Pensacola Beach, Santa Rosa Island

Pensacola Beach has white quartz sand that crinkles under your feet! The water is a creamy blue-green and sea oats bob happily on the dunes. A long pier makes a great place to fish or stroll along. Here you can look back at the beach and see the giant beach ball statue! If you're hungry you can take a short walk to the main road where there are a few cafes, such as Native Cafe. 

This beach is very popular with sunburned travelers from Alabama and becomes quite full during the summer.
It's fun to take the three-mile long bridge over Pensacola Bay past the middle peninsula of land called Gulf Breeze, to the thin strip of land called Santa Rosa Island. On weekends it can become a traffic nightmare though, so come early in the morning. Also, if you're coming for dinner at one of the happening intracoastal restaurants, come in the late afternoon to avoid evening traffic.
Casino Beach Bar looks like a lovely place to hang out by the dunes, with the pier next door.
During the middle of the day on a Saturday, cool of at Pensacola Mess Hall, a small science center that school-aged kids love. Or check out the enormous fighter planes at National Naval Aviation Museum.

Directions

Pensacola Beach is located on Santa Rosa Island, three miles across Pensacola Bay by a long bridge! There is a $1 (cash) toll to cross. Come early in the morning on weekends, and early in the evening (around 4pm is best) for dinner if you want to avoid gridlock traffic on the bridge. There are four parking lots: Casino Beach, Portofino Boardwalk, Park West and Park East. From 4pm to midnight during the summer there is a trolley from Park West.
Native Cafe, 45 Via De Luna Dr, Pensacola Beach FL 32561, call (850) 934-4848.
Casino Beach Bar, 41 Fort Pickens Rd. You can use this address to find the beach parking lot too.

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