Pensacola offers 52 miles of sugar-white beaches, a 450-year history, year-round festivals, outdoor adventures, and a world class aviation museum, as well as outstanding accommodations, facilities, and professional service. Southern hospitality combined with an uncluttered coast provide you with an ideal setting for your next vacation.

Located in the westernmost corner of Florida's Panhandle, Pensacola"s vibrant cultural events and potpourri of restaurants, shops, and nightclubs make for a memorable vacation. In fact, dollar for dollar, Pensacola gives visitors more value than just about any other part of Florida. Surveys regularly show Pensacola’s costs below Florida’s average.

A rich and colorful history
Pensacola was the first city settled by Europeans in America, making for a history that dates back nearly 450 years. The city has changed hands more than a dozen times in actions involving Spain, France, England, the Confederacy and the United States, giving Pensacola the nickname "City of Five Flags.”

Numerous sites around Pensacola tell stories about the area’s engaging history. Historic Pensacola Village offers peeks into several restored homes in the city’s downtown historical district. Two forts - Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens – were held by opposite forces during the Civil War. Located on opposite sides of Pensacola Bay, Fort Barrancas was held by Confederate forces, and Fort Pickens, on Santa Rosa Island, was held by Union forces.

Several museums, including the National Museum of Naval Aviation and T.T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum, provide more educational outlets. The Wentworth museum features a special children’s area with hands-on activities and displays of particular interest to children.
Explore the outdoors
Pensacola’s breathtaking beaches offer the perfect setting for a seaside vacation. Most are protected by federal and state programs that keep them pristine and easily accessible to the public. Spend a day at Pensacola Beach, Perdido Key Beach, or the Gulf Islands National Seashore to experience the Gulf Coast at its finest.

Pensacola’s outdoor activities abound. Fish off the 1.5-mile-long Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge, which parallels the three-mile bridge that links the mainland to the town of Gulf Breeze; or the Bob Sikes Fishing Bridge, connecting Gulf Breeze and Pensacola Beach on Santa Rosa Island. Windsurf, snorkel, or scuba in the Gulf or Pensacola Bay. Canoe through the Blackwater River State Recreation Area or camp at dozens of sites throughout the region.

Experience wildlife up close at The ZOO near Gulf Breeze, which is home to more than 700 animals and an eye-catching botanical garden. Windows in the commissary let visitors watch foods being prepared for the animals. Elsewhere at The ZOO, a tall platform gives visitors a chance to hand-feed a giraffe. And for an up-close look, catch a ride on the Safari Line train for a fun-filled excursion through 30 acres of free-roaming animals in their natural habitat.

Sporting spots - Pensacola hosts several annual sporting events, including the Blue Angel Marathon, Santa Rosa Island Triathlon, and 15K Double Bridge Run.

Dozens of golf courses dot the area. With Pensacola’s sunny weather, golfers can play year-round. The area is home to the American Amateur Classic held in May. Pensacola Greyhound Track packs a full slate of live greyhound racing and frequent simulcast horse racing. Bikers enjoy 25 miles of a nearly unbroken pavement that winds around Santa Rosa Sound from Navarre Beach to Pensacola Beach along Santa Rosa Island and through the town of Gulf Breeze. It’s part of a 40-mile loop that varies between a separated path and paved shoulder.

As for professional sports, Pensacola is home to the Ice Pilots, part of the East Coast Hockey League, and the Pensacola Pelicans, charter members of the independent Southern League of Professional Baseball and managed by former major leaguer Bernie Carbo.