WHAT IS IT?
Enjoy the sun and waves at Pensacola Beach, and get a new view on marine life on the 1,471-foot-long Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier.
AMONG PIERS
The Pensacola Beach Fishing Pier was rebuilt in 2001. When opened, it was the longest in the Gulf Coast, according to Baskerville Donovan Inc., the firm that designed the new pier. Florida’s current longest fishing pier at Navarre Beach—just 17 miles west of the Pensacola pier along Santa Rosa Island—is 1,545 feet long.
LOCAL HISTORY
The first bridges connecting Pensacola and Pensacola Beach opened in 1931. Much of the area around the pier is still referred to as Casino Beach, after the Pensacola Beach Casino that opened in 1931. The first iteration of the Gulf Pier, a 1,200-foot pier, opened around the same time, according to The Pulse Pensacola.
PIER FISHING
With the pier stretching out into deeper waters, anglers can get a taste of deeper sea fishing. Cobia, pompano, and king and Spanish mackerel are a few types of fish caught from the pier. Bring your own rods and gear or rent from any of the shops near the base of the pier.
WHEN TO GO
When is the sun out? Pensacola Beach has average high temperatures above 70 degrees nine months of the year, and above 60 degrees year-round. Most people come during the peak of summer. Avoid crowds by visiting in October and November.
MORE INFO
The pier is at 41 Fort Pickens Road No. 2005, Pensacola Beach, FL 32561. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/ubbnwh2.