Twenty minutes from the high-rises of Panama City Beach, across the Hathaway Bridge, Historic St. Andrews moves at a completely different speed. This is Panama City’s original bayfront village, settled in the late 1820s, where Beck Avenue runs down to St. Andrews Bay past oyster bars, a century-old brick print shop and a working marina full of fishing boats. Hurricane Michael hit the neighborhood hard in 2018, and its steady comeback is part of the reason to visit. Here is how to spend a day in St. Andrews, from Saturday market to sunset on the bay.
Quick answer
- Oysters: Hunt’s Oyster Bar & Seafood, serving Beck Avenue since 1966.
- Sunset dinner: Uncle Ernie’s Bayfront Grill & Brew House or Alice’s on Bayview.
- Saturday morning: The Market at St. Andrews in Oaks by the Bay Park, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- History: the Panama City Publishing Company Museum in a 1920 brick building.
- On the water: fishing, sailing and dive charters from St. Andrews Marina.
- Drive time: about 20 to 25 minutes from Pier Park and about an hour and a half from Destin.
A quick history
St. Andrews is the oldest part of Panama City. The first European settlement here dates to between 1827 and 1832, and the village lived on fishing, salt making and visitors who came for sea bathing. Salt works on the bay supplied Confederate forces during the Civil War, and Union raids destroyed the town in 1863. St. Andrews came back, incorporated as a town in 1908 and was annexed into Panama City in the mid-1920s. The waterfront was rebuilt again after Hurricane Michael, and today it is a state-designated Waterfronts Florida community.
Start at the museum
The Panama City Publishing Company Museum on Beck Avenue is the best first stop. The 1920 building, described by the state as the first brick building in St. Andrews, once printed the area’s early newspapers, and inside you’ll find original presses and the story of George West, credited as the founder of Panama City. Pick up a historic trail map of the neighborhood before you leave. The museum is open 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Saturday at the market
If you can, come on a Saturday. The Market at St. Andrews sets up year-round from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Oaks by the Bay Park at the foot of Beck Avenue, with produce, local honey, sauces, art, jewelry and woodwork. The park itself is worth the stop any day of the week. Its Sentry Oak is estimated at nearly 300 years old and survived Hurricane Michael, and a boardwalk and observation platform look out over the bay.
Where to eat
- Hunt’s Oyster Bar & Seafood: a bright yellow Beck Avenue landmark since 1966, with raw, baked and fried oysters and an upstairs deck overlooking the bay. Closed Sundays.
- Uncle Ernie’s Bayfront Grill & Brew House: Gulf grouper and sunset views from wraparound verandas on the bay, with live music. It reopened in 2020, two years to the day after Hurricane Michael.
- Alice’s on Bayview: Southern cooking across from the marina, including grouper piccata, she-crab soup and key lime pie, plus weekend brunch.
- The Grocery Kitchen & Taproom: Southern and Cajun food in a 1928 grocery building, with more than 25 craft beers on draft, live music in the garden Wednesday through Saturday and beignets at Sunday brunch. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
- St. Andrews Slice House: 18-inch pies sold by the slice, with dozens of creative combinations. An easy lunch with kids.
- FINNS Island Style Grub: grilled tacos, bowls and ceviche, mostly outdoors, next to the Little Village boutique.
For coffee, Amavida Coffee Roasters pours organic, fair trade coffee on West 10th Street, between Beck Avenue and the marina.
Get out on the bay
St. Andrews Marina is a city-run working marina and home port for commercial fishing boats and fishing, sailing and dive charters. It was reduced to debris by Hurricane Michael, and the first 50 new slips opened in April 2024. More work, including a new bulkhead and additional slips, was approved in 2026, so expect some construction. Even without a charter, the docks are a nice place to watch boats come in, and the Bayview Avenue boardwalk nearby leads to the Pelican Tree, a carved live oak that is a favorite sunset photo spot.
A perfect Saturday in St. Andrews
- 8:30 a.m.: coffee at Amavida.
- 9 a.m.: The Market at St. Andrews and a walk to the Sentry Oak.
- 10:30 a.m.: the Publishing Company Museum, then a stroll up Beck Avenue with the trail map.
- Noon: oysters at Hunt’s, or a slice at the Slice House.
- Afternoon: a charter from the marina, or a pint in the garden at The Grocery.
- Sunset: dinner on the deck at Uncle Ernie’s, then a walk to the Pelican Tree.
Getting there
From Panama City Beach, take U.S. 98 across the Hathaway Bridge and turn south on Beck Avenue toward the bay. It is about 20 to 25 minutes from Pier Park, about an hour from Seaside and about an hour and a half from Destin. Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP) is about 40 minutes away. Parking is easiest early in the day, before the lunch crowd reaches the waterfront.
Tips for visiting
- Pick your day. Saturday brings the market and full museum hours. Hunt’s is closed Sunday, The Grocery is closed Monday and Tuesday, and the museum is closed Sunday and Monday.
- Come for sunset. Sunset over the bay is the neighborhood’s nightly show, and the waterfront restaurants fill up before the sun goes down.
- Bring cash for the market. Some smaller vendors prefer it.
Historic St. Andrews FAQ
Is St. Andrews part of Panama City Beach? No. It is a neighborhood of Panama City, across the Hathaway Bridge from Panama City Beach, on St. Andrews Bay rather than the Gulf.
What is St. Andrews known for? Oysters and seafood, its working marina, the Saturday market under the live oaks and the historic buildings on Beck Avenue.
When is The Market at St. Andrews? Every Saturday, year-round, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Oaks by the Bay Park.
Is there a beach in St. Andrews? There is a small bayside beach with wading access at Oaks by the Bay Park, but for the Gulf, head back over the bridge to Panama City Beach.
Planning the rest of your trip? See our guides to things to do in Panama City Beach, the best restaurants in Panama City Beach and Grand Lagoon fishing charters, or browse our Historic St. Andrews area page.
Featured photo: Uncle Ernie’s Bayfront Grill.