Sterling Reef

Sterling Reef is a 22-story Gulf-front condominium at 12011 Front Beach Road in central Panama City Beach. Completed in 2005, the coral-colored tower sits a few minutes’ walk from the M.B. Miller County Pier, one of the two public fishing piers on the beach, and about three and a half miles east of Pier Park.

The building has about 126 units, all two- or three-bedroom plans. Two-bedroom condos are about 1,075 square feet and three-bedroom units about 1,600 square feet, and floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors give most rooms a Gulf view. Units have full kitchens and washer and dryer, and parking is covered with garage spaces.

The centerpiece of the pool deck is a bi-level pool, heated seasonally, with a waterfall connecting the two levels. A fitness center, a clubhouse, a media room and a game room are on site, and a sky terrace on an upper level has grills and picnic space with a view over the beach. The resort offers on-site check-in, and beach and watersports rentals operate on the sand in season. Pets are allowed by the association, though individual owners set their own rules, and garage parking keeps cars out of the sun.

Shipwreck Island Waterpark is a short drive away, and the attractions of Front Beach Road, including Ripley’s Believe It or Not! and WonderWorks, are east of the building. The County Pier is a good spot for sunset walks and fishing, and Pier Park is an easy drive west. Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is about 30 minutes away.

Units at Sterling Reef are individually owned and rented through their owners and several rental companies, so furnishings, bed layouts, parking rules and extras such as seasonal beach chair service vary from one unit to the next. Its larger two- and three-bedroom plans and family-friendly pool suit families and groups who want a central base near the pier.