We love Pensacola Beach for its beautiful white sand and emerald waters of the Gulf. Most importantly, it is quiet, peaceful and safe. We had looked throughout the Panhandle of Florida for a second home, and the other beach towns were just too crowded. We didn't want to wait two hours at a restaurant to be seated or get up early just to secure a spot on the beach. The Portofino is three miles from the Boardwalk, where all of the beachfront restaurants and gift shops are with traveling accommodations by way of water (on the Portofino 1), or by trolley. It is also the last resort on the eastern end of Pensacola Beach, with twelve miles of un-touched National Seashore which provides the perfect backdrop for a vigorous run, casual walk or a fun bike ride along the paved unobstructed beachfront. If golf is your game there are plenty of nice courses in the area with the closest being Tiger Point Golf Club located directly across the bay from Portofino! With the convenience of a large city, Pensacola, just over the 3 mile bridge, provides plenty of things to do with its Historic Downtown, Pensacola Naval Air Station, the Aquarium, golf courses, and Cordova Mall. And if you need to take a break from the sun for a day, outlet malls in Destin are only 45 minutes away.