The beaches in Panama City cover 27 miles of gorgeous shoreline with over 100 access points. There’s nothing quite like the soft, white, sugary sand between your toes, the sun bouncing off the brilliant shades of blue ocean, and listening to the waves crash onto the shore. While all 27 miles of beach are majestic, there are variations in the coast making it easy for you to find the ideal spot. There are beaches for families, collecting shells, going on excursions, snorkeling, or enjoying isolated quiet. Each beach is unique, so you may want to visit them all. Here are some favorites.
Panama City Beach And Pier
Location: 16101 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, Florida
Panama City Beach is at the heart of the oceanfront lifestyle. An active and popular beach, it’s lined with over 100 shops and restaurants. This is a great first beach to visit on your trip to Panama City since it’s centrally-located and home to the landmark Russell-Fields Pier. The beach itself has perfect sand for building sandcastles and clear blue water for swimming and surfing. The pier has a small $3 daily fee, runs 1,500 feet into the Gulf of Mexico, and is an excellent place to go fishing or take a sunset walk.
Shell Island
Location: Take the Shell Island Shuttle out of St. Andrews Park
There is a wide variety of shells and sand dollars on Shell Island, and even the occasional conch. But the beautiful island lends itself to more than shell searching. You can walk around the entire island observing wildlife like deer, crabs, loggerhead sea turtles, and green sea turtles. This island is also ideal for playing in the water and swimming. Pack everything you need for the day, like drinks, food, and sunscreen, because the island is primitive. The easiest way to access the island is a shuttle or ferry from St. Andrews Park. Check the fees and schedules before you go.
Camp Helen State Park
Location: 23937 Panama City Beach Pkwy., Panama City Beach, Florida
Unique from other Panama City Beaches, Camp Helen State Park is ecologically impressive. There is a combination of freshwater from the surrounding lakes and saltwater from the Gulf. If you are looking for bright white sands, natural undisturbed beauty, and a quiet place to relax and read a book, this beach is for you. There is a 183 acre park with activities like birdwatching, fishing, hiking, biking, and swimming. However, there are no lifeguards on duty. The hiking trails pass through various habitats like wetlands, salt marshes, sand pine scrubs, and costal dunes. Don’t miss out on this picturesque beach.
Schooners
Image via Flickr under CC BY 2.0 by kansasphoto
Location: 5121 Gulf Drive, Panama City Beach, Florida
Schooners beach has a laid back yet social vibe. It’s a great spot to join a pick-up volleyball game, chat on the deck of an oceanfront patio with a drink in your hand, or hang out with friends by a bonfire. Schooners restaurant provides the beach with live music and the perfect spot to watch the sunset. A unique bonus: every night at sundown they fire a cannon. The beach is ideal for swimming, surfing, and building sandcastles. There’s even a live webcam where you can view wave conditions or see how crowded the beach is before you go.
St. Andrews State Park
Location: 4607 State Park Lane, Panama City Beach, Florida
Formerly a military reservation turned state park, St. Andrews is for water sport enthusiasts. There’s a large variety of ocean activities all in one spot, like snorkeling, scuba diving, kayaking, and canoeing. The sugar sand, jade water, and calm shallows behind the jetties are perfect for water activities. There’s also a concession stand and pavilion for a shaded picnic. Local rent shops provide a way to rent water equipment or bikes for the nature trails. There’s lots of wildlife for fishing and birdwatching. If you want to stay overnight, full facility campsites are available. The park has an entrance fee.
Dog Beach
Location: 16230 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, Florida
If your dog came with you on your Panama City vacation, then you’ll love this pet-friendly beach. Dog Beach is easy to locate near the Russell-Fields Pier and is over 400 feet long. You and your pup will appreciate the white sand while soaking up the sun and stretching your legs. The oceanfront area, devoted to dogs and their owners, is great to visit both in the hot summer months or the cooler off-season months. Remember to pack extra essentials like water for your thirsty pup on hot days, a leash, a towel for sandy paws, and clean-up bags.
Rick Stelzer Park
Location: 7419 Thomas Drive, Panama City Beach, Florida
If you want to see natural sand dunes, then the public beach access at Rick Stelzer Park is for you. The almost 5-acre park has a section of undeveloped beach with gulf dune systems for preservation and education. Interactive educational displays show how the dunes and beach environment interact. The beach and park have picnic areas, swimming, park benches, and restroom facilities. A nice perk is how secluded the beach feels, even though it’s close to shopping and restaurants. Rick Stelzer Park is worth visiting, if only for a couple hours.
M.B. Miller Pier
Location: 12213 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach, Florida
The M.B. Miller Pier and the surrounding beach is super family friendly. This oceanfront stretch has lots of public beach access spots and many options for lodging accommodations. There are lots of beach activities like sandcastle building competitions, sand volleyball and beach yoga. There is a small daily fee for access to the pier, but it’s one of the major reasons visitors love this beach. The pier is an excellent place to walk along and watch the sunset or go fishing during the day. The pier office provides day fishing licenses, bait, and rod rentals for anglers.
Here at Panama City Toyota, we love spending quality time at the beach. There’s nothing better than soaking up the sun on sandy white beaches, swimming through the waves, and feeling the cool ocean breeze. With so many beaches to choose from, we’d love to hear about your favorite Panama City beach so we can add it to our list. Contact us today!
