Which Beach is Better Destin or Pensacola?

Which Beach is Better Destin or Pensacola?

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Florida has always been my dream destination during vacations because of the numerous activities and things to see.

While hurricane makes me cringe when I remember Florida, it has not stopped me from

visiting places like Pensacola

and Destin.

Regarding Destin and Pensacola, I have always picked interested in their beaches.

Which

beach is better Destin

or Pensacola?

Destin is a famous destination along the Emerald Coast with

clear blue green waters and silky white sand just like that of Pensacola beach

.

However,

Destin and Pensacola

have obvious differences in visitor density and traffic.

Which beach is better Destin or Pensacola?

Compared to

Pensacola beach

, Destin is a more crowded and ‘tourist-kind’ of location.

Aside from this, you can also do more amazing things in this place.

Pensacola Beach offers visitors a smaller area

and less crowded spot with fewer things to do.

Regardless, Pensacola beach is an ideal spot to have a relaxing vacation.

Generally, the decision on where you should go is based on personal preference.

Personally, here are a few reasons Pensacola is a better option:

·       

Gulf Islands National Seashore Fort Pickens Pensacola

Pensacola Beach is located at the end of the  long stretches of protected Gulf

Islands National Seashore.

You have the Fort Pickens recreation area at the west of the town and the Santa Rosa area (including Opal Beach) at the east.

The Gulf seashore lines these two vast park areas providing residents and visitors a long list of options to find their private spot on the sugary white sand.

There is also the limitation of any further development in the beach as there are protected areas.

This means that

Pensacola beach

will still maintain its small town charm for a long period.

·       

The Navy’s Blue Angels

The Navy’s Blue Angels is officially known as the U.

S Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron and is housed by Pensacola bay.

Every year in July, Pensacola beach hosts the Blue Angels in a show, and this is the period where you’ll get to see the town operating in its maximum capacity.

Also, the year’s last show is hosted every number over Naval Air Station Pensacola.

·       

All the beaches, half the crowds

In Destin, a surprisingly large number of people even during the low season or off-season.

The crowd in this place is even far worse during the summer, similar to Panama City.

Some people go on vacations to avoid crowds and just relax.

Navarre Beach is the sleepiest beach with a few hotels, restaurants and no traffic.

However, Pensacola beach is the perfect laid-back beach with just the right amount of mall, locally owned shops, restaurants and nightlife options.

Unlike the mega-resorts, mini golf courses, and big box stores that Destin and Panama City offer, there is a perfect balance of elbow room and amenities in Pensacola beach.

Are Pensacola beaches as nice as Destin?

The beaches, which lie along the panhandle, are undoubtedly nice.

Some of their features include:

  1. Whiter and softer sand

  2. Beautiful emerald waters.

Destin and Pensacola are quite similar

but Pensacola has a more natural feel with its areas of undeveloped beaches between PCola Beach and Navarre or Ft.

Destin and Pensacola Beach are both located on The Emerald Coast

The Emerald coast is so called because of its glistening emerald green waters, making this area quite popular.

These emerald green

waters extend from Pensacola beach

on its western boundary to Panama City beach, located towards the east with Destin in the center.

Its emerald green color is due to the pure sugar white sand, which is quartz Crystal.

Years ago, this sand was washed down into the gulf from the Appalachian during the last Ice Age and was then ground up into its powder white form by tidal action over eons of time.

Through the clear water, this sugar sand bottom reflects the rays from the sunlight and emits a vibrant green color.

Both places court tourists with accommodations

While there are accommodation options available

in both Destin and

Pensacola beach, the amount of vacation rentals is quite limited in Pensacola Beach.

This is because Pensacola beach is located on a very narrow barrier island between the open gulf and Santa Rosa Sound, which is the intercoastal waterway.

Regardless, it remains home to the five tallest condo towers between Mobile

and Tallahassee

.

During Hurricane Fredrick, Hurricane Ivan and Hurricane Dennis this barrier island was damaged severely.

Over the years, it has continually been built up.

A few restaurants and bars are located on Santa Rosa Sound and the gulf.

Next to the Pensacola

beach gulf pier is the main

hub which has a very large parking lot at a pavilion with volleyball courts, snack bars and beach shops.

On this pier extending 1,470 linear feet into the gulf, visitors pay for a daily pass to go fishing.

My Verdict: Destin Vs.

Pensacola

Destin and Pensacola

beaches are located in Northwest Florida on the panhandle

of the sunshine state.

This is referred to as the forgotten coast because of how the beaches have only just been recently discovered by vacationers, unlike the rest of Florida.

In the 1920s,snowbirds and vacationers discovered other parts of

Florida and constructed rail lines to make those beaches accessible from New York

.

  Over the years, these places have gone through a series of developments.

In the 1970s,

Disney World

introduced vacationers to central Florida near Orlando.

At these periods,

Pensacola beach

and Destin were still very unpopular and frequently overlooked.

I will say that Destin is more crowded, but more appealing to tourists.

You have many things to do here.

Pensacola Beach is smaller with fewer things to do.

FAQs


Is the water in Pensacola as clear as Destin?

In Pensacola and Destin, you can find sparkling clear blue green waters and amazing silky white sand.

This is also quite common in all of the Emerald Coast towns.

Is Pensacola Beach water clear?

Pensacola Beach has crystal clear waters that attract environmentalists, beach lovers, and fishing enthusiasts.

Is Pensacola a white sand beach?

Pensacola Beach has emerald-green waters and sugar-white sands.

 

 

ABOUT ME

Born & raised amidst the gators and orange groves of Florida, I’ve waded through the Everglades and braved the dizzying heights of Orlando’s roller coasters.

About Us Jeff from TravelMagma

But FL is just the beginning of my adventures.

I’ve journeyed far and wide. Yet, it was the serene beauty of Japan that truly captured my heart.

I even wrote my own little
Caribbean Guide.

But…

My 2nd book “Things I Wish I Knew Before Going to Japan” became a bestseller, a guide filled with wisdom:

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