Beach Overview:
Panama City Beach, Florida, is renowned for its pure white sand, which is
actually finely ground quartz crystals, washed down from the Appalachian Mountains.
For spring breakers, Panama City Beach is a culmination of your mom's worst nightmare
and the reason why half a million college students revisit each year. MTV choose
Panama City Beach to film its official annual coverage of Spring Break Vacation.
For those turned off by drunken, half-naked college students, Panama City Beach
offers activities like sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling and fishing on 27 miles
of sun and sand shoreline.
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Accommodations: Panama City Beach, Florida,
offers over 20,000 lodging options at many beach resorts, beach hotels, beach
motels, beach rental condos or beach vacation townhouses. Prices range from budget
motels to pricier resorts and are identified by West Panama City Beach, East Panama
City Beach and Middle Panama City Beach areas. If you plan to visit Florida's
Panama City Beach during Spring Break Vacation book early! Try the Panama City
Chamber of Commerce for tourist information.
Follow Hwy-98 fifty miles
west from Apalachicola and you'll hit the orgy of motels, go-kart tracks, mini-golf
courses and amusement parks that is Panama City Beach.
This beach is entirely
without pretension, but it capitalizes blatantly on the appeal of its 27-mile
stretch of white sand.
The whole place is as commercial as can be, but
with the shops, bars and restaurants all trying to undercut one another, there
are some great bargains to be found. That said, throughout the lively summer,
accommodation costs are high and bookings essential. In winter, prices drop and
visitors are fewer; most are Canadians and - increasingly - Europeans, many of
whom have no problems sunbathing and swimming in the cool temperatures. Getting
a tan, running yourself ragged at beach sports and going hammer-and-tongs at the
nightlife are the main concerns in Panama City Beach. Some boating excursions
take you to unbridged Shell Island for shelling, beaching and snorkeling totally
away from it all. The island is part of St. Andrews State Park, and a shuttle
departs from its docks for the short ride across the pass, rich with fish and
other marine life. Snorkel equipment is available for rent. The park also offers
beaching, fishing piers gulfside and bayside, camping, a historic turpentine still
exhibit, and nature trails. Other popular beach accesses are the expanding
Aaron Bessant Park, across from Dan Russell Pier, and M.B. Miller County Pier,
where the fishing is fine. The town’s beaches consistently rank high for
their fishing, cleanliness, surfing waves, and pure vacation value. The beach’s
best attractions lie along Front Beach Road, including Coconut Creek Family Fun
Park, Museum of Man and the Sea and Gulf World Marine Park, which does educational
shows and dolphin encounters. Seaside restaurants serve fresh fish and
Southern specialties. Bars and clubs keep the nightlife lively, especially during
the popular ritual known as spring break. Ocean Opry Music and Comedy Show provides
another sort of entertainment, everything from country to gospel, with big-name
guest stars. Shops sell souvenirs ranging from T-shirts and tattoos to African
art and resort clothing. Stop at Alvin’s Island, an attraction and gift shop
in one. Accommodations range from cozy mom-pop places to family resorts and swanky
condominiums.Visit Junior Museum – The Adventure Place for hands-on enlightenment
that focuses on science, history, cultural studies and the environment. Outdoors,
a nature trail through swampland and a pioneer farm further the educational mission.
Then drive to the heart of the city, to its historic downtown along Harrison
Avenue and in the Old St. Andrews neighborhood. Church bells chime the time and
old buildings hold boutiques, galleries and fun-to-browse downtown shops and eateries,
including a hot dog place and an antique mall. Take in a play at the Historic
Martin Theatre and stroll around MacKenzie Park, site of summer concerts. Find
more theater and arts on the waterfront at the Visual Arts Center and the Marina
Civic Center. St. Andrews, the bayfront’s original settlement, lures
visitors with unusual shops, salty restaurants and a bustling marina full of shrimping
and fishing boats. It is stage for the annual holiday Boat Parade of Lights. In
April, the neighborhood celebrates its sea bounty with a Shrimp & Oyster Festival.
A cycling tour visits historic buildings and sites dating back to 1886. Hop on
the Bay Town Trolley to explore the county. Entertainment awaits in the form of
bowling, ice skating, greyhound racing, helicopter rides, superlative golf and
nature and heritage exploration.
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Here List of Beaches at Panama City Beach | 
