Tampa Bay Bucs and the Atlanta Falcons. Some folks even dig the Jags. College ball is our cathedral, however, and the home teams are whoever you want: Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Florida State —and even LSU and Georgia.

You can find many a spot to watch: try the massive outdoor screen at Laguna’s, or the many screens and tasty food at Whiskey Joes and Casino Beach Bar and Grill also have multiple screens and packages so you can get your game on!

Pensacola loves its football teams and just because you’re chilling at the beach doesn’t mean you can’t get in some gridiron screen-time.

We have many home teams — the New Orleans Saints, due to proximity, are claimed by many of us. But so are the Tampa Bay Bucs and the Atlanta Falcons. Some folks even dig the Jags. College ball is our cathedral, however, and the home teams are whoever you want: Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Florida State —and even LSU and Georgia.

You can find many a spot to watch: try the massive outdoor screen at Laguna’s, or the many screens and tasty food at Whiskey Joes and Casino Beach Bar and Grill also have multiple screens and packages so you can get your game on!

Enjoy Our Beautiful Beaches — Enjoy and Tread Lightly

The crowds gather at our popular Casino Beach spots —where we have all the amenities you would need to complete a day of salty fun. But what if you want some place quiet? We’ve got you covered.

You can see the sites on our Public Beach Access Map, but here’s a snippet so you can see what suits your style.

Gulf Islands National Seashore offers the idyllic, tranquil shores just a few miles from the main beach and condos. There’s an entrance fee for the Fort Pickens side of GINS, but you can purchase a week-long or annual pass — and its free for active duty, reserves and veterans, with proof of ID. Langdon Beach, inside Fort Pickens, has seasonal lifeguards and amenities, including a picnic pavilion, bathhouse and outdoor showers.

If you don’t want to deal with surf zones, Quietwater Beach and Park West provide protected water on the Sound side. Park West sometimes has a longshore current and wave action from Pensacola Bay.

Pensacola Beach also has several beach accesses with mobi-mats that are accessible. Click here for more information.

IMPORTANT: Our local wildlife depends on our shores as well, so watch for signs and tread lightly. Sea turtles etch their nests into the Gulf sand from May through October — and the hatchlings need our protection to keep the natural cycles going. Least terns, plovers and black skimmers also nest on shore, so during the spring and summer nesting seasons, stay clear of the marked nest areas.

We even have an Eco Trail to guide you. Entertain and educate the kiddo’s (and adults too) with a stroll along the Pensacola Beach Eco Trail. Along this interactive trail you’ll find educational signs tell the wonderful story of our ecosystem and the plants and animals and habitat that are vital to our island.

Sean Smith

Author

Sean Smith

Sean Smith is a native of Liverpool, England, but has been Gulf Coastified since he moved to Pensacola in 1992 after serving as a weather specialist in the Air Force. A journalist and writer for more than 20 years, he loves to share his affection for the natural beauty of Pensacola and the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast.

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