The beautiful towers of Portofino Island Resort are just outside of a national park featuring beautiful white sand dunes, situated on 28 beautiful acres of Pensacola Beach between the Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Sound. There is an ocean and bay side of the resort, both are within walking distance of each tower for you to enjoy. The location is a dream! Portofino Island Resort is on one of the world’s largest barrier islands within the Gulf Islands National Seashore. You don’t have to leave the resort to find relaxation or adventure.
Situated on 28 beautiful acres, the upscale, full-service resort offers the perfect combination of premium amenities and a pristine island environment. The island haven provides guests an array of amenities including Island Adventures, Spa at Portofino, the Portofino Fitness Center, a 40,000-square-foot Lifestyle Center, tennis courts, waterfront dining, Starbucks, children and family programs, eight heated pools including an indoor Olympic-size pool and more. We utilized everything and never got board!
Named one of the 10 Best Family-Friendly Beach Hotels in Florida by Southern Living Magazine.
This beachfront luxury resort is a place your family won’t want to leave… & you don’t have to.
Accommodations at Portofino Island Resort – The Portofino Island Resort is an expansive property boasting five towers. It offers two- and three-bedroom suites with impressive views. All the suites come equipped with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and plenty of linens for the bath.
There is covered garage parking in each tower; self-parking is assigned. Each tower connects to a pool area, as well.
The resort enforces a quiet time that starts every night at 10:00 p.m. For nightlife, you’ll want to head to Pensacola Beach. The city runs a free trolley service from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Activities at Portofino Island Resort
Relax? Play? You can do it all!
Right in the heart of the resort is the Lifestyle Center, where you’ll find a spacious and well-equipped, state-of-the-art fitness and spa facility. Ava and I took a yoga class there looking out at the ocean. Outside this building is the largest of seven on-site pools and a hot tub area in a most luxurious setting. There is also an indoor pool and hot tub, as well as a Starbucks, snack shop, ice-cream shop, and two restaurants.
For the resort’s sports activities and excursions, I recommend the Adventure Package. You can bundle everything into one price which can be a good deal, if you plan on being active. If you want to enjoy one or two amenities, a better option may be to pay individually. Prices for the Adventure Package vary widely based on season.
Adventure Cove is water park with inflatable slides and trampolines in the ocean. Kids of all ages can play here, The Cove also attracts a lot of teens and adults. Cost: $45/person/day or it is included in your Adventure package if you buy one… The package also includes: kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, Surf board, boogie board rentals, sailing, and Wave Runners. Kayak cost: $65/person/day. For extra fun, teens and adults may enjoy exploring the sound by night paddling on a light-up stand-up paddle board. Very cool! Cost: $20/person.
You have to cross the highway to get to the beach, so if you have small children and a lot of stuff, I recommend taking some sort of portable wagon.
There is a Kid’s Night Out or Day time activities as well. Book a couple’s massage while the kids (ages 5 to 12) eat pizza, play games, and spend time making crafts with the counselors. Cost: $30/child; reserve spots 24 hours in advance.
The resort as their own dolphin or sunset cruises every day, this is also included in your adventure package, as many times as you want!
Tennis enthusiasts should head to the Portofino Island Tennis Center. It features state-of-the-art facilities with five hydro-clay courts and year-round instruction for all levels, either private and group lessons. Private lesson packages cost: $80 for 3-1/2 hours.
Download the adventure app to see the resort’s schedule and make planning your vacation easier.
Portofino Island Resort is far away enough from the crowds of Pensacola Beach that you’ll love the seclusion, but it’s also close enough that you can explore the area and even historic downtown Pensacola.
If you leave the resort, depart early to beat the traffic. Locals like to hit the beach in the mornings and often traffic leaving the island gets heavy on the bridge around 2:00 p.m.
Dining at Portofino Island Resort
Dining at the resort is memorable but can be pricey. Everything is fresh and there’s so much to choose from; each restaurant is open all day. The Fish Tacos were by far THE BEST we have EVER had!
All-day dining at Portofino al Fresco by the pool is a great choice for families. The venue is open-air, relaxing, and informal. There’s a lot to choose from including fresh sandwiches, tacos, and locally-caught seafood. Entrees are $16 to $23. Kid’s choices include chips and salsa, flatbread cheese pizza, and flatbread pepperoni pizza from $7 to $9. It’s convenient for when you want to keep playing and enjoy lunch outside.
Getting to Portofino Island Resort – Portofino Island is about 17 miles from the Pensacola International airport. A taxi costs about $40 each way. The resort doesn’t offer shuttle service, but the concierge desk is very helpful and can recommend a number of services.
*I highly recommend booking directly from the Portofino Island Resort website if you decide to go. You’ll save money this way and get to pick out your exact condo- They’re all owned by different people so the furnishings and prices will be different depending on which one you choose but of course the resort amenities come with every unit.
