Two beach grass-fringed lanes stretch long and flat into the horizon, dividing the white sands of narrow Santa Rosa Island down the middle.
To one side, a lone angler casts out into the Gulf of Mexico. On the other, his feathered counterparts – a cluster of snowy egrets – fish the tidal pools overlooking Pensacola Bay.
Electric beach cruisers have made exploring the serene seven-mile path to historic Fort Pickens a breeze – quite literally. With hair-tousling speeds topping out at about 30 miles per hour, the quasi-motorized bikes are as fast paced as it gets on a sleepy Sunday morning on the barrier island’s westernmost tip.
Pensacola may be best known for parties that pack its beaches and – when the resident Blue Angels perform their jaw-dropping aerobatics overhe…
Pensacola may be best known for parties that pack its beaches and – when the resident Blue Angels perform their jaw-dropping aerobatics overhead – its eponymous bay. But in the shoulder season, before schools let out and temps rise, it offers visitors a peek at some of its quieter, more sophisticated charms.
About three hours drive from New Orleans, 4 1/2 from Baton Rouge and just a stone’s throw over the Florida line, Pensacola is a destination divided.
Beaches and nightlife
Its iconic beaches, reached via bridge, span miles of the offshore barrier island and offer vacationers a homebase for sun and watersports as well as access to two pristine stretches of national seashore. On the mainland, its picturesque downtown, packed with a familiar mix of Spanish and French architecture, teems with the area’s trendiest restaurants, entertainment and accommodation choices.
A trio of cannoli provides a sweet finish to a decadent dinner at Angelena's, Pensacola's new fine dining Italian restaurant.
Visitors do well to sample both.
Start with downtown’s main drag – Palafox Place – which begins at the waterfront Plaza de Luna. The park and fishing spot is named for the ill-fated Spanish conquistador who established the first European colony in North America here in 1559. Continue past marinas filled with sailboats and reach a compact museum district, where visitors can dive deeper into local history at sites like the Historic Pensacola Village.
Just a few steps farther, the real action starts.
Even in the off season, the next four blocks of bars, boutiques and venues that anchor Pensacola’s downtown buzz with activity – day and night. For especially lively vibes, time a visit for a performance at the funky Vinyl Music Hall or one of the area’s Gallery Nights. The monthly street parties feature everything from vintage shop pop-ups and late-night gallery strolls to local DJs and open-air raves.
The swank Well Floridian Lounge's menu offers plump oysters from around the country.
Vintage views
On a recent weekend afternoon, vintage cars cruise the sunny strip, honking and waving at bystanders. Diners lounge under umbrellas at sidewalk bistros.
Nearby, the smell of fresh kettle corn wafts past an acoustic guitarist tuning up in a small plaza. Lined up in what New Orleanians would call the neutral ground of Palafox Street, a melange of growers, crafters and artisans hawk everything from fresh-baked scones to wood-and-resin coffee tables. This smorgasbord, Palafox Market, springs to life every Saturday, featuring more than 200 local vendors.
Beneath a small canopy, silversmith Jess Monroe – also known as the Heirloom Indie – sells a tempting array of Mexican turquoise handset into rings, earrings and pins. Three times, she’s moved away from Pensacola. But every time, she’s come back, she says with a laugh.
Like the market, the city has matured and diversified a lot over the years, she says.
“It has not always been like this, and it’s still growing,” Monroe says. “It’s become a little bit more of a melting pot.”
Cocktail hour
Sunny weekend afternoons are lively at the open-air Garden and Grain, one of three concepts housed in a new compound in downtown Pensacola.
Hours later, a casual crowd basks in the setting sun and munches taco truck fare on the muraled patio of Garden & Grain, one of three sister concepts housed in a new downtown compound.
In the adjacent taproom of Perfect Plain, a bartender slings the brewery’s signature sours. And just next door, date-nighters sip cocktails crafted with house-made syrups at the swank The Well Floridian Lounge, which opened last year with an oyster bar and playful, seafood focused tapas. (When the chilled royal red shrimp arrive, they’re in a bubble bath of beer foam garnished with seaweed.)
While New Orleanians will find a surprising number of hometown favorites in Pensacola – Ruby Slipper, Juan’s Flying Burrito and Felix’s Oyster Bar have all opened seaside outposts – the local culinary scene offers its own homegrown gems.
From food trucks (try world cuisine-inspired Nomadic Eats) to fine dining (the “Chopped” champ-run Angelena’s is a new local fave), the trend on the Pensacola mainland is ever more daring and more refined. And with the ninth most breweries per capita in the U.S., downtown visitors never wander far for their next round.
Beach bum bars
Meanwhile, the classic beach bum bars in Caribbean colors, nostalgic cafes and shops selling shell jewelry and airbrushed T-shirts await visitors just across the bridge in Pensacola Beach – along with a new slate of recreational options.
Electric Bikes of Florida began concierge services last year, dropping off bikes downtown, beachside and beyond for riders 18 and older. And the new Glow Paddle rents clear kayaks outfitted with LEDs that leave pools of colored lights around the craft and illuminates the calm Sabine Bay below. Its rental center at the Margaritaville Pensacola remains open year round.
Old-fashioned fun
But some of the best beach fun is the most old-fashioned, as Denver Benton, of New Orleans, and his two children discovered on a recent visit.
A brisk wind ruffles the surface of the water along Pensacola Beach Boardwalk, perhaps the reason a line of turquoise loungers nearby remains empty. It’s a bit too cold this time of year to spend much time in the water for many tastes, but 7-year-old Ayla is braver than most.
“Yesterday, I went in the water!” she says. “And I want to go again.”
Today, she and her brother Denali, 12, have been exploring the white sand, fishing pier and the viewfinders along a largely empty pavillion.
The quiet of the off season is part of the appeal for Benton.
“It’s serene. It’s peaceful,” he says. “It’s just a different experience.”
WHERE TO STAY
DOWNTOWN: The newly renovated Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel offers guests upscale, beach chic respite from the downtown bustle just steps away. The luxuriously appointed waterfront property, which overlooks a picturesque marina, is the city’s first to focus on wellness and sustainability, featuring geothermal heating, eco-friendly toiletries and on-site eBike rentals.
BEACHSIDE: With a prime location surrounded by water on three sides, visitors can’t get any closer to the region’s iconic white sand than the Hilton Pensacola Beach. Highlights of this 17-story hotel include a pool complex with a splash area for the kiddos and an on-site art gallery showcasing local and regional artists.
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April 30, 2022 at 01:30AM
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Pensacola has pristine beaches and a lively entertainment scene. Visitors can enjoy it all. - NOLA.com
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