Timeline
18:00
Grab a snack or drink at the Mustin Beach Officers' Club. This is a convenient spot to fuel up before the main event. Note that on weekdays, it closes at 14:00, so this step is only viable if you are visiting on a Friday or Saturday afternoon/evenening when it stays open until 20:00. If visiting on a weekday, skip this step and bring your own refreshments.
18:28
Walk 32 minutes from the Officers' Club to Mustin Beach. This is a moderate walk across the grounds. Arrive with enough time to find a good spot on the sand facing west.
19:00
Watch the sunset. Between 21 March and 27 March, and again from 15 September to 21 September, the sun will set directly behind the Pensacola Lighthouse. The alignment is visible from Mustin Beach, approximately 1982 meters away. The sun sets toward the WSW in March and WNW in September, but the visual alignment with the lighthouse remains the key feature.
19:20
After the light fades, walk back toward the Pensacola Lighthouse grounds. While tours are no longer available due to safety concerns, you can still access the exterior grounds and view the historic structure in the twilight. The black-and-white striped tower stands out against the darkening sky.
Local tip
The walk from the Officers' Club to Mustin Beach is 32 minutes. Ensure you allow enough time to settle in before the sun dips. If you are visiting on a weekday, the Officers' Club will be closed for dinner service, so plan to bring your own snacks or skip the food stop.
Check before you go
- Mustin Beach Officers' Club hours: Wed-Thu 11:00-14:00, Fri 15:00-20:00. It is closed on weekends in the provided data, which is unusual for a beach club, but verify current operating days as this may be seasonal or a data error. If it is closed on your visit day, bring food from elsewhere.
- Access to the Pensacola Lighthouse grounds is free, but there is a fee to enter the lighthouse structure itself. However, tours are currently unavailable, so you will only be able to view it from the outside.
Worth knowing
- Sun position is calculated. We have not confirmed the view is unobstructed.
- Mustin Beach Officers' Club is open at 18:00 only on Fr
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Pensacola (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).