Gulf Breeze Real Estate Listings of Houses and Homes for Sale in Santa Rosa County, Florida


	Gulf Breeze Houses for Sale

Gulf Breeze

Gulf Breeze has a rich history in the Florida Panhandle. In 1559, Tristan de Luna sailed from the Gulf of Mexico and arrived in Pensacola Bay with 500 Spanish soldiers and 11 ships loaded with gear and food for survival. The locals were unsure about the new arrivals and didn't trade with them or teach them survival skills, so de Luna and his band failed to utilize the abundant food supply that sustained the natives. Within three years, the adventurous Spaniard was forced to abandon camp due to diseases, disasters and hostile Indians. Other Europeans soon followed and in the late 1700s, the British occupied the peninsula and named it Town Point.

Over the years, this area of the Florida coast has been a key location for the military. In 1828, President John Quincy Adams established America's first experimental tree farm in Gulf Breeze to provide raw material to Navy shipbuilders in the area. The 1,329 acre Naval Live Oaks area today is part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. Pensacola Beach is home to historic Fort Pickens. The fort was completed in 1834 and used until WWII, when modern weapons made traditional coastal defense obsolete. Fort Pickens today is a popular tourist attraction. The fort contains a number of plaster-lined rooms that were intended as officers' quarters and later were used to house Apache prisoners. Geronimo once lived at the fort in rooms along the south wall, which have since collapsed. Fort Pickens now houses an auditorium, a museum, and a visitor’s center offering information about the area.

Pensacola Beach remains the hub of Santa Rosa Island and offers miles of unspoiled white sand, emerald water and numerous restaurants. Much of this barrier island is protected from development. The Gulf Islands National Seashore keeps beaches accessible to the public and preserves the area's environment and history. The Port of Pensacola is northwest Florida's leading deep-water port and a major source of business in the region. The Port offers stevedoring and marine terminal services for any description of bulk, break-bulk and unitized freight. Bagged agricultural products, forest products, asphalt, sulphur, lime, steel products, frozen and refrigerated foods and project cargoes are a few of the many commodities frequently handled through the Port of Pensacola.

Sun-seekers in Gulf Breeze can mix and mingle at popular beaches or claim isolated stretches of sand for themselves. All sorts of waterfront activities -- including water-skiing, jet skiing, fishing and boating -- are available on the miles of sandy beaches and protected bayous. Motorboats, sailboats, surfers and windsurfers coexist easily while parasailers float overhead and fishermen try their luck from sea and shore. Fishing opportunities abound in Gulf Breeze. There are several charter boats that serve avid fishermen, as well as spots along the beach for children to fish. Kids also enjoy riding go-carts and jet skis, playing games in the arcades and testing their skills on miniature golf courses.

For those who prefer to sty dry, there are hundreds of acres of undeveloped park property along the water, perfect for a leisurely walk or a picnic in the woods. Recreational options include spending an afternoon enjoying the wildlife at the Gulf Breeze Zoological Park and Botanical Gardens or teeing off on one of the immaculately landscaped local championship golf courses. The climate is mild enough to encourage outdoor recreation year-round.

Gulf Breeze has dedicated 517 acres of land to parks. Shoreline Park, the major recreation area in Gulf Breeze, encompasses about 155 acres divided into northern and southern regions. Shoreline Park North is home to the Gulf Breeze Recreation Center and facilities for baseball, football, soccer, outdoor basketball and softball, as well as the Sunset Kids Park and 8 lighted tennis courts. Shoreline Park South has over 105 wooded acres extending to the edge of Santa Rosa Sound. Shoreline Park South is only seven miles from the Pensacola Pass and boasts the most popular boat launch in the area. Facilities include picnic tables, a fishing pier, a swimming area, a large gazebo and a nature trail. The Gulf Breeze Municipal Fishing Pier runs parallel to the Pensacola Bay Bridge. Depending on the time of year, red fish, white trout, speckled trout, black drum, flounder, and bluefish are possible catches.

Three Santa Rosa County public schools are located in Gulf Breeze: Gulf Breeze Elementary, Middle and High schools. Students at all three schools regularly achieve high test scores and Gulf Breeze High School has been rated several times as an A+ school by the State of Florida. Nearby are numerous community colleges and universities for residents seeking higher education, including Pensacola Junior College and The University of Western Florida.