Pensacola Beach spring break 2023: Here's how to make the most of your break
Spring Break in Pensacola is a much smaller, more intimate affair when compared to the likes of Panama City Beach. But that's part of its draw — enjoying the beach without the headache of a sea of people.
That said, you'll still find plenty of people to trip over while trying to find the perfect beach spot.
So, how can you make the most of your spring break? The good news is that having fun is the easy part, and we've made it easier with this guide.
Spring break 2024: Spring Break in Escambia, Santa Rosa County is in March. Here are the dates:
Stroll Pensacola Beach Boardwalk
Pensacola Beach Boardwalk is the go-to destination for locals and tourists to shop, dine and enjoy live entertainment. Located on Santa Rosa Sound, it features unique shops and restaurants serving locally caught seafood.
The iconic shell landmark is a popular spot for sunset photos and hosts live music events. Quietwater Beach, just beyond the shell, is ideal for people with small children. Visitors can reach the boardwalk by trolley, boat, ferry or bike.
Pensacola Beach Boardwalk stores
Ardor Boutique — sells women's clothing, jewelry, gifts and accessories. The selection changes with the season. Ardor is particularly passionate about jewelry and offers a range of fashion and handmade jewelry, including a unique line inspired by the sand and water of Pensacola Beach.
Envie Boutique — offers a selection of both women's and men's ready-to-wear fashions that are suitable for beach-to-bay living and city dwelling. The store features a well-curated selection of top brands such as Southern Tide, Vinyaard Vines, Free People, Z Supply, AG Denim, Tommy Bahama, Kendra Scott, Maui Jim and others.
Intracoastal Outfitters — offers active and outdoor lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories to help customers better enjoy life along the Panhandle and beyond. They prioritize customer service and are part of a retail family operation that has been around since 1978. The owner, Wes Dannreuther, relocated to the Pensacola area from Baton Rouge with his family in 2008.
Ron Jon Surf Shop — sells surf, beach and active lifestyle products. They represent the beach and beyond, and this lifestyle is reflected in their stores, products and corporate environment. The company has two locations on Pensacola Beach Boardwalk, with Suite 5 featuring men's clothing and accessories, skateboards and surfboards, and Suite 8 featuring women's and children's clothing and accessories.
Board walk food and drinks
Bamboo Willie’s
Bamboo Willie's Beach Bar is a popular spot on Pensacola Beach with great water views, docking for boats, live music and a variety of goodies in its gift shop. It's known for its famous Fat Tuesday frozen daiquiris.
Felix’s
Felix's Oyster Bar, known for its unparalleled New Orleans oyster bar experience, has a relatively new location on Pensacola Beach. It's a locally-owned establishment with roots that go back to the French Quarter in the 1940s and is a favorite among oyster-lovers.
Felix's opens: Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar is opening at Pensacola Beach. What you can expect:
Kilwins
Kilwins is a celebrated part of Americana, known for its high-quality chocolates, ice cream, confections and excellent service.
Papa’s Pizza
Papa's Pizza specializes in traditional New York Style pizzas, made with tools and methods dating back to the 1940s. The owner, Mike Pinzone, comes from a family with a long history in the food industry and is confident in his pizza, offering a two-bite money-back guarantee. The most popular menu items are the Celebrity Pizzas, with a variety of fresh toppings.
Whiskey Joe's Pensacola Beach
Whiskey Joe's offers delicious "Floribbean" inspired dishes such as local fish tacos, grand grouper sandwich, strawberry-guava rib basket, gator bites and a raw bar. The restaurant also has a World-Famous Barefoot Tiki Bar that offers over 30 tiki cocktails, including mojitos, margaritas, local favorites like the Bushwacker and local beers.
Now open: Caribbean-themed restaurant and tiki bar 'Whiskey Joe's' opens on Pensacola Beach Friday
Explore Fort Pickens
Fort Pickens is one of several Third System forts that were built along the United State’s coastline to protect important waterways and ports. Its purpose was to defend Pensacola Bay and the Pensacola Navy Yard and Depot from foreign attacks, according to the National Parks Service.
Construction of the fort was completed in 1834, and it remained in use until 1947. In 1899, a fire broke out in the fort. The fire reached Bastion D’s magazine, which held 8,000 pounds of powder, causing a massive explosion. The house-sized hole left in the wall is a popular spot today.
There are several activities and facilities visitors can experience like the fort itself, Battery Cooper and Battery Worth. Tent and RV camping is available at designated campgrounds and there are parking lots with beach access.
Explore more Pensacola history: Pensacola's past is on display at these 8 must-visit historic sites
The park store has a wide range of books, educational games, posters and other items. The discovery center is the perfect spot to learn about the fort's history and the surrounding environment. And the Gulf-facing Langdon Beach Pavilion is the perfect spot for a more private beach experience.
Entrance fees are $15 per person (pedestrians, cyclists, etc.), a vehicle pass is $25 and an annual park pass is $45. Each pass is good for one to seven days, excluding the annual pass.
Avoid big crowds at Opal Beach
Casino Beach's central location makes it the prime spot for tourists and locals alike, but if you're looking to just enjoy the beach, head further east toward Opal Beach.
The Opal Beach Complex is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and is located along Highway 399 between Pensacola and Navarre beaches. It's a great spot to fish, swim and picnic, and it has several amenities including parking, restrooms, pavilions and beach showers.
Find the boat: ‘It was my dream to sail her back to the Keys’: The story behind derelict Opal Beach boat
Grab a signature Pensacola Beach drink
Pensacola Beach is home to more than a few signature drinks, but the Bushwacker might be the most famous. Here's what you should try:
Bushwacker
Where to get it: Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd.
What is it: It’s a rich, creamy, chocolatey concoction that features Kahlua, rum, creme de cacao, cream of coconut, milk and ice.
Crabs’ Bucket o’Rum
Where to get it: Crabs, 6 Casino Beach Boardwalk
What is it: The Bucket o’Rum is made with a blend of island rums and fruit juices. It comes in a plastic bucket that you can keep as a souvenir to remember your trip.
Tranquilizer
Where to get it: Casino Beach Bar, 41 Fort Pickens Road
What is it: Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, silver rum, real coconut purée, pineapple and orange juice topped with Myers’ dark rum finished with a nice dusting of fresh nutmeg.
Diesel Fuel
Where to get it: Flounder’s Chowder House, 800 Quietwater Beach Road
What is it: It is basically a double Long Island Ice Tea. It’s the Long Island Ice Tea’s bigger, stronger brother that you are a little afraid of. There are double shots of gin, rum, vodka and triple sec mixed with Coca Cola and sour mix. Pro tip: Ask for a souvenir glass to take one home.
The Shipwreck
Where to get it: Peg Leg Pete’s, 1010 Fort Pickens Road
What is it: The Shipwreck is a cocktail whose name aptly denotes the punch it packs. It has coconut rum, spiced rum and 151 rum mixed with orange juice, pineapple, Sprite and grenadine.
Frozen Cocktails
Where to get it: Bamboo Willie’s Beachside Bar, 400 Quietwater Road, Suite 14
What is it: Bamboo Willie’s is the home for frozen cocktails on Pensacola Beach, and you’ll find about a dozen flavors including the Bushwacker, pina colada, jungle juice, swampwater and more.
Upscale restaurants
Grand Marlin
400 Pensacola Beach Blvd.
When it comes to fine dining on the beach, The Grand Marlin has it all: panoramic waterfront views, an ever-changing menu based on locally caught fish, island cocktails and more.
Top 100 brunch restaurants: Grand Marlin Pensacola Beach recognized as Top 100 brunch restaurant in America
Drift
41 Fort Pickens Road, Floor 2
Drift touts itself as a modern coastal cuisine restaurant, which means that it serves creative seafood dishes, hot and cold small plates, prime steak and a robust cocktail menu. Drift is located just above Casino Beach Bar and Grille and offers a more upscale experience than its downstairs neighbor.
Island vibes
Shaggy’s Pensacola Beach
701 Pensacola Beach Blvd.
Shaggy’s is arguably the highest-rated restaurant on Pensacola Beach. It’s a family and dog-friendly restaurant that not only has great food and drinks but it has an atmosphere that embodies Pensacola Beach Vibes with an island-style ambiance, waterfront views and more.
Paradise Bar & Grill
21 Via de Luna Dr.
Paradise is an open-air bar that sits just behind Paradise Inn on the Santa Rosa Sound. Like Shaggy’s, Paradise does a fantastic job incorporating the beach into its identity, but it’s also one of the best places on the beach to catch live music.
St. Patrick's Day in Pensacola: Where to find parties, pub crawls and more
Quintessential Pensacola Beach Eats
Flounder's Chowder House
800 Quietwater Beach Road
Flounder's is one of those places you notice before you even realize what it is. Next to the restaurant, sits a huge shrimp boat that used to be run by the Flounder Family until it was retired in the late '90s. The decor is certainly eclectic with elements ranging from a nautical theme to confessional booths from a New Orleans church. The menu is extensive with the traditional seafood fare, including fish tacos, sushi, oysters, grouper and, of course, flounder. But they also have burgers, chicken and other items that would please even the pickiest palate.
Peg Leg Pete's
1010 Fort Pickens Road
Peg Leg Pete's has been a visitor favorite for decades, in part because they created an environment where tourists are treated as if they live here. That welcoming nature combined with fresh seafood offerings and a wildly popular oyster bar makes this one of the most beloved spots on Pensacola Beach.
March events in Pensacola: Here's 25 fun things to do this month
Crabs
6 Casino Beach Boardwalk
Located practically on the Pensacola Beach shore, Crabs is one of the best spots on the beach to enjoy a combination of the best Gulf Coast eats with a fresh salt air breeze. And once you're done enjoying the meal, head inside to check out the fresh water tank upstairs.
Casino Beach Bar and Grille
41 Fort Pickens Road
Casino Beach Bar and Grille is the "youngest" restaurant on the list but it has quickly become a local favorite. Sitting at the foot of the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier, their motto is "Where every day feels like vacation" and they certainly live up to it. The view is excellent and so is the food.
Sidelines Sport's Bar and Grill
2 Via De Luna Dr.
Sideline's Sport's Bar and Grill is one of the best places to simultaneously enjoy a game and the beach. There are nearly 40 TVs throughout the restaurant, a full-service bar, outdoor patio and more. Check them out on Thursday for wing night.
Water tours and rentals
Why celebrate by land when you could celebrate by sea? Boat tours and rentals are a great way to really soak up the atmosphere. You can rent everything from personal watercraft to pontoons, head out on a sunset or dolphin cruise and even gets a bird's eye view of the beach while parasailing.
Condor Sailing
Captain Kirk offers a unique sailing experience aboard the 40-foot Condor racing trimaran, Dare II, on beautiful Pensacola Bay. With only 21 Condors ever built, the Dare II is a world-class boat, spacious at 40 feet long and 28 feet wide.
The boat only accommodates a maximum of six guests, providing a relaxing and uncrowded atmosphere. Daily two-hour cruises are available at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and sunset, as well as Blue Angels practice cruises.
Passengers can explore the spacious side decks with comfortable seats and even dangle their feet in the water.
Learn more: www.condorsailingadventures.com
Best city?: Pensacola landed on another 'best cities to live in' list. See how we did:
Frisky Mermaid Dolphin Tours
Frisky Mermaid Dolphin Tours & Boat Rentals is a company dedicated to providing a memorable and enjoyable experience for all. Expert captains take passengers on semi-private or private dolphin tours, as well as three-hour snorkeling or secluded beach stop tours, which are available daily.
For those who prefer to create their own schedule, Frisky Mermaid offers boat rentals from their all-tritoon fleet, with rental periods ranging from four hours to seven days. Tritoons provide extra comfort and stability, handling waves better than a pontoon while at rest and cruising.
Learn more: www.friskyboattours.com
Jolly Sailing and Dolphin Cruise
Jolly Sailing offers cruises onboard the Jollymoon, a sporty, custom 27-foot American Mariner sailboat. Like Condor sailing, this boat carries six passengers though these cruises can range between two and four hours, and may include snorkeling. Sunset tours start at about $75 per person or $325 for a private cruise.
Learn more: jollysailing.com
Key Sailing
Established in 1974 and located in the heart of the Pensacola Beach at the Portofino Boardwalk, Key Sailing is renowned as the leading facility catering to water sport enthusiasts, and is conveniently accessible by trolley. The facility offers paddle-boarding, Hobie sailing, parasailing, Seadoo, kayaks, pontoon boat rentals and various other water sports activities.
Learn more: www.keysailing.com
Radical Rides
For the past 25 years, Radical Rides has been a family owned and operated business that provides watersports entertainment on Pensacola Beach. Radical Rides has grown to become one of the most popular watersports rental business on the beach and has received the News Journal’s "Best of the Bay" award numerous times. From parasails, personal watercraft, kayaks, paddle boards or pontoon boats, Radical Rides offers it all.
Learn more: https://radicalrides.com/waverunner/.
Miscellaneous activities
No matter how much fun the beach can be, sometimes you just need a break from the water. Fortunately, there are two places that keep the fun going with mini golf, go karts and more.
UFO’s Pensacola Beach
2 Via De Luna Dr.
UFO’s on the beach is a mini golf course and arcade based on the infamous Gulf Breeze UFO sighting that happened in the late '80s. A local contractor claimed to have photographic evidence of a UFO sighting. While it was ultimately proven to be a hoax, the theme has stuck around.
The mini golf course recently reopened after closing for renovations. Patrons can spend time playing arcade games like Halo: Fireteam Raven and air hockey, plus there's ice cream, shakes and more.
Learn more: www.ufospensacolabeach.com
Laguna's Beach Bar + Grill
460 Pensacola Beach Blvd.
Laguna's Beach Bar and Grill is a little bit of everything — literally.
You'll find family-friendly activities, exceptional cuisine and ice-cold drinks. The establishment boasts a 600-foot stretch of pristine beachfront, featuring tikis and Adirondack chairs and offers attractions like go-karts, a three-story ropes course, a splash pad, four 30-foot tall clip n' climb climbing structures, zip rail, parasailing, jet ski rentals, pontoon boat rentals, dolphin cruises and more.
The restaurant also offers an array of entertainment options, including live music every weekend during the summer, the only brick-oven pizza kitchen on the island and TVs for games. Guests can also indulge in unique menu items and Fat Tuesday frozen drinks.
Learn more: lagunaspensacolabeach.com
Explore the rest of Pensacola
A decade and some change ago, local entrepreneurs made a massive push to revitalize Downtown Pensacola. It's grown so much that we've been listed, year after year, as one of the top cities to live in throughout Florida and the country as a whole.
We couldn't possibly include everything to check out, but here's a few links to continue your exploration:
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola Beach Florida spring break 2023: Things to do, eat and drink
