The Ultimate Panama City Travel Guide

I love this town on Florida’s Emerald Coast! It’s hard not to fall in love after seeing its white-sand beaches and clear waters. I thought I’d create a Panama City travel guide to help others planning to visit this beautiful beach town. In this post, I’ll cover everything you need to visit Panama City, FL, including the best time to visit, things to do, where to stay, and the best restaurants in the area. I also think you’ll find this post helpful if you’re trying to decide between PCB and Destin for your next vacay!

Panama City, FL Travel Guide

Best Time to Visit Panama City, FL

The key to visiting the panhandle is to go when school is in session, so you’ll experience the best weather without a huge crowd. This makes mid-May and late-August through mid-September the best times to visit.

The coldest month is January, with average highs of 63°F. If you’re looking for a casual winter travel destination, Panama City is a great choice. Of course, you won’t be spending time in the ocean during wintertime. If you want to be able to get in the ocean, book a late spring or late summer trip! Winter is better for activities like walking along the beach, reading in a beach chair, and fishing.

Things to do in Panama City, FL

Obviously, there’s the beach, which is probably more than enough for the beach bums! I visited in the winter and realized that there are tons of great things to do in the PCB area in addition to the beach. There are parks all over! I loved St. Andrews State Park and Camp Helen State Park (PCB is nestled right between the two). There are also plenty of places to shop – Pier Park being the main hub with tons of shops, restaurants, and beach access right across the street.

St. Andrews State Park

St. Andrews State Park is located just minutes away from PCB. There’s an $8 entry fee per vehicle. Within the park, there’s a mile-and-a-half of beaches for fishing and swimming. You can also hike, bike, camp, picnic, and more within the park. If you’re an outdoorsy person, you definitely want dedicate a day to this park while you’re in PCB! For more information and the latest updates, check out the St. Andrews State Park website.

Pier Park

As I mentioned before, Pier Park is the main hub for shopping. It’s an outdoor mall with tons of shops (everything from department stores like Target to boutiques like Francesca’s), restaurants, and beach access right across the street. There’s also a huge ferris wheel called the SkyWheel. You could easily entertain yourself (or your family) for hours here. There’s plenty of parking too, which is always nice!

Camp Helen State Park

Whereas St. Andrews State Park is east of PCB, Camp Helen State Park is west of the city. This park is a super cool spot with a lot of history – more on that here. Remnants from an old pier (pictured below) still stand. There’s a beautiful marsh behind the old pier and walking trails throughout the park.

FYI – You do have to hike about 7/10 of a mile to get to the beach from the parking area. It’s not bad, but it’s not something I’d want to do with a ton of beach gear either because you’re walking through sand most of the way. For more information and the latest updates, check out the Camp Helen State Park website.

Shell Island

Shell Island is technically in St. Andrews State Park, but the main way to access this area is via shuttle. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to Shell Island since I visited in late December and the shuttle doesn’t run in the winter. However, this seems to be a must-see spot based on the reviews!

According to the Shell Island website, “The official Shell Island Shuttle runs every 30 minutes from 9 to 5 seven days a week in summer.” You can rent a boat, go on a dolphin tour, snorkel, or relax on the beach. If you have littles that enjoy shell hunting (or you like to collect them yourself), this would be a great place to add to your itinerary!

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Russell-Fields City Pier

Across the street from Pier Park, you’ll find the Russell-Fields City Pier. The pier extends out 1,500ft into the Gulf of Mexico and offers incredible views of the area. I highly recommend watching a sunset from here! There’s a $3 fee per person to walk on the pier. You can also fish off this pier with a license.

Day Trip to Destin, FL

Destin is just an hour away from PCB and 100% worth a visit. In comparison to PCB, I’d say that Destin is a bit more upscale. Something to note if you’re trying to decide between the two: there are a lot more options in terms of hotels/condos in PCB, especially if you want something that’s right on the ocean. PCB is also a bit less crowded than Destin and the more affordable destination of the two, but you really can’t go wrong either way.

If you do end up in Destin, make sure to grab a bite to eat at The Back Porch. It’s a beachfront restaurant and their seafood is AMAZING. You have to try the crab bites appetizer!! I also recommend visiting Henderson State Park in Destin, FL. The park features the cleanest white sugar sand beaches and breathtakingly clear waters. This area definitely had the prettiest beaches I saw throughout my entire trip (pictured above). The entry fee is $6 for a vehicle with 2-8 passengers ($4 for a single occupant).

Where to stay in Panama City, FL

Booking.com

Best Restaurants in Panama City, FL

Seafood

• The Back Porch – There’s another location in Destin, which I mentioned. Seriously, make sure you hit one location or the other at some point (or both if you’re like me hahah). Their slaw is to-die-for and every seafood dish I tried was amazing.
• Local Steamer Seafood Market – Nothing more than a little hole in the wall but they serve the best seafood in PCB!
• Bayou on the Beach – They have Cajun-style seafood and a bit more to choose from than Local Steamer’s. Great food and service! Give the Who Dat Shrimp a try.

Pizza

• Nick’s Slice Of Brooklyn Pizzeria And Bar – The perfect place to satisfy a craving for pizza & wings! They serve a wide variety of specialty pizzas so you shouldn’t have trouble finding something you like!
• New York Pizza & Grill – There are two locations in PCB: one on Panama City Beach Parkway and another in Pier Park, which will almost definitely be more crowded at any given time due to the location. They don’t have quite as many options as Nick’s when it comes to specialty pizza, but it’s another great option nonetheless.

Options for everyone

• Runaway Island – Sooo much amazing food to choose from here! They have a lot of seafood options but serve both burgers and chicken/steak dishes as well. The best part: it’s beachfront so you can enjoy your meal while taking in gorgeous ocean views!
• The Wicked Wheel – Very limited options in terms of seafood but TONS of choices when it comes to chicken and burgers. Whether you’re in the mood to build your own burger or munch on some hand battered chicken tenders, this place has you covered.
• Dee’s Hangout – Delicious food and huge portions. They serve everything from filet mignon to tacos. Their hush puppies are the bomb!! Try those or the Hang Bang Shrimp for an appetizer.

I hope you enjoyed this Panama City travel guide! If you plan on road tripping to the panhandle, check out my blog post on road trip essentials.