Panama City Beach is the big, busy east end of the Emerald Coast: miles of white sand, two long fishing piers, an open-air shopping district and a working fleet of charter boats. It’s also more varied than its reputation. Spend a few days and you’ll find a state park with some of the clearest water on the coast, an undeveloped barrier island you can only reach by boat, 24 miles of free hiking trails and a quiet west end that feels a world away from Front Beach Road.
Here’s how to spend your time in Panama City Beach, with links to our deeper guides.
Quick answer: the Panama City Beach short list
- Swim and snorkel at the jetties in St. Andrews State Park.
- Take a boat to Shell Island and look for dolphins on the way.
- Go deep sea fishing from Grand Lagoon.
- Walk the Russell-Fields City Pier, then spend an evening at Pier Park.
- Catch the sunset cannon at Schooners.
- With kids, save a rainy day for WonderWorks and Ripley’s.
Getting your bearings
Panama City Beach runs about 27 miles along the Gulf, and it helps to think of it in three parts.
- The east end, around Thomas Drive, has Grand Lagoon, where the charter boats leave from, and St. Andrews State Park at the pass.
- The middle, along the Front Beach Road corridor, is the classic strip of high-rises, beach bars and attractions, centered on Pier Park and the City Pier.
- The west end, around Laguna Beach and Carillon Beach, is quieter and more residential, bordering Walton County and 30A.
The beaches
St. Andrews State Park, at the east end, is the local favorite: about a mile and a half of beach on the Gulf and Grand Lagoon, with rock jetties that make a calm, protected area for swimming and snorkeling, plus fishing piers and a campground. It’s open from 8 a.m. to sunset year-round. Shell Island, across the pass, is seven miles of undeveloped barrier island with a resident pod of bottlenose dolphins, reachable only by boat. In the middle of town, the Russell-Fields City Pier runs 1,500 feet into the Gulf across from Pier Park, and the M.B. Miller County Pier farther west is open 24 hours.
A few rules to know: dogs are allowed only on the dog beach beside the City Pier, glass is banned year-round, and alcohol isn’t allowed on the sand in March. Our Panama City Beach beaches guide covers every beach, fee and rule, and the beach warning flags guide is worth two minutes before you swim.
Get out on the water
Panama City Beach’s boats leave from Grand Lagoon, not the beach. Capt. Anderson’s Marina, run by the same family since Captain Charlie Anderson launched his first headboat in 1935, has headboat trips from five to twelve hours and dozens of private charters at its docks. Catch It Fishing Charters & Tours runs deep sea trips and dolphin tours.
For dolphins and Shell Island, Adventures at Sea and Sunshine Watersports PC run tours and rent jet skis, and Adventures at Sea rents double-decker pontoons with slides. AAA Jet Ski Rentals and Tours, near the Hathaway Bridge, runs guided dolphin tours too. On the Gulf side, Easy E Watersports rents jet skis, paddleboards and kayaks right from the sand at Beach Access 21. Our Grand Lagoon fishing charters and dolphin tours guide has the details.
Pier Park
Pier Park is Panama City Beach’s unofficial downtown: an open-air district with about 120 stores and restaurants, a movie theater and the 200-foot PCB Wheel, across the street from the City Pier. Dave & Buster’s, Topgolf and Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show are all right there too. It’s the easy answer for an evening out, a rainy afternoon or a break from the sun.
Family attractions
On the east end of Front Beach Road, WonderWorks (the upside-down building) and Ripley’s Believe It or Not! sit side by side and are open year-round, and Coconut Creek Family Fun Park, with three mini golf courses and a giant maze, is steps away. In summer, Shipwreck Island Waterpark adds more than 40 slides, pools and a lazy river. It’s closed for the 2026 season and reopens next summer. See family fun in Panama City Beach for the full rundown.
Beyond the beach
- Conservation Park: 2,900 acres off Panama City Beach Parkway with 24 miles of trails and more than a mile of boardwalk through cypress domes. It’s free, open dawn to dusk, and leashed dogs are welcome.
- Man in the Sea Museum: a diving history museum on Panama City Beach Parkway built around SEALAB, the Navy’s first experimental underwater habitat from the 1960s. It’s open Wednesday through Saturday.
- Camp Helen State Park: a restored 1940s company resort at the far west end, on Lake Powell, a coastal dune lake at the Walton County line.
- Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show: Dolly Parton’s pirate show opened at Pier Park in 2025, with two full-size pirate ships in an indoor lagoon, acrobatics and a four-course meal.
Where to eat
Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant has been the classic seafood dinner on Grand Lagoon since 1967. Schooners, the Last Local Beach Club, is the sunset spot, with its nightly cannon. Sharky’s has served seafood on the sand since 1986, and Saltwater Grill is the dress-up dinner. Our list of the best restaurants in Panama City Beach has many more.
After dark, Salty Goat Saloon has live music every night with no cover, and Margaritaville at Pier Park keeps the music going late.
Where to stay
- Families: Holiday Inn Resort Panama City Beach and Margaritaville Beach Cottage Resort both have lazy rivers, and Splash Resort has a water-park-style pool.
- Near Pier Park: Embassy Suites by Hilton, opened in 2023 a two-minute walk from the shops.
- Near the boats: Shores of Panama, a 23-story Gulf-front condo resort on Thomas Drive.
- Quiet west end: Wisteria Inn, a 15-room, adults-only inn in Laguna Beach, or Carillon Beach Resort Inn in the gated Carillon Beach village.
A three-day plan
Day 1: the east end. Get to St. Andrews State Park when it opens at 8 a.m., before the lot fills, and snorkel the jetties while the water is calm. Take a late-morning boat to Shell Island. Clean up for dinner at Capt. Anderson’s on Grand Lagoon.
Day 2: on the water. Book a half-day fishing trip or a dolphin tour from Grand Lagoon in the morning. Spend the afternoon on the beach, then walk the City Pier at sunset and finish at Pier Park, with a ride on the PCB Wheel.
Day 3: the quiet side. Walk the boardwalks at Conservation Park while it’s cool, then head west to Camp Helen State Park and Laguna Beach. Pick up a shrimp boil from Squidly’s Seafood on the way back, and end with the sunset cannon at Schooners.
Events worth planning around
Fall is festival season. These 2026 dates come from Visit Panama City Beach and can change, so confirm before you book:
- Oct. 16 to 18: PCB Oktoberfest at Aaron Bessant Park.
- Oct. 21 to 25: Thunder Beach Autumn Rally, when motorcycles fill Front Beach Road.
- Nov. 7: IRONMAN Florida, with the swim in the Gulf at Pier Park. Expect road closures.
- Thanksgiving weekend: Beach Home for the Holidays at Aaron Bessant Park, with concerts, s’mores, fireworks and Santa.
- Dec. 31: the free New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop at Pier Park, with an early kids’ drop and fireworks at midnight.
Getting here and getting around
Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is about 15 minutes from the beachfront, with rental cars, taxis and rideshare. Panama City Beach is spread out, so a car makes life easier; Front Beach Road runs along the Gulf, and Panama City Beach Parkway (U.S. 98) runs parallel inland. Our getting to the Emerald Coast guide covers flights and drives.
When to come
Summer is peak season. March brings spring break crowds (and the no-alcohol-on-the-beach rule), and fall has warm water, thinner crowds, festivals and lower rates. Our best time to visit guide goes month by month.
Panama City Beach FAQ
What is Panama City Beach known for? White-sand beaches, deep sea fishing from Grand Lagoon, Shell Island and St. Andrews State Park, and a lively Front Beach Road strip anchored by Pier Park.
Is Panama City Beach good for families? Yes. Beyond the beach, there’s WonderWorks, Ripley’s, mini golf, dolphin tours and, in summer, Shipwreck Island Waterpark. Resorts with lazy rivers are common.
Is Panama City Beach the same as Panama City? No. Panama City Beach is the beach town on the Gulf; Panama City is the separate city across St. Andrew Bay, reached by the Hathaway Bridge.
What is there to do in Panama City Beach at night? Pier Park is the hub, with the PCB Wheel, Dave & Buster’s, Pirates Voyage and live music at Margaritaville. On the strip, Salty Goat Saloon has music every night.
Browse everything on our Panama City Beach area page.