Pensacola Beach, Coastal community on Santa Rosa Island, Florida, US.

Pensacola Beach occupies Santa Rosa Island, a barrier island bordered by the Gulf of Mexico to the south and Santa Rosa Sound and Pensacola Bay to the north, with the Gulf Islands National Seashore to the east and west. Its shoreline is pale, smooth sand sloping to the waterline, where dark seaweed and small debris collect and a line of white foam curves along the edge. Low buildings line the horizon behind the beach. Near the sand stands a white dome-shaped structure with two oval window openings, a curved band of dark panels at its base, and a smaller cylindrical structure with an open circular top beside it.

The first European settlement was established in the 16th century by Spanish explorers who shaped the area's early development. In the 19th century, multiple forts were constructed to protect the bay and its strategic importance.

Casino Beach takes its name from the Casino Resort that stood on the site, where beauty pageants, fishing tournaments and boxing matches were staged from the 1930s until the resort closed in the 1960s. The Gulfside Pavilion there now hosts the summer concert series Bands on the Beach, and the adjacent Gulf Pier, 445 metres long, is used for fishing and for watching dolphins and rays.

The area offers good accessibility with paved walkways along the beaches and several parking areas for visitors. During warm months, a free shuttle service runs between different beach sections and attractions.

Fort Pickens, finished in 1834 at the western tip of Santa Rosa Island, stayed in military use until World War II, when modern weapons made coastal defenses like it obsolete. It now lies within Gulf Islands National Seashore and charges an entrance fee; paid campsites are also available.