Perdido Key State Park Beach - Florida

Address:Perdido Key, Florida

While you may need a magnifying glass to find Perdido Key State Park Beach on a map, you wont have to look far to understand its wide appeal. Just a dot of an island on the Gulf of Mexico, 247 acre Perdido Key located 15 miles southwest of Pensacola is big in beauty and big in popularity. Eco-tourists, sun-worshipers, sandcastlers, and hardy fishermen meet on the Perdido Key State Park sands and agree on at least one thing: Perdido Key State Park is spectacular. With fine white sand, drifty dunes, and emerald waters that glitter in the mid-day sun, Perdido Key State Park Beach is one of Florida's coastal jewels. Wear your hiking boots with your swimming trunks—true, you might have to answer to the fashion police, but you will need both to fully enjoy the barrier island's parks and preserves. Widely considered one of the top swimming beaches in the U.S., Perdido Key consistently ranks high on Dr. Beach's Best Beaches lists. But the place also has that al natural appeal: Perdido Key State Beach is famous for its untamed wildlife, home to a wide range of coastal animals and birds. Kayak around the Perdido Key State Park bays, estuaries, coves, and wetlands, then enjoy a well deserved dinner at one of the best seafood restaurants on the Gulf Coast. Even after you have filled your belly and feasted your eyes, Perdido Key State Park Beach will leave you hungry for more.

More than sixty percent of Perdido Key Island Beach, a barrier island habitat, is preserved and protected land. Monarch butterflies flit through the air resting on October flower and goldenrod. Osprey swoop across the skies, loggerhead turtles trek across the sands, and dolphins dodge the waves. Be ready to share the shore with the birds—the Perdido Key State Park sands attract migratory and shore birds along with the choosiest of beach bumming tourists.

While the air fills with the calls and caws of your feathered friends, sit back and dig your heels into the soft Perdido Key sands or stroll the shorelines keeping you eyes peeled for conch and mollusk shells. Warm Gulf currents and crystal clear water at Perdido Key State Park Beach make it the ideal Florida spot for a spree of swimming, body surfing, and snorkeling. With miles of sea-oat covered dunes and white flat sands, your sandcastle creations will remain standing until high tide; the Perdido Key State Park beaches are never chaotic or crowded.

If your belly starts rumbling after a hard day at work on your tan, you can use your fishing rod or credit card to secure a tasty fish dinner; surf fishing is as popular as the Perdido Key seafood restaurants are busy. Of course, there are always the covered picnic tables (complete with grills) for those who prefer the bring-your-own-bag-lunch dining option. And if you just can't bear the thought of leaving this little island paradise, Perdido Key State Park Beach offers RV and tent camping. Just a quick drive from Pensacola, Florida off of State Road 292, Perdido Key State Park Beach proves that worn out, but nevertheless true, saying—great things really do come in small packages!