Pensacola Beach, Florida
Pensacola Beach is an unincorporated community located on
Santa Rosa Island, south of
Pensacola, in
Escambia County, Florida,
United States. As of the
2000 census, the community had a total population of 2,738.
The first out-of-town visitor to Isle de St. Rose was don Tristan de Luna. In the summer of 1559, he sailed up the Gulf from Mexico, his 11 ships loaded with gear and food for survival. The adventurous Spaniard, within three years, was forced to abandon camp.
The locals (at that time, the Ochuse, later the Panzacola) were leery of the new arrivals Ft. Pickens archesand therefore didn't trade with them or teach them survival skills, so de Luna and his band failed to utilize the abundant food supply that the natives thrived on.
Fort Pickens was completed in 1834 and used until WWII, when modern weapons made traditional coastal defense obsolete. Fort Pickens has changed over the years, so take the self-guided tour and peel back the layers of history. Sea TurtleYou'll see the plaster-lined rooms that were intended as officers' quarters, and later used to house Apache prisoners. The most famous resident, Geronimo, lived in identical rooms along the south wall, which have since collapsed. Fort Pickens now houses an auditorium, a museum, and a visitors center offering information about the area.
The Fort itself is only part of the National Seashore's attractions: the boundary stretches back seven miles. (Fodor's rates Ft. Pickens' beaches the best in Florida.) So whether you take the bike trail or the highway, you'll find campgrounds, nature trails, and miles and miles of protected beaches perfect for sand dollar and sea shell hunting, and for picking through flotsam washed ashore from the high seas and exotic foreign ports.
In 1995, two hurricanes made landfall on the island causing extensive damage.
Hurricane Erin (1995) made landfall in August while
Hurricane Opal blasted the island just two months later, leveling the dunes and destroying a number of homes.
On
16 September 2004,
Hurricane Ivan devasted the Pensacola Beach area, destroying more than 650 homes and damaging many others.
On
10 July 2005, Pensacola Beach was again in the path of a hurricane;
Dennis made landfall between the city and neighboring
Navarre Beach.
Pensacola Beach is home to several
"novelty houses", including a house with a
UFO-shaped
Futuro attached as a second story, as well as the
"Dome of a Home", a home in the form of a large concrete dome, designed to structurally withstand hurricane-force winds and storm surge.
Pensacola Beach is located at , on the
barrier island of
Santa Rosa.
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Official website*
Pensacola Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau information*
Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA)
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Pensacola Beach Residents & Leaseholders Association, established due to lack of responsiveness from the SRIA
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Pensacola Beach Preservation & Historical Society, To promote knowledge of and pride in the historically significant past of Pensacola Beach. To preserve Santa Rosa Island's natural beauty, the water surrounding it, and the landmarks which lend character and spirit to the island. To establish publicly accessible historical documentation, exhibition facilities and educational events that promote the preservation of Pensacola Beach and its history.
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Pensacola Beach Today Website set up by Pensacola Beach resident. Contains forums, pictures, webcams, news, etc.
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Pensacola Beach Info Contain listing of webcams on Pensacola Beach and surrounding area and links to other Pensacola Beach sites.
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Barrier Island Girl A photo blog of Pensacola Beach through the eyes of a barrier island resident.
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Beach Cams on Pensacola Beach
