Pensacola Beach
We love Pensacola Beach and we hope you do too! Here is some important info about beach rules and safety to ensure you have a great visit.
We all love the crystal clear calm waters of the emerald coast, but they aren't always calm. And sometimes even when they are fairly calm, there can be dangerous rip tides present. Please be mindful of surf conditions and always check the flags. The Pensacola Beach Lifeguards Facebook page is a great place to check for flag conditions. They post them every morning.​
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Remember, if you are ever caught in a rip current, do not swim against it (don't swim toward the shore); remain calm and swim parallel to the shore to get out of it. Find more info here.
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Enjoy the Beach Safely
Here you will find an explanation of all flag conditions. Please follow the guidelines. Also know that there are plenty of life jackets of all sizes in the garage that you are more than welcome to use.
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Help yourself to any of the items in the garage. Please return them to the garage after use (especially cornhole, because when the sprinklers come on and/or it rains, they don’t do well; new solid wood cornhole boards are being delivered mid-July). If you use the grill, take it out of the garage (there are grill tools in the kitchen) and return it to the garage when you’re done.
You are welcome to use any of the beach toys as well (boards, etc.). Please check Pensacola Beach Lifeguards Facebook page for flag conditions, and use life jackets provided (we have just about any size life jacket you need in the garage). If using standup paddleboard, be sure to use attached leash, and keep track of paddle.You can also go over to the sound side if the gulf is rough. Baby Beach is the closest access (see map below). User of outdoor items assumes liability.
Tennis and Basketball: There are tennis rackets and tennis balls in the garage, and there should be a basketball as well. There are public courts that you can use at Cowley Park which is just a block away at Avenida 18. They do have lights you can turn on as well if you’re playing in the evening.
Pensacola Beach Rules & Ordinances
​Our beaches provide an oasis for relaxing, enjoying recreational activities and creating lasting memories.
In an effort to ensure your beach experience is “sun”sational, we have the following rules in place.
1. Remember to keep hydrated in the summer heat but…
Please don’t take any glass containers on the beach.
2. Enjoy swimming all day on green or yellow flags but…
Please don’t swim or wade on red or double red flags.
3. Check out our two dog parks but…
Please don’t take dogs on the beach, unless in the two designated dog parks.
4. Have fun with some music but…
Please don’t run generators on the beach or disobey the noise ordinance.
5. Take advantage of grilling facilities at Park West but…
Please don’t have open flames or grills anywhere on beach.
6. Stake out your own area on the beach but…
Please don’t leave personal items or trash on the beach at the end of the day.
(Sea turtles could become trapped)
(AND PLEASE FILL IN ANY HOLES YOU DIG SO PEOPLE AREN'T INJURED*)
7. Get to the gulf by the footpaths and walkways but…
Please don’t walk on the dunes and sea oats.
8. Get around the island by car if you like…
but please STOP for pedestrians; it’s the law. Florida law requires vehicles to stop for pedestrians on crosswalks.
9. Bicycling around the island is very popular…
so please watch for bicycles sharing the road. Cyclists use our multi-purpose paths or roads depending on their speed. Cars should pass cyclists safely with a minimum of 3 feet clearance.
For links to complete ordinances, please visit https://visitpensacolabeach.com/beach-rules/ and click on the links at the bottom of the page.
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* Added by page author, not sure if it's an ordinance but too many people have actually been injured falling in holes that people dug and failed to fill in, especially when walking on the beach once the sun has set. No one wants to ruin their beach visit with a sprained ankle (or worse) - please fill in the holes.
Sea Turtles
If you’re visiting Pensacola Beach during sea turtle nesting season, which runs from May to October, you may have the opportunity to see sea turtles nesting on the beach. Sea turtles are a protected species, and it’s illegal to disturb their nests or to approach them while they are nesting. The Gulf Islands National Seashore, which encompasses the Pensacola Beach area, has a sea turtle monitoring program. which works to monitor sea turtle nesting activity and to protect nesting sites, as well as educate the public about sea turtle conservation and the importance of protecting their habitat.
Every spring beginning in May, Loggerhead, Green, Kemp’s Ridley, and, on rare occasions, Leatherback sea turtles, choose Pensacola Beach for nesting, and about 55 to 60 days later, the babies are ready to hatch.
Hatchling season runs through the end of October on Pensacola Beach, with the height of hatching in August and September.
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Sea Turtles are one of the few animals that eat sea grass, which helps to maintain healthy seagrass beds. These beds provide a habitat for marine animals, such as fish and crustaceans. Sea turtles also help control the jellyfish population, which can be a nuisance to swimmers. Did you know that only about 1 in 1,000 hatchlings will survive to adulthood? That’s why it’s so important to always be respectful and considerate of nesting sea turtles and hatchlings to ensure that future generations get to enjoy them too.
When walking the beach at night during turtle season, remember to use a red flashlight. We have red flashlights in the drawers to the right of the stove. Sea turtles and hatchlings are less likely to be attracted and disoriented by red lighting. Never touch or harass a nesting sea turtle or baby hatchlings as they leave their nest. Watch quietly from a distance and never shine lights or use flash photography, which could disorient them.
If you see a sea turtle or hatchling that is sick, injured, in distress or deceased, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission 24-hour hotline at 888-404-3922.
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Sources: visitpensacolabeach.com, and pensacolabeach.com