The only thing I wanted more than to graduate was to go to the beach! Naturally, I chose to celebrate my accomplishment with my friend, London, and my boyfriend, William, in Pensacola, Florida for five days. I’ve been to Pensacola once before, but it was so long ago that I was due for another trip. We stayed at the Portofino Island Resort, which was the best choice I’ve ever made. I knew it was the perfect place for me when I arrived because my key card said, “Get spoiled, naturally.” I seriously need to just move there because I love burying my toes in the sand and listening to the ocean waves soooo much. Now onto the review because it’s the closest thing I can get to the beach for a while:
Portofino Island Resort: There are not enough words to describe the feeling it gave all three of us. We arrived and it seemed like a weight was lifted off my shoulders…. or maybe that was just the feeling of my backpack and bags being put on the luggage cart? The check in process was so quick and informative. Once we arrived to our condo, we were blown away. It was super spacious and decorated beautifully. The best part was the balcony, which boasted a bay view and a breathtaking side view of the beach. The second best part was the hospitality. Every single employee who walked by greeted you with a smile, asked how your day was, and asked if you needed anything. Being a Louisiana native, I know about sweet southern hospitality, but let me tell you, the hospitality at Portofino Island is on another level! The resort also offers a wide range of amenities:
- Spa Portofino
- Fitness Center
- Tennis Center
- On-site dining and shopping
- Dining and shopping at the Portofino Boardwalk
- Adventure Beach watersport rentals
- Adventure Cove Water Park (Soundside)
- Bicycle, e-bikes, carts, and scoot coupe rentals
- Golf course access
- Fishing & Sailing charters
On our second to last day, London and I decided to rent the scoot coupe through the resort. It was priced cheaper than the other local businesses and it was already on the resort grounds, win-win! This was my first time being on a three-wheeled motorized vehicle, but it was so much fun. We actually decided that we want our own for around town driving in Baton Rouge! Most of the mornings William worked out in the gym, which overlooked the pool, while London and I taste tested mimosas on the balcony. We walked over to the resort’s lifestyle center a few times, which was home to dining, shopping, spa, and the gym, for a quick eat, drinks, and to relax by the pool.
Beach/Bay: Pensacola’s beach and bay are absolutely gorgeous (see the pictures below to see for yourself). That pure white sand – major heart eyes!!! I also couldn’t get over how comfortable the water temperature was and the beautiful blue color of the water. To be completely honest, I’ve never been a “bay” person, but the beautiful sights and the fun atmosphere really turned me into one. Our resort was in the perfect location. It’s in between the bay side and the beach, so walking to either one was never a problem – and trust me I’m usually the lazy one who doesn’t want to walk far to the beach. Once on the beach or bay, the resort has a tent set up for your assistance. They offer chairs, lounges, drinks, and adventure packages. We opted out of the chairs for the first time ever because we actually remembered to bring our own. Obviously the beach was more crowded, and by crowded I mean no more than 20 beach-goers, which consisted of a few families and young to middle-age adults. It’s the perfect mix!
Food: We cooked majority of the time, but we found ourselves eating out a few days – naturally. The first place we tried was Cactus Flower. It’s a California style Mexican restaurant located on the boardwalk. The inside was so adorable with white tablecloths and boasted views of the bay! William chose the California street tacos, while I decided on the enchiladas verdes. William told me the tacos were pretty good, but I had already assumed that considering he devoured them within three minutes. Being the spicy and hot food lovin’ girl I am, the enchiladas verdes was right up my alley. They were topped with sour cream, creamy cheeses, chicken, and verdes sauce made from fresh anaheim and jalapeno peppers. So yummy!
The second place we chose to eat at was a tourist favorite called Crabs. London finally arrived by this point, so she joined William and I for dinner. We were seated at a booth on the upstairs balcony with the most amazing view! It overlooked the downstairs outdoor area and the beach. Crabs supposedly has the best bushwhackers, called Crabwhackers, so we chose that for pre-dinner drinks. We split one dozen raw oysters on the half shell for an appetizer and they were so fresh. London chose chicken tenders (it’s one of the few foods she eats), William chose the Alaskan snow crab clusters, and I chose the chicken and asparagus alfredo. The portions were so large that we all needed to-go boxes. My only request would be to sit at the outside bar on the beach for our next trip!
The last dinner of the trip was at La Playita. Unfortunately, we missed the happy hour (aka $2 margaritas), but the food and drinks were still priced great. I chose the combination enchiladas (because I can never get enough enchiladas), William had the steak fajitas, and London ate her regular – chicken quesadillas. We were seated outside, so we had a beautiful view of the sunset over the bay while sipping on margaritas.
Fort Pickens- Gulf Islands National Seashore: I admit that I was not the one who chose this attraction to visit, but I will be the first to admit that I’m glad we went! Fort Pickens was a fort designed and built to defend Pensacola Bay and the Pensacola Navy Yard and Depot in 1834 from foreign attack, according to the national park service. The long road in the national park that takes you to the historic site was surrounded by emerald water and sand dunes – talk about an amazing view. It was so beautiful that London and I took the scoot coupe there the next day.
I can definitely see us going back in a few years! We really enjoyed our stay and hope you are able to stay there one day! If you have any other questions about the resort or the island please let me know and I will get back to you.