Dear NEXT TRAVELER to Panama City & Panama City Beach!
Highlights/Recommendations:
1. Panama City Beach – St. Andrews State Park
2. Shell Island
3. Pier Park shopping & SkyWheel
4. Schooners Restaurant – “last local beach club”
5. Captain Anderson’s restaurant & boat tours & fishing charters
6. Shipwreck Island
7. Cruise the Strip activities – Coconut Creek mini golf & gran maze, go-karts, WonderWorks, and ZooWorld
8. Panama City Downtown Marina & antique shopping
9. Beach Drive
The beach. I have been to beaches on the west coast, the east coast, Mexico, the Caribbean & Central America and I can honestly say that on the PERFECT BEACH DAY when all the elements line up with the most gorgeous mix of blue and green water, the perfect water temperature and the sugar white sand with powder-like consistency I haven’t been to a beach any better than Panama City Beach. I know that’s saying a lot and admit that sometimes the perfect beach day conditions don’t always line up. However, I would still take my chances on a beach day in Panama City Beach. There are different areas to access the beach and the Gulf and some are better suited to what you are looking for.
If I am planning a longer day at the beach and especially if I have my children with me, St. Andrews State Park is my favorite location. The state park does require an entrance fee and often during peak times, it will fill up. During those peak times, be sure to arrive no later than mid-morning. The park opens at 8 am and closes at sundown. It’s $8 per vehicle to enter. The biggest advantage are the bathrooms and the showers. It’s always nice after a full day at the beach to shower off the sand and salt water before the drive back to your home or condo. If I only have a couple hours to enjoy the beach, I usually take advantage of any of the many beach access points from 98/Front Beach Rd. Some of the access points are a little better than others for better parking or showers. My favorite one is Rick Seltzer Park. It has good free parking, restrooms, outdoor showers and a gazebo.
Shell Island. If you can take a boat to Shell Island, it’s a great way to spend the day on a beautiful island with not quite as many tourists. Shell Island is 7 miles long and undeveloped. It’s beautiful and more remote with wildlife but no concessions or restrooms. There are several ferry options.
Pier Park. At the west end of Panama City Beach is a huge shopping district full of the best shops, outdoor mall, entertainment options including an IMAX theater and ferris wheel & great restaurants. It’s called Pier Park because of the close proximity to a fantastic pier out into the gulf.
When I am visiting Panama City, I love when there is time to have lunch at Schooners. I’ve been having lunch and an occasional dinner there for 30 years. The food is always delicious with fresh seafood and so many options. I love that the restaurant is directly on the beach. I love to linger after eating and take in the views of the gulf. From the Schooners website: “lunch is awesome. Dinner is awesome. The beach is awesome. The sunsets are awesome. As a matter of fact, this just might be the best place on the planet.” I couldn’t agree more!
Captain Andersons is the place when you want to feel a little fancy for dinner but want a good meal with lots of options for fresh seafood. The dinners are always amazing. Captain Andersons Marina also offers boat tours and fishing charters. We have never been disappointed with the fishing charters through Captain Anderson.
Shipwreck Island Water Park. I’ve been visiting this water park for over 30 years. The Lazy River is the best way to relax and cool off at the hottest part of the day. The waterpark has plenty to offer for all ages but not so big that the older kids can’t go play and you meet up. My favorite ride as a teenager was the Rapids and that’s probably still true…just a few years later.
Beach Activities. On Front Beach Road and Thomas Drive are plenty of activities to keep everyone busy. Coconut Creek mini golf & gran maze is always so much fun. There’s (3) 18-hole mini-golf courses and a huge gran maze about the size of a football field that you can navigate your way out of.
Hidden Lagoon Golf & Racetrack is one of our favorite places to ride go karts. There are several places on Panama City Beach – find your favorite!
WonderWorks has an upside down house, laser tag & a ropes course.
ZooWorld – interactive zoo where you can feed several zoo animals including goats, ponies, sheep, llama, cows and an exotic deer. You can join an up-close experience and meet a capybara or a lemur, wade with gators, kiss a kangaroo joey or pet a sloth! If you have pet lovers in your group, this is a must!
Panama City Downtown Marina & Antique Shopping. The downtown marina was destroyed in 2018 by Hurricane Michael. The city has rebuilt the marina and its even better. It’s a great place to see the bay that feeds into the gulf. You can fish from the pier. There is an Indigo Hotel on the marina pier. During the day there is a water playground and at night you can go for a ride in the glow in the dark kayaks – Glow Float.
There are some great antique stores in the downtown area of Panama City. Most of them are on Harrison Avenue which is the main street through downtown. My top favorites are: The Antique Cottage (903 Harrison Ave) and Main Street Antiques on Harrison (535 Harrison Ave). There are always plenty of vintage finds.
Beach Drive. I honestly don’t feel like my visit to Panama City is complete if I haven’t been down Beach Drive. This small strip of 98 is so nostalgic for me. When I was a teenager and new at driving, I learned to take this road to avoid some of the traffic on 15th Street. Not only was the road less crowded but the views were incredible. On the left you could see the water of the bay and on the right you could see the beautiful homes and historic mansions of the area. If I’m planning a trip to downtown Panama City, you better believe I’m going to get there driving down Beach Drive.
Next Traveler 