BeachesWith
Aerial view of San Carlos Beach in Pensacola, Florida, shoreline and surroundings, USDA NAIP imagery from May 2023
Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP 2023 via USGS National Map, public domain (source)

San Carlos Beach

Pensacola, Florida

Ocean beach in Pensacola, facing south, with parking within walking distance.

  • HoursNot on file
  • Parking2 lots within 1,310 ft
  • DirectionsGoogle Maps
3.8/ 10Limited
How we score beaches
Calm water
6.0 of 10
Water
87 Ftoday
Sunset
7:00 pmover land
Parking
Mapped2 within 1,310 ft
Rip risk
Moderatetoday
Families
Fair
83of 100

Today, Thursday, Sep 10

Good beach day

Calm water · very warm water. Watch: 25% rain chance, wind, moderate rip current risk.

80 Fclear
High
86 F
Sea temperature
87 F
Waves
1.5 ftup to 1.6 ft
Wind
5 mphup to 13 mph
Rain chance
25%
UV index
8high
Sun
6:30 am to 7:00 pm
Surf zoneNWS Mobile forecast for Escambia Coastal, issued 3:02 pm CDT, Wed Sep 9
  • Rip current riskModeratetoday
  • Surf2 to 3 ft
  • Rip risk tonightModerate
Tidesnext high at 10:16 am
  1. High10:16 am1.2 ft
  2. Low8:39 pm0.6 ft
  1. 8:00 am80 Fovercast, 25% rain, 11 mph
  2. 11:00 am83 Fovercast, 15% rain, 10 mph
  3. 2:00 pm86 Fovercast, 18% rain, 9 mph
  4. 5:00 pm · best83 Fdrizzle, 12% rain, 12 mph

Forecast for Thursday, Sep 10, local time (GMT-5). Weather data by Open-Meteo.com, refreshed hourly. Sea temperature and waves are model values for the nearest offshore point. Tides from NOAA CO-OPS station Fort McRee Breakwater (8729887), 1.2 mi from the beach, heights above MLLW. Rip current risk and surf from the National Weather Service Surf Zone Forecast for the zone; a low risk still means rip currents near piers, jetties, and inlets.The rating rule is on the methodology page. Planning a future date? See typical weather by month.

Great for

  • FamiliesFairCalm water 6.0, no bathrooms mapped
  • SwimmingGoodWaves around 2.6 ft, sea 75 F on average
  • SunsetsLimitedsets over land
  • ConvenienceLimited2 parking lots, no food mapped
How the Beach Score is calculated: 3.8 of 10

The score is the sum of the components below. Clear water counts only where a clarity source exists. Rankings never take revenue as an input.

ComponentPointsFact
Facilities1.0 of 3Within walking distance: parking.
Calm water1.2 of 2Mean daily maximum wave 2.6 ft.
Warm water0.6 of 1Mean sea temperature 75 F.
Sunset over water0.0 of 1The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

Ranks #116 of 124 for parking in Florida, #147 of 168 for warm water in Florida. All beaches in Florida.

Verdicts on the cards come from the same facts. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026). The formula is on the methodology page.

Amenities

  • Parking2 nearby
  • Free parkingNo
  • BathroomsNo
  • ShowersNo
  • Restaurants and barsNo
  • Beachfront hotelsNo
  • Hotels nearbyNo
  • Beachfront campingNo
  • Camping nearbyNo
  • PierNo
  • BoardwalkNo

Water, sand, and nature

  • Calm water6.0 of 10
  • Warm water5.5 of 10

Nearby means within walking distance of the beach centre (980 ft to 1,640 ft, by kind), from OpenStreetMap. Scores are 0 to 10. Sources: OpenStreetMap (Sep 10, 2026), Open-Meteo (Sep 10, 2026); the method for each is on the methodology page.

Sunset and sunrise

The shore faces south (171 degrees). The sun sets over land all year.

Computed from the OpenStreetMap coastline and the sunset azimuth for each month.

Planning a trip

Early October is usually warm, with warm water and some rainy days.

Water
80 FWarm
High
80 FWarm
Rainy day
21%Some rain
Waves
2.5 ftModerate

What to expect

  • Warm swimming water, around 80 F
  • Moderate waves, around 2.5 ft
  • Some rainy days in October (5 a month)
  • October is within Atlantic hurricane season, at its peak
Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, peak from mid-August to late October. Storm history near this beach

2 October storms within 62.1 mi since 1980, about one every 23 years, 1 at hurricane strength. Most recent in any month: Hurricane Sally, September 2020, 20.7 mi away. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks, counted at tropical storm strength or stronger. Season dates from the NOAA National Hurricane Center.

San Carlos Beach through the year

Warm water
Low rain
Calm water

Darker is better: warmer water, fewer rainy days, calmer water. Monthly means, 2023-2025, from Open-Meteo. Values for a date blend the nearest two months; the bands and the rule are on the methodology page.

When to go

  • Best overallJuly to Octoberwarm water · fewer rainy days · warm days
  • Warmest waterJuly to August87 F average
  • DriestOctober5 rainy days a month
All monthly averages, 2023-2025San Carlos Beach: sea and air temperature by monthMonthly mean sea surface temperature and daily maximum air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.5060708090100JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecSea temperature (F)Air, daily max
MonthSea tempAir maxRain daysWave height
Jan62 F (16 C)60 F (16 C)103.4 ft
Feb63 F (17 C)66 F (19 C)92.9 ft
Mar67 F (19 C)69 F (21 C)123.1 ft
Apr71 F (22 C)75 F (24 C)93.0 ft
May78 F (25 C)81 F (27 C)152.3 ft
Jun83 F (28 C)86 F (30 C)182.4 ft
Jul86 F (30 C)89 F (32 C)211.7 ft
Aug87 F (31 C)90 F (32 C)151.8 ft
Sep85 F (29 C)86 F (30 C)122.1 ft
Oct79 F (26 C)79 F (26 C)52.6 ft
Nov72 F (22 C)71 F (22 C)82.7 ft
Dec65 F (19 C)63 F (17 C)92.9 ft

Monthly means, 2023-2025. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com. Wave height is the mean of daily maximum significant wave height.

Explore San Carlos Beach

Parking, food, stays, and facilities around the beach, mapped in OpenStreetMap within 0.7 mi.

All places near San Carlos Beach as a list (26)

Beach access Beach access · Nearest parking 700 ft · 3 min walk · Nearest restrooms 1,980 ft · 8 min walk

Distances are straight-line to the nearest point of a 600 m stretch of shoreline around the beach's mapped point (OpenStreetMap maps this beach as a point); walking times assume 80 m a minute. Access points are where OpenStreetMap paths, steps, and boardwalks meet the beach. Coordinates 30.3428, -87.3048. Open this spot in OpenStreetMap or Google Maps. Missing or wrong? Fix it in OpenStreetMap and it appears here after the next weekly update.

Nearby beaches

Questions about San Carlos Beach

Is there parking at San Carlos Beach?

Yes. 2 mapped parking areas within 1,310 ft, including Lighthouse Parking. Source: OpenStreetMap.

How warm is the water at San Carlos Beach?

Sea surface temperature averages 86 F (30 C) in July and 62 F (16 C) in January. Source: Open-Meteo marine model, monthly means.

Is the water calm at San Carlos Beach?

Calm water scores 6.0 of 10. Mean daily maximum wave height is 2.6 ft. Source: Open-Meteo marine model.

Can you see the sunset over the water at San Carlos Beach?

No. The shore faces away from the sunset all year.

When is hurricane season at San Carlos Beach?

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, with the peak from mid-August to late October, per the NOAA National Hurricane Center. Since 1980, 15 named storms passed within 62.1 mi of the beach, 7 at hurricane strength, most in July, August and September. Source: NOAA HURDAT2 best tracks.

Sources

  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Storm tracks from the NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 archive, public domain (data as of Sep 10, 2026)
  • Tide predictions from NOAA CO-OPS station Fort McRee Breakwater (8729887), public domain
  • Rip current risk, surf, and alerts from the National Weather Service MOB office for Escambia Coastal (FLZ202), public domain

Licenses and refresh dates for every dataset are on the data page. Something wrong? Every beach page has a report button; corrections are logged with a date.

© OpenStreetMap contributors. Beach location, shoreline, and amenity positions are from OpenStreetMap under the ODbL. Data updated Sep 10, 2026.