Pensacola, located on the Florida Panhandle is highlighting its endless sunshine, sugar-white beaches, clear emerald waters, award-winning restaurants, numerous Festivals, two magical islands and rich and extensive history and culture to UK and Irish travellers.

Nestled in the Northwestern-most part of Florida, Pensacola is a thriving coastal city which has undeniable charm and now there's more to experience than ever before. Pensacola is a city with a past that stretches back more than 460 years when Spanish explorer Don Tristan de Luna y Arellano was lured to its pristine shores in 1559, establishing Pensacola as the first European settlement in North America. This history can be explored today on America's First Settlement (A1S) Trail in Downtown Pensacola which is a three-mile historical route featuring 20 stops with QR codes and 70 points of interest.

Pensacola is home to two islands – Pensacola Beach and Perdido Key – as well as a range of districts including Downtown Pensacola and the historic Belmont-DeVilliers district, the heart of the African American community and once known as the Harlem of the South. Pensacola Beach is home to a wide range of hotels, condos and just about every beach activity going – from kite surfing, scuba diving, sailing and not forgetting Dolphin Tours. Pensacola Beach is also home to Fort Pickens, which dates back to 1834 and is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and the Underground Railroad. Plus, don't forget to look up into the blue skies above to spot the USA equivalent of the Red Arrows, the Blue Angels, who are based in Pensacola and put on supersonic air shows regularly from April – November. With practices on Tuesday and Wednesday in Pensacola and two dedicated shows per year in the area the Beach Airshow in July and the Homecoming Show on Pensacola NAS in November.

Perdido Key is a protected natural paradise where wildlife, flora and fauna are the backdrop to all accommodation (only condos are available on the island), restaurants and bars. Big Lagoon State Park offers trails and shorelines ideal for hiking, biking, or paddling. Or why not sit back and relax a Perdido Key State Park which is home to 247 acres of wide-open beaches and dunes. Downtown Pensacola is the perfect mix of waterfront, main street, shops, restaurants, and museums with a charm that dates back through the history of the destination.

Families, couples, and travellers of all ages will love the foodie scene of Pensacola with a range of restaurants, bars, and eateries available. Enjoy seafood on the deck overlooking the Gulf Coast, discover spicy Cajun soul food, homestyle Southern Cooking or a fusion of everything. New eateries continue to pop up across Pensacola, recent highlights include:

• Pearl & Horn which offers the perfect culinary blend of land and sea nestled into the edge of Pensacola's Historic Downtown district is now located in a new expanded location and features a freshly shucked oyster and seafood bar, an outdoor dining area, and a private dining room available for special events. The menu will boast delicious additions of colourful caviar, seafood towers, elk, and bison
• The new Salty Pearl Raw Bar marries fresh seafood with innovative culinary techniques and offers succulent oysters, seafood platters, and lobster rolls
• Vinyl Music Hall's new food venture, Proper Burger, recently opened and offers craveable smash burgers and fries. Keeping it simple, their signature burgers are a custom-made Costello's Butcher Shop meat blend slathered in their signature Proper sauce

Pensacola has a range of accommodation on offer – whether visitors are looking for rental accommodation on the beach, boutique hotels in Downtown or larger resorts on the islands. With over 12000 rooms available across the destination and over 1000 new rooms either now available or coming soon, the latest accommodation news includes: 

• Lily Hall: this boutique hotel was once as Baptist Church and then an underground punk venue before being turned into a unique fully- sustainable luxury property located on the Old East Hill in Pensacola within steps of the right history, culture, music, and food that gives the City of the Five Flags its name
• Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach: centrally located on the beach, this brand-new hotel has 209 rooms with either Gulf or Bay views and is perfect for families or couples looking for a romantic retreat
• Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel: overlooking the waterfront and downtown Pensacola, this recently renovated boutique hotel offers luxurious rooms, intimate spaces, and lavish furnishings as well as shared spaces such as a shared kitchen and shared living area
• Hilton Pensacola Beach: recently renovated luxury resort hotel overlooking the Gulf of Mexico which has 275 modern guest rooms including three-bedroomed suites and oversized beachfront balconies, indoor and outdoor pools including a beachfront pool, three restaurants and bars
• The Pensacola Beach Resort: recently renovated and formerly known as Margaretville, ideally perched on Florida's magnificent Emerald Coast with direct beach access as well as 162 rooms and suites all with amazing water views and two bars and a restaurant including The Salty Rose Beach Bar 

For all media enquiries, imagery and media visit requests please contact Becky Fairlie-Clarke on becky@magictorchpr.com or call +44 7974 306 579.

To find out more on Pensacola please go to www.VisitPensacola.com

About Visit Pensacola

Visit Pensacola is the destination organization for Escambia County, which includes Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, and Perdido Key. With over 460 years of rich history and nearly 40 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordered by the emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico, visitors from all over the world are lured to our pristine shores every year. Visit Pensacola supports the community vision of tourism by serving as the central body responsible for building tourism as an economic engine for our community through leadership, connection, collaboration, and communication.