The Gulf Islands National Seashore is a chain of barrier islands stretching from Fort Walton Beach in Florida to Ship Island in Mississippi, and the Pensacola section is one of the finest stretches. The eastern end of Santa Rosa Island, within the national seashore boundary, is essentially undeveloped — just the beach, the dunes, the sea oats, and the Gulf.
The sand here is extraordinary: bright white quartz washed down from the Appalachian mountains over millennia, fine enough to squeak when you walk on it, cool to the touch even in August sun. The water is clear and ranges from bright turquoise over the shallows to deep green further out. In summer the Gulf is warm and calm, ideal for swimming.
The Fort Pickens area on the western tip of the seashore section is worth exploring separately — a 19th-century masonry fort, an artillery battery from both World Wars, and a campground right on the water. The seven-mile paved road to Fort Pickens is a good cycling route. Day-use passes are required for vehicles; pedestrians and cyclists enter free.