Things to do in Panama City Beach
Pack your bags lightly for a Florida vacation that's all fun and no fuss
Panama City Beach, a sugar-sand and clear-water paradise in the curve of Florida's Panhandle, is a perfect place to watch cinematic sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico, take a dolphin-spotting tour, charter a fishing boat, hang out on the beach and sample kid-friendly attractions that appeal to the kid in you as well.
Find Your Favorite Beach
A 27-mile crescent of white powder gently slopes into the clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico—heaven's definition of a beach. Why would you want to go anywhere else? Stock up on the strongest sunscreen you can find—white sand reflects the sun fiercely, so you're catching rays from above and below. Grab your boogie board, surfboard, snorkel, pail and shovel, and make a day of it. St. Andrew's and Camp Helen are state parks with unspoiled beaches and modest car access fees. The beaches adjacent to seaside clubs and pubs are lively scenes, with volleyball games and convenient eats. It's all beach, everywhere you look, with nearly 100 access points, some with free public parking.
World Turned Upside-Down
Get out of the sun and into a topsy-turvy house that looks as if it's been dumped upside-down by a hurricane. WonderWorks escaped the Bermuda Triangle and landed on Front Beach Road—with 35,000 square feet of imagination teasers and virtual environments for every age. Lay down on a bed of nails or try out biofeedback games of skill; virtual sports challenges; a bubble lab; a hurricane shack with Category 1-force winds; lightning bolts triggered by your fingertips; a glow-in-the-dark ropes course; a giant piano you play with your feet; and a music wall that fractures into colors and patterns as you dance. It's nonstop madness with stealth science education hidden in every adventure. Go swimming with virtual sharks—even your everything-bores-me teen will smile.
Here, There Be Pirates
Step aboard a pirate brig for a two-hour cruise with a costumed crew, cannons, sword fights, deck swabbing, face painting, pirate tattoos, treasure maps, a sunken treasure, and some shoreline ecology and frequent dolphin sightings for good measure. The Sea Dragon Pirate Cruise is a family-owned operation that caters to kids and gives their minders a waterborne respite, although you can join right in with your best shot in the water-gun fight. Cabin and below-decks space is part of the party and offers some relief from the sun. Book ahead to ensure you get your preferred dates. Leave the parrot at home.
Let Them Eat Fish
Pineapple Willy's (9875 S. Thomas Dr., Panama City Beach) live music, beachfront-barefoot casual vibe and dockside, finger food menu might take you hostage for your entire trip. You sip on a Pineapple Willy—a giant pina colada—while the kids dig into baskets of seaside eats like popcorn shrimp and jambalaya. The Saltwater Grill (11040 Hutchison Blvd., Panama City Beach) has a 25,000-gallon tropical aquarium to entertain you while you're waiting for your grouper or creole shrimp and grits. The Early Bird seating, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., is a true bargain. Diego's Burrito Factory (15514 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach) has street tacos, burritos and more, with a kids' menu and a next-door Margarita Bar.
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About Pensacola
Eternal sunshine, warm, turquoise waters and long stretches of soft, white sand.