Instead of squeezing your holiday into a crowded kitchen and adhering to someone else's timeline, Thanksgiving travel to Pensacola Beach offers a refreshing alternative: start your day with a scenic 5K run along the Gulf, then relax and savor a homemade turkey dinner in your own dining space that afternoon.
Portofino Island Resort makes a strong case for a spot among the best places to go for Thanksgiving, with Pensacola Beach condos built for a family-size meal and the long weekend around it.
Planning Thanksgiving Travel to Pensacola Beach
Run the Pensacola Beach Turkey Trot
Thanksgiving travel to the island can start with the Pensacola Beach Turkey Trot, an annual 5K on Thanksgiving morning at Casino Beach, with a shorter Turkey Dash on the schedule too.
Proceeds benefit brain cancer research at Duke University, and Premier Island Management Group, which manages Portofino, has signed on as title sponsor. Advance packet pickup runs at Laguna’s in the days before the race.
Cook the Feast in Your Own Condo
Every condo includes a full-size kitchen and a dining room, so the meal runs on your schedule instead of a restaurant’s. Choose a Gulf View or Sound View condo, and the water view comes with dessert. For a big group, that much room takes the stress out of the holiday.
Fill the Rest of the Long Weekend
Thanksgiving travel here leaves time for more than the meal, and a few vacation ideas round out the weekend:
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Winter Blast Package: The resort's cool-season Adventure Package combines activity pass options and equipment rentals from late October through February.
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Fort Pickens: Discover historic 19th-century fortifications located within the Gulf Islands National Seashore.
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Pier Fishing: The Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier offers excellent angling for redfish and sheepshead during the cooler months.
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Early Holiday Shopping: Browse for unique gifts to bring back home at the boutiques and surf shops along the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk.
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Sunset Watching: Explore top vantage points noted in our guide to sunrise and sunset spots.
Stay Past the Holiday
The resort’s winter extended stay savings make it easier to stretch Thanksgiving travel into a longer visit. For families who would rather not rush home, our resort in Pensacola Beach, Florida, is among the best Thanksgiving getaways.
Arrive earlier in November to see the Blue Angels’ homecoming air show over NAS Pensacola!