This beachfront luxury resort is a place your family won’t want to leave… & you don’t have to.
The location is a dream! Portofino Island Resort is on one of the world’s largest barrier islands within the Gulf Islands National Seashore. With tennis, fishing, water sports, seven pools, and a pristine, white sand beach, you don’t have to leave the resort to find relaxation or adventure. It’s all right here on 28 beautiful acres.
Accommodations at Portofino Island Resort
The Portofino Island Resort is an expansive property boasting five towers with 765 condominiums on eight miles along the Gulf shore. It offers two- and three-bedroom suites with impressive views. Our condo had a spectacular westward-facing view of both the Santa Rosa Sound and the Gulf of Mexico. Walking in, the first thing my six-year-old son said was, “We’re not going home. We can live here now.”
In the master suite, you’ll find a small hall with ample closet space separating bed from bath, which made the condo feel home-like. The bath included a large his-and-hers vanity, a nice walk-in shower, and a spacious jacuzzi tub. Added bubbles made that a hit with both of my young children.
All the suites come equipped with a full kitchen, washer and dryer, and plenty of linens for the bath.
KidTripster Tip: The kitchen has basics for cooking and eating, but you’ll want to bring your own napkins, condiments, cooking spices, coffee, and coffee filters for your stay.
The first five floors of each tower are covered garage parking; self-parking is assigned. Each tower connects to a pool area, as well.
Rates start at $275/night during the low season; during high season, rates jump to $550/night. There’s a minimum three-night stay and a $150 resort fee that covers complimentary rounds of golf at nearby courses, a welcome gift, complimentary dolphin cruise, and other perks like discounts in retail shops and restaurants.
KidTripster Tip: 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? We wanted to 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. Walk through the building to find the largest of seven on-site pools and a hot tub area in a most luxurious setting. Kick back with a beverage and snack from the cafe and take in the beauty of the Santa Rosa Sound. Temperatures were cool during our stay, so we opted to enjoy the rather gorgeous indoor pool just feet away.
Adventure Cove is water park with inflatable slides and trampolines in the ocean. Kids of all ages can play here, and it was all my son could talk about. The Cove also attracts a lot of teens and adults. Cost: $45/person/day.
Other water activities include kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, sailing, and WaveRunners. For a nature-loving soul like myself, the beach-to-bay views in an unspoiled setting was a dream come true. I chose to appreciate the island’s beauty by kayak from the peaceful waters of the sound. 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.
Adventure Beach amenities include rafts with coolers, boogie board rentals, and volleyball. The resort fee includes a setup of two complimentary beach chairs each day. Bring toys for the little ones to make sandcastles, while you lounge seaside without interruption. One can dream, right? Teens may enjoy the floating air mattress anchored in the Gulf. Each “personal island” comes with a headrest and built-in cooler.
KidTripster Tip: 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.
KidTripster Tip: For the resort’s sports activities and excursions, take a look at 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.
KidTripster Tip: Decide what you’ll want to do and pay for your excursions ahead of time to save the most money.
If younger children need a break from their parents, which ours did, you should send them to Kid’s Night Out. Book a couple’s massage while the kids (ages 5 to 12) eat pizza, play games, and spend time making crafts with the counselors. My kids returned bouncing-off-the-walls happy. Cost: $30/child; reserve spots 24 hours in advance.
The resort fee includes a complimentary dolphin or sunset cruise on Portofino I. We heard that the dolphins were most active early in the day, so we boarded the 63-foot, open-air but covered catamaran for a morning cruise. The weather was a little rough, but we still saw quite a few dolphins. The kids were thrilled!
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.
KidTripster Tip: 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. For more on what to do in Pensacola, click here.
KidTripster Tip: 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 pricey. Everything is fresh and there’s so much to choose from; each restaurant is open all day.
Breakfast at Coastal was good but expensive. The ambiance was unmatched. My children and I ordered specialty pancakes. They picked “sand dollar” pancakes from the kids’ menu, and I got the delicious cinnamon roll pancakes but then swapped with my husband for his Florentine omelette with added chorizo. We spent about $50 plus tip. We enjoyed ourselves, but in a do-over, we probably would opt for the more affordable, on-site Starbucks or eat in our condo.
All-day dining at Portofino al Fresco by the pool is a solid 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.
My husband and I enjoyed a “date night” at Coastal, while the kids took in the Kids’ Night Out program. Coastal is casual but fine dining, so there isn’t a kid-friendly menu. The food was so fresh and delicious. I had the shrimp and grits which were cooked to perfection. My husband ordered the andouille crusted grouper on a smoked Gouda grit cake. Coastal’s wine and cocktail list features select vintages from leading wine regions around the world, custom cocktails, and craft beers. We book-ended the meal with the Duo of Tuna appetizer and the Cake + Shake dessert. Delicious.
If I lived in Pensacola, I’d eat at the Cactus Flower Cafe (400 Quietwater Beach Road) at least once a week. This was one my whole family loved, and we heard all the locals say that it was a must try. Everything is made fresh. Both our children devoured not only the chips and freshest of salsa, but they also nearly cleaned their lunch plates. Tacos, of course. The closet location to the resort is about four miles away on the boardwalk.
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.
Tracy Atwood is a homeschooling mom to two children and is also growing a photography business. She maintains her sanity with a fast-paced, daily workout in her local Crossfit gym.
This writer received a complimentary stay for the purpose of this review. However, all opinions expressed are solely her own.
Pin to Pinterest & Read Later
