Red Fish Blue Fish
5B Via De Luna Drive Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 (850) 677-8899
Strike a Deal on Your Next Vacation to Pensacola: Tips for a Budget Friendly Trip
There really is nothing like a beach vacation to renew, recharge and reinvigorate your soul, and it doesn’t have to be an ultra-indulgent affair. You don’t have to break the bank to experience a memorable Pensacola Beach vacation. On our Gulf Coast, the natural, beautiful stuff really is free. It costs absolutely nothing to embrace the salty warmth of a beach sunset.
As for the rest of your visit to our coast, with careful planning, there are ways to pinch a few pennies while still getting to enjoy the same luxuries we know and love in the Greater Pensacola area. The key: vacation like a local!
From tanning on white-sanded beaches to exploring parks and trails to feasting on freshly-caught seafood, Pensacola offers plenty to see and do. To maximize your time and wallet, here are a few budget-friendly ideas for your next affordable beach vacation to Pensacola!
Places to Stay
We know one of the number one perks of a trip to Pensacola is the beach views, but those come at a cost. If you’re looking to save a little, it’s a short and effortless hop to the beaches from the Pensacola mainland — especially if you leave early. There are plenty of hotels near Pensacola International Airport, along the I-10 corridor and on North Davis Highway that have all the amenities you need and are conveniently located close to everything … including our beaches! Check out a list a comprehensive list here!
Another great tip is to come during our “off season”. Typical high season is Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend, but us locals know shoulder seasons provide mild temperatures, events, and less crowds. Try and avoid spring break and you should be set!
If you are staying off the beach, be aware of timing to make sure you don’t hit traffic. The locals seem to all go at the same time: 11-2 pm. This can lead to backed up traffic on the Chappie James Bridge that spans Pensacola Bay as well as the Theo Baars Bridge to Perdido Key. Instead, pack up the kids and cruise across the bridges earlier in the morning. That way you can have your pick of beaches and parking areas on Pensacola Beach and/or Perdido Key to find a nice spacious spot in the sugar white sands.
Good Eats that Don’t Break the Bank
By the time everyone is tuckered out from a day spent at Pensacola Beach, grab a bite to eat at a local joint that won’t break the bank. Try these great-food-at-great prices locales.
Pensacola Beach
Crabs We Got ‘Em, Red Fish Blue Fish, Shaggy’s Pensacola Beach for fresh seafood options. Hop in Cafe NOLA for some mouthwatering Louisiana cookin’ on Pensacola Beach. Yep, there’s pizza and burger options too - try Papa's Pizza at Pensacola Beach Boardwalk or slide east to Paradise Bar and Grille for the best burgers on the beach — with a no-frills backdrop on Santa Rosa Sound.
Learn More
Papa’s Pizza
400 Quietwater Boardwalk Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 (850) 934-1198
Shaggy’s Pensacola Beach
701 Pensacola Beach Blvd Pensacola Beach, FL 32561 (850) 934-4852
Downtown Pensacola
The Garden at Palafox and Main is a fun local outdoor, covered food truck hall that offers tons of options. This is a great place to go if you have people in your party looking to try different things or picky eaters. If you’re craving southern comfort food, Five Sisters Blues Café is the place to go for fried chicken, grits, and other fairs. Other favorites of mine include Graffiti Pizza, Hub Stacey’s for the best sandwiches in town, and doghouse deli.
Shop for Your Snacks
Ditch dining and opt for an outdoor picnic instead! Shoreline Foods International Deli, perched on Main Street, is an ideal spot to pick up some amazing deli items to go so you can hold a beach picnic. And if seafood is your game, the world-famous Joe Patti’s Seafood is nearby where you can pick a pound of peppered shrimp and more. They’ll even steam it for you! Pensacola has two Everman’s Cooperative Grocery & Café
stores – downtown Pensacola on Garden Street and in north Pensacola on E. Nine Mile Rd. – both of which offer a self-serve hot and cold food bar, a full delicatessen with a sandwich station, and plenty of healthy snack options to grab and go on the fly!
Ever’man Cooperative Grocery and Café
315 West Garden Street Pensacola, FL 32502 (850) 438-0402
Joe Patti’s Seafood & Amangiati Gourmet Wine Shop
524 South B Street Pensacola, FL 32501 (850) 432-3315
Food Truck Nirvana
Pensacola’s food truck game is strong. We even have a festival for it, where trucks, many of them offshoots of local restaurants and others, bespoke creations, compete for the top food truck title. But our local breweries have a food truck up their sleeves. You can sample some local brews and then some really amazing local food creations.
The Hip Pocket Deli is often parked at Gary’s Brewery and Biergarten off Gulf Beach Highway. Misu Streetfood often can be found at Odd Colony Brewery, and just down the street, Tacos Mexicanos serves up authentic street cuisine in Perfect Plain Brewery on Garden Street. My favorite is the Brown Bagger, serving up smashed Wagyu burgers and amazing fried Brussel sprouts at Alga Brewery. Just up the street, What the Cluck Chicken Truck is often stationed at the locally famous Wisteria Tavern or in the parking lot at Bayview Park. Emerald Republic hosts various food trucks for their special events. Surprise yourself! These trucks and many, many more, move around frequently - so check them out on Instagram!
There’s a Trail for That!
Pensacola has no shortage of trails to explore…We have a Pensacola Beach Eco Trail, a birding trail, a saltwater paddling trail, a photo trail, an America’s First Settlement trail, a Pensacola Colonial Archaeological trail, endless nature trails, walking trails, biking trails – heck, we even have an underwater shipwreck trail!
With over 460 years of history, Pensacola is no stranger to those that came before it or the creatures that came along with it. We’ve got endless trail options to keep you and the family exploring and entertained. Click here
to see a list of ideas and get your walking shoes laced up!
Get Out There – the Trails are Waiting
With miles of paved and unpaved trails and boardwalks, there's no shortage of ways to experience the Pensacola…
More Cheap Thrills
We love beach concerts around here, and the free ones are the best. Bands on the Beach starts at 7 p.m. every Tuesday from the Gulfside Pavilion stage at Casino Beach from April through October. Pack a cooler and a beach chair or blanket and sit in the sand and enjoy — or better yet —dance! Or, back in town, stop downtown and tour our many historic museums and sites that highlight our 460-year history. Take a walking tour of St. Michael’s Cemetery to see some of the oldest graves in our nation’s history. Or, try the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center and other stops dotting downtown at historicpensacola.org.
For even more travel deals and coupons for activities, attractions, hotels and dining for your next Pensacola vacation – be sure to check out Visit Pensacola’s Travel Deals page as they’re always adding new specials to choose from!
And for a complete list of free things to do in Pensacola, explore our curated list here.