Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier is the pinnacle of Pensacola. If you want the real Gulf Coast experience,…read morethis is the spot. The pier stretches about 1,471 feet out into the Gulf, and the water is so clear you can see straight down like you're looking through glass. Schools of fish cruise by, anglers line the rails pulling up mackerel and pompano, and every once in a while you'll see something bigger glide through the blue. I've seen rays, sharks, and more fish than I could count swimming right below my feet. It feels like standing above a living aquarium. The original pier here dates back to the 1930s, but the modern one was rebuilt stronger in 1998 after storms took the earlier versions. Today it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year, and it's easy to see why. The beach is bright white, the water is emerald green, and the whole place has that laid-back Gulf magic. Walk the boards, feel the breeze, Watch the Gulf roll with ease, Fish below and sky above, Simple place you can't help but love. For me, this pier wasn't just a stop it was the highlight of the whole trip.

Yes, you need to pay to walk the pier. $2.25 per person. Seven dollars if you plan on fishing. Tons…read moreof people fishing off the pier. Lots of strict fishing rules so the pier didn't smell fishy and it was very clean. A fun walk to the end and back. The view of the beach is great.

(May 22, 2024) I highly recommend this 2 hours dolphin and…read morebay cruise excursion. If you're staying on Pensacola Beach, it's a super easy drive and park situation. Park near Felix's restaurant and enter downstairs under Felix's. There is a little ramp that takes you to the bay side where you catch the boat. No signs mark the area, but you will see others waiting in the area. These are most likely your fellow boaters. They suggest you arrive 45 minutes prior to departure. Our tour was scheduled for 10:00 AM; we arrived at 9:20 AM. The wait is easy with the beautiful scenery are lovely breeze. There are tables and chairs to sit at while waiting. The boat came out of the bay to get us, so don't be surprised if you don't see a boat when you first arrive. You will walk in the sand for a short distance before taking the pier to get onto the boat. A gentleman will take your last name that you made the reservations under, so you don't need tickets to show the reservation. The guys can help you on the boat if needed. The boat is a double decker. The lower area is shaded with large 3-3-1/2' port type widows which are open for a great breeze and maximum viewing. The captain will briefly go over safety instructions and what to do in case of an emergency. This is standard procedure on any chartered vessel. Don't be late! We had a group of 4 board at the last minute so all the instructions they missed had to be restated. Very annoying and rude, so don't be THAT person/group. You must stay seated while leaving the pier, but after you leave, you are free to roam the vessel. All seats are around the perimeter of the boat and each side of the boat has 7 windows. There's plenty of room for viewing. The captain does a great job of turning the boat so everyone gets to see the dolphins no matter which side you are seated. They sell canned sodas, bottles water and chips; no alcohol. There are plenty of grab bars to steady yourself once the boat gets going. It was a very smooth ride. Even when fishing boats went by us and created wake, we didn't feel much at all. I don't think anyone would have trouble with sea sickness. There is plenty of room for strollers, adult walkers, etc. No restrictions on purses. Several people had diaper bags for the kids and backpacks. There is a restroom onboard. We saw several pods of dolphin. It was a so neat how they come very close to the boat. Dylan/Dillion, of the boat hands, was so good at engaging with our group. Though he is young (born in 2001), he has been in Pensacola all his life and is very knowledgeable about the dolphins and the history of Pensacola. He was a pleasure to meet. After the dolphin viewing we took a cruise around the entire bay. We saw Ft. Pickens, the haunted lighthouse, million dollar homes, the military base area and so much more. I wasn't expecting the cruise to be as much fun as the dolphin viewing. They played reggae music while we cruised. I'm so glad we decided to do this tour! We were returned to the same area we left originally. For only $30 (plus taxes/fees and not including cancellation insurance you can add), this was a great deal! The vessel staff work for tips, so please remember to take care of them.

Great Experience. Little confusing finding the dock where we board. Had a great time. Saw plenty of…read moredolphins. Crew were super laid back and chil. I would recommend.

Cute strip of sand for the doggos A little difficult to find at first. Our dogs enjoyed their time…read morein the sand and water.

Dogs had a great time ! Would return! Beautiful views and very nice people. Restaurants near by and…read morealso a walking trail

Captain MJ was FANTASTIC!!! She did a great job in getting us to where the dolphins were located,…read moregave great tidbits of information on dolphins, city, legends, history etc. all along the way. We even tracked down the legendary 'Half Tail' and got to spend some quality time around him. Great pictures all along the way. Capt MJ is HIGHLY recommended - very personable and professional! Super experience. Thank you Capt MJ!

Very disappointed, boarded the boat that I was reserved with, then was told that it was a private…read moreBooking. The Thompson's . They went out but we did not on the back up boat. We went upstairs to have dinner at Shaggy's and that was even more disappointing. Skies cleared and it was obvious that the private boat was more important . Stopped here on purpose for the great revues. Makes me so sad. Please do better! We live close enough and are asked for recommendations . I understand that safety is imperative. But when other ships sailed and we didn't.......

I have been a customer with Beach Bum for years and have stayed in numerous properties and my…read moreextended family has as well. This particular year, I had a reservation with them, and my 17-year old daughter was hospitalized a few days prior to my check in (UNEXPECTANTLY). I notified them and made them aware of the situation and that her doctors did not authorize her for travel upon her release from the hospital. Stephanie said, well, that's too bad, you should have gotten trip insurance because we cannot refund your payment or push your reservation to another time. SO, if you are considering EVER using this company, know that they will NOT give you a refund of 100%....it will be 50%, doesn't even matter if it is for a DEATH in your family. They just do not care why OR about you. So, do not book with this company unless, a.) you get trip insurance OR b.) you have so much money that you don't care that you lose thousands of dollars. Note: At no point during the booking process was travel insurance mentioned, offered, or recommended--something that could have made a significant difference in how this was handled. Only after I requested a change due to my daughter's hospitalization was insurance brought up, which felt reactionary rather than proactive.

Don't book with them, they will let you book and then call and say, you have to stay longer or…read morechange your days. Total BS.

Jason was amazing! He made us feel completely safe. He went through all the instructions and made…read moreeach person feel comfortable. Would definitely recommend!

Friendly and attentive staff. We did jet ski one day and parasailing the next. Jet skis ran perfect…read morewith plenty of room to really get going. We had cpt Matt and Joe as our boat crew for parasailing and they made it a great ride with plenty of jokes and conversation.

So much fun!!!! Emily, Lucas, and Philip were the best! Will definitely recommend to friends!read more

This was such a fun experience and we saw so many animals around us! We ended up going at 7:30 and…read moreeveryone was so nice, our workers ( mackenzie, jacie, salome) were super kind people!

from the minute we arrived we were well taken care of! assistance with loading gear, boarding and a…read morevery clear explanation and demonstration of how to properly manage the boat! Extra kudos to Hunter for a job well done! I highly recommend Key Sailing for your water sport needs!

The kids that run the place are great, but the boat wasn't nice. I even asked the kid if there was…read moreanother boat available but he said there wasn't. I was taking two ladies out for the afternoon and the seats were repaired by duct tape and pretty moldy. They were one of the lessor expensive rentals on the beach, I guess we know why.