This alluring coastal state park protects the 247-acre barrier island of the same name, a windblown, sand-strewn landscape of rolling dunes, tufts of beach grass and the soft bending sea oats that give the region such an unmistakable allure.
Perdido Key State Park
Gulf Coast
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
National Naval Aviation Museum
10.3 MILES
A visit to Pensacola is not complete without a trip to this enormous collection of military aircraft muscle and artifacts. Adults and children alike will…
Gulf Islands National Seashore
27.09 MILES
The highlight of the Florida Panhandle, this 150-mile stretch of mostly undeveloped white-sand beach is a prime example of what the Gulf Coast looked like…
Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge
21.25 MILES
Centuries ago, salt-lashed oak forest, inundated coastal prairie and great quilts of sawgrass covered the Gulf Coast. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge…
4.04 MILES
Get a taste of the wilds on the Panhandle at Big Lagoon, a quilt of salt marshes, pine forest, bays, ponds and beaches, all interconnected by boardwalks…
Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park
6.53 MILES
This fascinating park preserves ecosystems that run from wet prairie to sandy shoreline to the eponymous Tarkiln Bayou, an eerie, alluring spill of dark…
Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
23.55 MILES
This reserve seeks to protect the wetlands that spread between Mobile and Weeks Bay, an ecological smorgasboard ranging from salt marsh to flooded swamp…
Fort Barrancas & Advanced Redoubt
10.59 MILES
On a dramatic bluff overlooking Pensacola Bay, 19th-century Fort Barrancas was built by slaves atop an abandoned 18th-century Spanish fort. The fort, now…
17.02 MILES
Pensacola's rich colonial history spans more than 450 years. This fascinating and attractive village is a self-contained enclave of photogenic historic…
Nearby Gulf Coast attractions
4.04 MILES
Get a taste of the wilds on the Panhandle at Big Lagoon, a quilt of salt marshes, pine forest, bays, ponds and beaches, all interconnected by boardwalks…
5.62 MILES
Part of Gulf State Park, this beach, located just west of the Florida border, is usually a little more quiet than other local stretches of sand. It's…
3. Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park
6.53 MILES
This fascinating park preserves ecosystems that run from wet prairie to sandy shoreline to the eponymous Tarkiln Bayou, an eerie, alluring spill of dark…
9.65 MILES
Be on the lookout for ghosts of past lighthouse keepers as you climb the 177 steps of this 160ft, 1859 lighthouse, rumored to be haunted. The views are…
5. National Naval Aviation Museum
10.3 MILES
A visit to Pensacola is not complete without a trip to this enormous collection of military aircraft muscle and artifacts. Adults and children alike will…
10.48 MILES
Part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, this 1834 historic fort perched at the western extent of the Santa Rosa barrier island has survived wars and…
7. Fort Barrancas & Advanced Redoubt
10.59 MILES
On a dramatic bluff overlooking Pensacola Bay, 19th-century Fort Barrancas was built by slaves atop an abandoned 18th-century Spanish fort. The fort, now…
12.39 MILES
If you're looking for a more natural beach experience in Gulf Shores, consider Gulf State Park. There are 2 miles of beach here, as well as a nature…