Panama city beach vacation guide
Panama City Beach is the best place for a vacation. If you are looking to getaway, Panama City Beach is the perfect place for you. With beautiful beaches, water sports and other fun activities, this city has it all.
This paradise is located on the Gulf Coast of Florida and offers year-round activities. The warm weather makes Panama City Beach a great choice for those looking to escape cold winter temperatures while still enjoying sunshine and sunshine every day.
If you’re looking for a relaxing beach vacation with your family or friends, then Panama City Beach is the place for you. With plenty of hotels and resorts to choose from, there will be no shortage of options available when booking your stay in this beautiful city!
Panama city beach vacation guide
Things to do in Panama city beach
Walk on Russell-Fields Pier
Russell-Fields Pier, just across the street from Pier Park, juts out 1,500 feet into the sea. This pier, one of the longest along the entire Gulf of Mexico, is an excellent place to wander out to soak up amazing views up and down the coast. It’s also a popular place to visit to catch the sunset.
Look over the side of the pier as you walk out to the end. There’s a good chance that you’ll see a passing dolphin or perhaps a manta ray skimming along the bottom. The pier attracts all kinds of birdlife, from pelicans to gulls, right through to herons. These patient avian observers stand at the ready to help out the fishermen in exchange for a piece of bait.
If you are into fishing, the pier is one of the best spots in Panama City to try your luck. Some of the common catches are pompano, mullet, grouper, cobia, and many others, depending on the season. A small admission fee is charged to access the pier and is good for the day. A higher fee is charged to fish.
Gulf World Marine Park
Gulf World Marine Park is one of Panama City Beach’s top fun family attractions. The park has all kinds of sea life and free daily shows featuring dolphins, sea lions, and a variety of birds. Park residents include alligators, penguins, sharks, and many other exciting critters.
The park also offers exclusive hands-on and interactive experiences, including a 20,000-gallon stingray pool where visitors can not only pet the smooth, graceful fish but actually get to wade in the pool and snorkel beside them.
Interactive programs include the ever-popular swimming with the dolphins and the opportunity to get up close with adorable harbor seals or participate in a sea lion training session. If you’ve ever wanted to get a wet, sloppy kiss from a dolphin, this is the place to do it.
St. Andrews State Park and Shell Island
St. Andrews State Park is a diverse area with a little of everything when it comes to beach activities along the Gulf of Mexico. Featuring shallow, protected areas for a relaxing swim or snorkel, and sections with larger waves for playing in, St. Andrews is the perfect place for anyone looking to enjoy the beach and ocean.
One of the most popular things to do in this park is exploring Shell Island, a 700-acre barrier island with a glorious stretch of beach. The Shell Island Shuttle runs every half hour during the summer, picking up and dropping off passengers. You can also rent a pontoon boat to get to Shell Island, a great option for families who want to explore the island at their own pace and do some snorkeling.
St. Andrews State Park is a popular place to camp, with 60 sites, all with water and electricity. Maximum RV size is 45 feet. The state is in the midst of a significant upgrade to the campground facilities. This project is expected to be finished at some point in 2022.
Go Boating, Kayaking, Canoeing, and Stand Up Paddleboarding
To add a little fun and excitement to your holiday, boat tours are a great way to see some marine life, access snorkeling sites, or do some sailing. Excursions range from dolphin sightseeing tours to Sea-Doo, canoe, kayak, and stand up paddleboard rentals.
Fishing charters are offered by several companies, and catamaran sailing trips are also popular, particularly sunset sails. For families, the Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise is a kid’s themed pirate ship with two-hour sailings and on-board activities for children. Again, many of these are season specific and are not offered in the low season, and reservations are highly recommended.
A particularly good boat excursion is the Sunset Catamaran Sail, popular with families but also an incredibly romantic outing for couples. The sail departs late in the afternoon on a Privateer catamaran, and guests can enjoy a complimentary beverage while enjoying the ambiance of island music and keeping an eye out for dolphins. As the sun goes down, passengers get an unparalleled view of the colors as it dips beneath the horizon over the Gulf.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
The newly renovated Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is a great rainy day outing or a break from the sun, and one of the more quirky things to do in Panama City Beach.
This facility, designed in the shape of a ship, has four main attractions: the Odditorium, with traditional Ripley’s oddities; the 7D Moving Theatre, which is more of a ride than just a movie-watching experience; the Impossible LaseRace, with a laser obstacle course; and the Marvelous Mirror Maze, where lights and creatively placed mirrors make finding your way out more than just a minor challenge.
Ticket prices vary depending on what attractions you want to participate in, but combo tickets for all four attractions are available.
Shipwreck Island Park
On a hot summer day, this water park is a welcome treat, with a lazy river, raging river, and wave pool, as well as all kinds of water-based rides and slides. One of the highlights of a visit here is the short zipline that whizzes you above a pool before unceremoniously dropping you when you least expect it.
Skull Island features a family pool with a kiddie slide, racing slide, and a giant tipping bucket, while Tadpole Hole is a children’s pool with activities for younger kids. Shipwreck Island has been in business here for decades and is a great family outing, designed to satisfy children of all ages.
Next door, Goofy Golf is a fun place to play while you dry off, home to two 18-hole mini-golf courses. A local family attraction since 1959, it is also one of the least expensive family attractions on the Miracle Strip and doubles as a play-park with huge statues that children can play on and climb.
Coconut Creek Family Fun Park
An outing to Coconut Creek Family Fun Park is a great off-the-beach option for families visiting with children. The park has mini-golf, with two 18-hole courses, and a large outdoor maze.
The mini-golf courses are two of the best in town, with extensive water features and enormous African animal statues. If you’ve never had the experience of being in a giant maze, the outdoor version here will more than fulfill the need. Viewing platforms over the maze let observers watch the action from above.
In the same vicinity are Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!, in the design of a ship, and WonderWorks, with their signature upside down building.
Other nearby family attractions include Race City, a carnival-style amusement park with ticketed rides, including a Ferris wheel, bumper boats, and kiddie rides. Cobra Adventure Park is a smaller family park, which offers mini-golf and a roller coaster for younger children, and both parks feature go-karts, thrill rides, and video game arcades.
Panama city beach vacation deals
Hotel Effie Sandestin
5 out of 5
Price was $1,095, price is now $963 per person$1,095
$963
per person
Sep 22 – Sep 27
Roundtrip non-stop flight included
Dallas (DFW) to Fort Walton Beach (VPS)
Stay at this 5-star luxury hotel in Miramar Beach. Enjoy free WiFi, a golf course, and a full-service spa. Our guests praise the clean rooms in our reviews. Popular attractions Destin Commons and Grand Boulevard Town Center are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews for Hotel Effie Sandestin along with the latest prices and availability – book now.
Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa
4 out of 5
Price was $917, price is now $808 per person$917
$808
per person
Aug 26 – Aug 28
Roundtrip non-stop flight included
Dallas (DAL) to Fort Walton Beach (VPS)
Stay at this 4-star beach resort in Miramar Beach. Enjoy free WiFi, 2 outdoor pools, and 5 restaurants. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular attractions Destin Commons and Grand Boulevard Town Center are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews for Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa along with the latest prices and availability – book now.
Embarc Sandestin
3 out of 5
Price was $801, price is now $720 per person$801
$720
per person
Sep 15 – Sep 19
Roundtrip non-stop flight included
Dallas (DFW) to Fort Walton Beach (VPS)
Stay at this 3-star golf aparthotel in Miramar Beach. Enjoy free WiFi, a fitness center, and a 24-hour front desk. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in our reviews. Popular attractions Destin Commons and Grand Boulevard Town Center are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews for Embarc Sandestin along with the latest prices and availability – book now.
The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa
5 out of 5
Price was $1,143, price is now $1,057 per person$1,143
$1,057
per person
Sep 2 – Sep 4
Roundtrip flight included
Dallas (DFW) to Fort Walton Beach (VPS)
Stay at this 5-star luxury resort in Destin. Enjoy free WiFi, 2 outdoor pools, and 4 restaurants. Our guests praise the pool and the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular attractions Destin Harbor Boardwalk and Destin Commons are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews for The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa, in Crystal Beach neighborhood, along with the latest prices and availability – book now.
Destin Holiday Beach Resort
3 out of 5
Price was $702, price is now $661 per person$702
$661
per person
Aug 22 – Aug 25
Roundtrip non-stop flight included
Dallas (DFW) to Fort Walton Beach (VPS)
Stay at this 3-star beach condo in Destin. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and a beach locale. Popular attractions Destin Harbor Boardwalk and Henderson Beach State Park are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews for Destin Holiday Beach Resort along with the latest prices and availability – book now.
Embassy Suites Hotel Destin Miramar Beach
3.5 out of 5
Price was $969, price is now $915 per person$969
$915
per person
Aug 26 – Aug 28
Roundtrip non-stop flight included
Dallas (DAL) to Fort Walton Beach (VPS)
Stay at this 3.5-star beach hotel in Miramar Beach. Enjoy free breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking. Our guests praise the clean rooms in our reviews. Popular attractions Destin Commons and Henderson Beach State Park are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews for Embassy Suites Hotel Destin Miramar Beach along with the latest prices and availability – book now.
Pelican Beach Resort & Conference Center
3 out of 5
Price was $1,215, price is now $1,148 per person$1,215
$1,148
per person
Oct 2 – Oct 6
Roundtrip non-stop flight included
St. Louis (STL) to Fort Walton Beach (VPS)
Stay at this 3-star beach aparthotel in Destin. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and 3 outdoor pools. Our guests praise the comfy beds and the overall value in our reviews. Popular attractions Destin Harbor Boardwalk and Henderson Beach State Park are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews for Pelican Beach Resort & Conference Center along with the latest prices and availability – book now.
