Pensacola Beach Florida Trip Report
Apr 26th, 2016, 10:41 AM
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Pensacola Beach Florida Trip Report
Note: *Please see my Facebook Page, Laurie Kay Designs, for more trip details and lots of photos!* Our last day today of a 3 day 2 night trip here! We love coming to Florida beaches in late April or early May because spring break is done, summer travel season is not yet here and as such no crowds! Plus, great weather in the upper 70s and low 80's!! The sand is white, with hardly any shells, and the water is crystal clear.
HOTEL: We stayed at the Margaritaville Hotel which I highly recommend. It is located on a strip of the beach just down from the Pensacola Pier on Fort Pickens Road that isn't overdeveloped and is like having your own private beach. If you want people watching and crowds, the public beach area is just past the pier, a short beach walk or bike ride away. It has restaurants, nightlife, beach volleyball, a shaded pavilion, restrooms and showers. But I digress...the Hotel is 6 years young and absolutely lovely. At only 7 stories, it isn't a huge high rise, but it does have a great restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining, a small gift shop, bar, gorgeous pool and outside bar located off to the side of the building and of course: the views! The front rooms view the gulf and the back rooms look over the Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bridge which is beautiful with a sunset to die for. The rooms have robes, hair dryer, plenty of toiletries, coffee, a good size mini fridge and the balcony has 2 chairs and a table. They are very good size, as is the fabulous bathroom and balcony. Beach towels at the pool are welcome to be taken to the beach. The hotel has a company that rents lounge chairs and umbrellas, we found the rates to be variable from day to day- $35-20 per two seater. The beach itself is off an area of dunes, and there is a large shallow (knee to waist) high area before it gets deep.
ACTIVITIES: The rental company has a small number of bikes, ocean kayaks, short but serviceable SUPs and skim boards for rent beachside. Bucket and shovel free for the kids. Biking is not really possible on the beach- the sand is not hard packed, and is even rather difficult to walk on (unless you want a really good workout) except at the waters edge. On the Sound, after Memorial Day, there is a full service rental company that operates off the Hotel dock, just across the road. This is nice as if the ocean is too choppy, the sound usually is very calm. The restaurant next door and public beach area have beach volleyball. And of course, you can fish on the Pier (all access to the pier requires a fee). I jogged along the path that runs along the road in the mornings.
EATING: We stopped at Joe Patti's seafood on our drive from the airport- IMHO this is NOT to miss! A Pensacola institution, we get fresh gulf shrimp cooked to order, packed in ice, and yummy snacks, pastries, cheeses etc from the fabulous gourmet shop there. We then stopped at the beignet truck outside the entrance ate our beignets hot and fresh, walked behind the store to see the lovely view of Pensacola Bay, and were set for food for at least a day! We planned ahead knowing we would stop here and packed a few paper plates, ziplock bags, a small collapsible cooler and forks in our luggage. At the hotel, within a short walk or bike ride are restaurants, beach shops etc. We ate our second evening at the Casino Beach Bar and Grille, a very cute place right at the pier with a beautiful oceanfront view and were very pleasantly surprised at the food.
Please check out my photos on Facebook Page, Laurie Kay Designs!
HOTEL: We stayed at the Margaritaville Hotel which I highly recommend. It is located on a strip of the beach just down from the Pensacola Pier on Fort Pickens Road that isn't overdeveloped and is like having your own private beach. If you want people watching and crowds, the public beach area is just past the pier, a short beach walk or bike ride away. It has restaurants, nightlife, beach volleyball, a shaded pavilion, restrooms and showers. But I digress...the Hotel is 6 years young and absolutely lovely. At only 7 stories, it isn't a huge high rise, but it does have a great restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining, a small gift shop, bar, gorgeous pool and outside bar located off to the side of the building and of course: the views! The front rooms view the gulf and the back rooms look over the Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bridge which is beautiful with a sunset to die for. The rooms have robes, hair dryer, plenty of toiletries, coffee, a good size mini fridge and the balcony has 2 chairs and a table. They are very good size, as is the fabulous bathroom and balcony. Beach towels at the pool are welcome to be taken to the beach. The hotel has a company that rents lounge chairs and umbrellas, we found the rates to be variable from day to day- $35-20 per two seater. The beach itself is off an area of dunes, and there is a large shallow (knee to waist) high area before it gets deep.
ACTIVITIES: The rental company has a small number of bikes, ocean kayaks, short but serviceable SUPs and skim boards for rent beachside. Bucket and shovel free for the kids. Biking is not really possible on the beach- the sand is not hard packed, and is even rather difficult to walk on (unless you want a really good workout) except at the waters edge. On the Sound, after Memorial Day, there is a full service rental company that operates off the Hotel dock, just across the road. This is nice as if the ocean is too choppy, the sound usually is very calm. The restaurant next door and public beach area have beach volleyball. And of course, you can fish on the Pier (all access to the pier requires a fee). I jogged along the path that runs along the road in the mornings.
EATING: We stopped at Joe Patti's seafood on our drive from the airport- IMHO this is NOT to miss! A Pensacola institution, we get fresh gulf shrimp cooked to order, packed in ice, and yummy snacks, pastries, cheeses etc from the fabulous gourmet shop there. We then stopped at the beignet truck outside the entrance ate our beignets hot and fresh, walked behind the store to see the lovely view of Pensacola Bay, and were set for food for at least a day! We planned ahead knowing we would stop here and packed a few paper plates, ziplock bags, a small collapsible cooler and forks in our luggage. At the hotel, within a short walk or bike ride are restaurants, beach shops etc. We ate our second evening at the Casino Beach Bar and Grille, a very cute place right at the pier with a beautiful oceanfront view and were very pleasantly surprised at the food.
Please check out my photos on Facebook Page, Laurie Kay Designs!
Apr 26th, 2016, 04:05 PM
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Nope, you were right the first time. Pensacola Bay is between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. Then comes the Sound (aka Intracoastal Waterway) between Gulf Breeze and P. Beach. There is also another small bay right across from the Margarita Hotel called Sabine Bay, which feeds into the Sound.
Thanks for the report. I grew up on P. Beach so know it well. Liked your pictures as well.
Thanks for the report. I grew up on P. Beach so know it well. Liked your pictures as well.
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