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For many Florida-bound travelers, Pensacola is one of the first things they see once they reach the Sunshine State. It’s the westernmost city of the panhandle area, located fairly close to the Alabama border in Escambia County. Pensacola has a lot of interesting aspects. The city was first founded by the Spanish in 1559 and is actually the oldest European settlement in the continental United States. Due to its long history and location, Pensacola bills itself as The City of Five Flags that have flown in its skies. Situated as it was with British colonies to the north and right on the border between French Louisiana and Spanish Florida, Pensacola has changed hands many times.

Pensacola is a port city, but it is not particularly large as cities go. The entire surrounding metro area has a population of less than 500,000. It is primarily known for tourism and as the site of one of the Navy’s most important air stations. This is the deep South, so visitors to Pensacola should be prepared for the heat and humidity of Florida’s subtropical climate. That’s okay, though, because many of Pensacola’s attractions involve the sun, sand and the sea.

Arts and Entertainment

Much of the entertainment in Pensacola revolves around the ocean. Pensacola Beach has some of the world’s whitest, most beautiful beaches, so it’s the perfect vacation spot for aquatic pastimes of any sort. Swimming, sunbathing, fishing, and boating are just some of the things that draw people to Pensacola. This stretch of Gulf coast is even called the Redneck Riviera for the large number of people who flock to its beaches.

Pensacola does offer more than salt water and a suntan, however. The city hosts numerous festivals in historic Seville Square; one of the biggest is the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival. Held over the first weekend of November, the festival features arts, crafts and live music performances. NAS Pensacola is home to a huge aviation museum as well as the famous Blue Angels; don’t miss the annual Air Show if you’re in town at the right time.

Summertime is prime time for events, parties and concerts at the beachside resorts of Santa Rosa Island. There are not many dates more romantic than dinner and a concert at an open-air waterside venue or a leisurely walk on a pristine beach at sunset.

Food and Drink

As a vacation hotspot, Pensacola has a vast array of culinary options to fit any budget. With such ready access to some of the nation’s best fishing, visitors would do well to expect seafood, and lots of it. A romantic dinner with candles and an entree that was swimming that morning is truly delicious. Fresh fish is on the menu almost everywhere, but it’s just as easy to do it yourself. Fishing charters abound here, and with most of them the price includes licenses and cleaning of your catch.

For more terrestrial fare, there is Mesquite Charlie’s, an award-winning steakhouse, and the charmingly Irish McGuire’s Pub. Both have excellent beef items, and McGuire’s even brews its own beer. Early August offers the annual Bushwacker Festival, which celebrates Pensacola’s signature cocktail of Kahlua, cremes of coconut and cacao, dark rum and milk.

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15y ago

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