Pensacola Bay

Pensacola, Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key make up the Pensacola Bay Area, which blends the influences of outstanding beach, military intrigue, arts, nature and history to create a many-faceted destination with something for everyone. From sky to sea, there's much to see and do here. Overhead, the Blue Angels practice from mid-March to mid-November (watch from the viewing area at the National Naval Aviation Museum). History dominates at street level. Take a guided tour of 19th-century homes and the 1832 Old Christ Church at Historic Pensacola Village, or stroll beneath the oaks to the wooden gazebo at Seville Square. Local events in Pensacola range from seafood festivals to holiday fetes and historical reenactments. There's ample water sports activity and classic beach fun to be had along Quietwater Beach Boardwalk and on the barrier island of Perdido Key, which features several world-renowned parks including Perdido Key State Park, Big Lagoon State Park and Johnson Beach at Gulf Islands National Seashore. For divers, the world's largest artificial reef, retired aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, lies just offshore.