Barrancas

For other uses, see Barrancas (disambiguation).

The barrancas is a steep bluff (from which its Spanish name is derived) in southern Escambia County that overlooks Pensacola Pass between Santa Rosa Island and Perdido Key. It was originally named the Barranca de Santo Tomé by the Spanish under Don Andrés de Arriola. Situated about 60 feet above sea level, the landform has been utilized for its strategic advantages and has been the site of several forts:

• Fort San Carlos de Austria (1698-1719)
• Red Cliffs (1771-1781)
• Fort San Carlos de Barrancas (1798, rebuilt in 1817)
• Fort Barrancas (1839-present)