Perhaps the biggest draw to Perdido Key is its sugar-white sands, perfect for sinking toes into or spreading out a beach towel for a bit of sunbathing. Located in the panhandle, near the Alabama Florida border, Perdido's beaches overlook the great expanse of the Gulf of Mexico. Made up of pulverized pure white quartz crystal, the beaches here have some of the brightest, whitest sand in the entire U.S.