Inside Travel Guide to Panama City Florida

By The Backseat View

Panama City tops the list for family beach vacations with its 27 miles of white sandy beaches, crystal blue water, and unlimited entertainment options. I grew up vacationing here since it’s only a few hours from home. The Panama City Travel Guide will help you plan a visit to this fun beach town with all the insider tips. I love that numerous, affordable beachfront hotels and condos provide ocean views. I’m always ready to plan a beach trip, so let’s open the Travel Guide to Panama City, Florida.

Travel Guide to Panama City, Florida

When to go

• When school is in session, mid-April through May and mid-August through October is best.
• You can visit in the winter, but it’s too cold to swim. The winter weather is nice for reading and walking on the beach. January highs run in the 60’s.
• Spring is a no-go due to spring break college parties.
• June and July fill the condos and crowd the beach, bringing traffic nightmares and hour-long restaurant waits. During summer, eat lunch at restaurants to avoid dinner crowds and play mini-golf and putt-putt when they open at 10 a.m. By doing morning entertainment, having a nice lunch, and hitting the beach from 2 p.m. to sunset, the summer crowds are easier to handle.

Beaches

It’s time to relax, jump in the waves, build sand castles, fly kites, and boogie-board. Most hotels and condos are beachfront, but let’s explore the state parks for less crowded options.

St. Andrews State Park

St. Andrews is on the east side of PC. It has 1.5 miles of beautiful white sand beach, and the entire park is 1,200 acres. You can hike, bike, camp, and fish. The beaches have low crowds even in July. If the hotel beach is crowded, I would pay $8 a car to relax in peace. The park offers trips to Shell Island.

Shell Island

The shuttle to Shell Island runs every 30 minutes from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or you can rent a private boat. It’s a seven-mile-long island. Spend your day relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, or searching for shells. This is the best place to snorkel, so bring your mask to see the sea turtles and fish.

Camp Helen State Park

Helen State Park is on the west side of PC near 30A. The walk from the parking lot to the beach is almost a mile, so leave those big coolers at home.

Vacation means extra entertainment.

Pier Park

Pier Park is an outdoor shopping, restaurant, and entertainment hub with Crocs, American Eagle, Buckle, Costa, Dillard’s, LOFT, Marshalls, Pandora, and numerous dessert shops. Everything is here, from Target to boutiques and plenty of free parking. I never have much time to shop with my guys, so I run to Hy’s.
Hy’s Toggery has ALL MY FAVORITE BRANDS for the guys with Southern Tide, Southern Marsh, Vineyard Vines, Free Fly, Patagonia, and Fish Hippie. HUK and Lily Pulitzer are on either side to finish off my shopping.

Pier Park Food

The endless food options include Dave & Buster’s, Margaritaville, Pompano Joe’s, 5 Guys, and The Yard Milkshake Bar for dessert. My favorite is here, so I’m headed to The Back Porch for Amberjack. The Ford garage is new, but we ate at one in Michigan and enjoyed it.

The SkyWheel, Imax movie theater, laser tag, axe throwing, bumper boats, trampolines, and ropes courses start the entertainment.

Russell Fields City Pier

Across the street from Pier Park, the pier extends 1,500 feet into the water and has a $3 entrance fee. It’s a great place to watch the sunset or fish.

Zoo World

Zoo World is a small zoo packed with animals for about an hour and a half of entertainment. I love small zoos with engaging and happy animals. We always go when they open, and the animals are eating.

The additional cost ($45) for animal encounters is the highlight of the day with capybara, kangaroo, sloth, lemur, or alligator. Feeding for giraffes, birds, barnyards, and alligators is less expensive. Buy the food and pet the animals. It’s fun! My favorites are the sloth and the endangered siamang (the biggest Gibbon ape).

The zoo has over 60 HUGE alligators, so buy the food and watch the feeding frenzy. For $25/person, we love visiting. Is it worth the 30-minute drive from 30 A? Absolutely, especially when you have lunch at Pier Park.

Gulf World Marine Park

Gulf World has birds, dolphins, and sea lions. Honestly, after all these years, I still haven’t visited. The thousands of 4-star reviews mean everyone likes the park. I love petting sting rays and watching sea turtles and penguins, so I know it’s a fun couple of hours. They offer dolphin swims, dolphin shows, and other animal encounters.

Shipwreck Island

Shipwreck Island Waterpark is a Panama City tradition. It opened in 1976 and has been here forever. The guys like the zip-line from a ship into the water. It’s a normal water park and lots of fun for 3-4 hours, with tickets around $50.

Family Fun Options

• I can’t finish vacation without mini-golf, so Pirate Island Adventure Golf gets my $15. There are two courses, one of which is a little easier. The courses are well-maintained, and a free kid coupon is on the website.
• Coconut Creek Family Fun Park has three well-maintained mini-golf courses with an animal safari theme and a maze to explore.
  
• The Cobra Adventure Park is one of many older small amusement parks, with mini-golf, arcades, simulator rides, go-karts, and other rides. There are too many small amusement parks in PC to mention them all.
  
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not! It is an experience of the unusual and exploring rare artifacts. The reviews are great, but I’ve never paid the $35 per person to visit.
  
• Wonderworks has 100 hands-on science exhibits, laser tag, and a ropes course.
  
• Just Jump is a 30,000-square-foot indoor trampoline park with a tumble track, basketball, dodgeball, and a gladiator pit. It’s $19 an hour to jump.
  
• Bear Creek Feline Center is a small animal sanctuary home to six species of lesser cats like jaguars, panthers, bobcats, servals, and lynx. $50 per person reservations by appointment only at 850-722-9927. It’s about a 44-minute drive from Pier Park. I love animal sanctuaries but have just learned about this home for displaced cats.
  
• Camp Creek Golf Club, Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort, Holiday Golf Par 3 and Range, and Signal Hill Golf Course provide plenty of golfing options.
  

Boating

Dolphin cruises and fishing charters are popular activities, but I haven’t gone. Panama City Dolphin Seafari is rated the best in dolphin tours. There are smaller boats for a more personalized experience, such as Capt. Zach’s Adventure two-hour tours.

Pirate Ship

The pirates put on a little show, and the kids dance along, search for treasure, and have water gun fights. Book the Sea Dragon pirate ship instead of the dolphin cruise if you travel with kids. For $35, it’s worth the money.

Fishing

• Fishing from the beaches at the state parks between 5 and 8 p.m. is an option. The hotel beaches are too crowded.
  
• The Russell-Fields Pier is only $7, with poles and gear available for rent.
  
• Family Tradition Charters have good reviews for fishing charters.
  

Day Trips

• Cypress Springs has a water visibility of 100 feet underwater. I’ve never made the time, but it’s on my list. You can kayak, paddleboard, snorkel, or book a guided tour. It’s a 35-minute drive from Panama City in Vernon, and I would not go on a weekend because it’s packed with people.
  
• Destin is an hour away and is packed with shopping and restaurant options, such as Boshamps and Fudpuckers. The Destin Travel Guide will provide all the insider information. Am I going to drive into Destin from PC? No, but my guys are not shoppers.
  

• 30A’s charming Seaside is my favorite beach town, and I have several travel guides on 30A. Stroll through the shops and eat at Airstream Row or The Great Southern. The real magic of Seaside is renting bikes and exploring. For vacation memories to hold a little magic and a sense of HOME, explore Iconic Seaside and the funky Grayton Beach.
  

Restaurants

The restaurant options are endless, and everyone has their favorites.

• Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant is PC Royalty, which opened in 1967 and has the awards to prove it. America’s Top 50 Restaurants and Best Seafood Restaurant are just a couple,and Capt. Anderson’s is in the Restaurant Hall of Fame. The restaurant is always improving and serves the freshest seafood.
  

• Pineapple Willy’s is famous and serves the best ribs on the beach.
• Pier Park has The Back Porch, Pompano Joe’s, and The Yard for dessert.
• Runaway Island has the best beach views, reservations are available, and I can walk here from my hotel, so it makes my list. I love all their RUNAWAY reasons, too!

“Life is short. RUNAWAY!”

• The Yard is the best milkshake bar.
• Thomas Donut & Snack Shop has been providing the best donuts since 1971. They also serve burgers, sandwiches, and ice cream.
  
• Schooner’s is a laid-back, live music, open-air beach bar focused on fresh seafood.
• Local Steamer Seafood Market for crab legs.
• Sharkey’s is a beachfront restaurant with live entertainment and classic seafood.
  
• Angelo’s Steak Pit is a PC tradition that opened in 1958. I almost didn’t list it because I don’t want a longer wait. I’m not sure you even vacationed in PC without eating at Angelo’s. If you go to the zoo in the afternoon, eat at Angelo’s on the same street for dinner.
  

Lodging

If you think the restaurant choices are endless, wait until you look at the hotel and condo options. Many condo units are over 20 stories tall, with long elevator waits, so keep that in mind when making your selection. It’s cheaper to stay across the street from the beach. Crossing a busy road with beach gear and children is not even an option for me because it’s dangerous.

• I stay at the Club Wyndham PCB South Beach Access because it offers 2-3 bedroom oceanfront condos, and the lots next to them are empty, so there’s plenty of beach space. Restaurants within walking distance are Runaway Island, Local Steamer, Moe’s Original BBQ, and Sharkey’s. Not fighting traffic is always a win with me. It’s a timeshare, so be prepared to be harassed.
  

• Moonspinner condos are next to the mile of empty beach by St. Andrews’s State Park. They have 2-3 bedroom oceanfront condos and townhouses with the perfect location and low traffic. They have boat parking, and they are only nine stories tall.
  
• Homes near St. Andrews State Park at Beach Access 1 and 2 also have low beach crowds. Beach access 44-50 is for houses, and staying a block from the beach in a house is a perfect idea.
  
• The ocean-front Hampton Inn near Gulf World is a good option.
  
• Carillon Beach houses are almost on 30A and feel like a 30A community.
  
• Edgewater and Emerald Beach Resort are the biggest and most well-known condo providers. They are huge, and my friends love their pools and dining options.
  
• If you are looking for a cheap, 2-star weekend hotel, we have stayed at Sugar Sands several times.
  
• The Sunnyside housing community is a step outside PCB, and the beaches aren’t as crowded. We have rented a house here and loved it.
  

Comparing PC, Destin & 30A

Panama City suits my t-shirt, blue jean shorts, and extra-casual family. Alvin’s Island and dozens of souvenir shops are a little tacky up and down the strip. Panama City is laid-back, and the town isn’t pretty. PC has less crowded beaches, more activities, and better traffic flow than Destin (it depends on the time, I know). I prefer PC to Destin because I HATE crowded beaches.

If you are more of a khaki and collared shirt family, then move on down to Destin. Destin feels a little more upscale than PC and has more shopping options. However, Destin’s beaches are more crowded because numerous hotels are located off the beach and have four 30-story towers for a beachfront resort. The traffic lights feel like they are every 100 feet in Destin, making traffic worse.

In my book, 30A is better than Destin and PC. The best is always expensive. Seaside and Grayton Beach are two of the best beach towns in America, so it’s hard to compete with them. The drawback to 30A is being able to afford an ocean-view house. Some people consider fewer shops, restaurants, and activities a negative, but not me. Some 30A towns can be crowded, so choose your 30A town carefully. Escape to visit the small, unique 16 beach towns between Destin and Panama City, known as 30A, FL. For vacation memories to hold a little magic and a sense of HOME, explore Iconic Seaside and the funky Grayton Beach. The Ultimate Guide to Alabama Beaches offers affordable beach options.

Thanks for reading my Insider’s Travel Guide to Panama City Florida. Come on over and make memories on the white sandy beaches of Panama City! I’ve included other beach trip options below.