Panama City Beach

One of the largest areas off Florida's Gulf Coast, Panama City Beach is home to some of the world's most beautiful beaches. Its proximity to several hotspots throughout the South and Midwest makes it a prime spot for vacationers in the spring and summertime, but also with snowbirds trying to escape the wintery snowscapes of up north. Beachfront high rises full of condos, and gulf-front homes painted in bright reds, blues, and yellows, Panama City Beach is reminiscent of every Florida postcard or spring break party you've ever seen. Known by the locals as PCB, as one of the bookends of the Emerald Coast, Panama City Beach is a highly sought-after escape, as even during the dead of winter, here, it's still a beach paradise.

 

 

PCB hosts over 27 miles of pristine beach perfect for swimming, paddle boarding, boating, or jet skiing across, a vast amount that even many of its residents will never fully explore. Slightly east, nature lovers will find Saint Andrew State Park, a gigantic 1,200-acre compound where Florida's Gulf Coast and Saint Andrew Bay meet. If parks are your thing, without having to even leave Panama City Beach one will find Frank Brown Park, which features a water-filled playground for the kids, complete with water slides, and Conservation Park, a forested area with miles and miles of trails to walk. Need more nature? Camp Helen State Park and the largest dune lake in North America, Lake Powell, are only a short drive west, while Gulf World Marine Park brings wildlife to you with a variety of shows and exhibits. If you're more in the mood to play a game in the great outdoors than explore them, PCB has two golf courses within its borders, and that doesn't even take into consideration the plethora of top-rated links across Northwest Florida.

 

As if the bountiful amount of nature to explore wasn't enough, Panama City Beach is far more than just some pristine beaches. PCB has it all; I'm talking a zoo and botanical conservatory, a water park, and several miniature amusement parks with everything from go-karts to mini golf arcades and much more. Here, busy beach bars and nightclubs stay open late, because this is a place where people come to enjoy themselves and live life to the fullest. Full of outdoor malls such as the 120-store Pier Park or the 40-store Pier Park North, Panama City Beach is adjacent to Panama City, where a whole other world of fancy clothes, high-end shops, and bargain retailers opens up. Just like any good beach town should, Panama City Beach has hungry beachgoers covered. When you're just in the mood for a quick slice or hand-cooked burger you can always head to Nick's Slice of Brooklyn or local gastropub Wicked Wheel, but special occasions are well spent at some of the city city dining options such as Saltwater Grill or Firefly.