Pensacola is a city of traditional Southern hospitality, elegance, and charm. Located at the western end of Florida's Panhandle on the northern bank of the broad Pensacola Bay and 5 miles inland from the nearest beaches, it's a historic city first occupied by the Spanish, then exchanged among the Spanish, French, and British thirteen times before becoming the place where Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1821. With its complement of just about everything Florida has to offer — alligators, spectacular beaches, and Hispanic landmarks — you'll enjoy its Dixie atmosphere and its Gulf islands.