Pensacola Beach is an unincorporated community located on Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island, in Escambia County, Florida, United States. It is situated south of Pensacola, connected via bridges spanning to the Fairpoint Peninsula and then to the island, on the Gulf of Mexico. As of the 2000 census, the community had a total population of 2,738.
Pensacola Beach occupies land bound by a 1947 deed from the United States Department of Interior that it be administered in the public interest by the county or leased, but never "disposed"; its businesses and residents are thus long-term leaseholders and not property owners.[1]
Francisco Maldonado, a lieutenant [2] under Conquistador Hernando de Soto, visited the area during the early Spanish exploration of North America. He anchored in Pensacola Bay for the winter of 1539–1540.[3][4]
In 1559, Don Tristan de Luna y Arellano led the first settlement of the region.[2][2] anchored in the bay and established its colony on the site of today's Naval Air Station Pensacola. A hurricane decimated the colony a few weeks later, killing hundreds and sinking 5 ships.[2] Suffering long-term famine and fighting, this first settlement was finally abandoned in 1561.[2] A presidio was constructed on Santa Rosa Island in 1722 near the location of the more recent Fort Pickens. Hurricanes in 1741 and 1752[3] forced its relocation to the mainland. His 11 ships, with 1500 settlers,
Pensacola Beach is located at 
As a community located on a low-lying barrier island, Pensacola Beach is extremely vulnerable to hurricanes. Landfalling storms frequently drive storm surge over large portions of the island, damaging or destroying manmade structures and causing significant beach erosion. 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 devastated 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; DennisNavarre Beach. made landfall between the city and east-end
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. You'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.
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