Toll Free: 877-624-6889
Intl: (407) 917-8432
Toll Free: 877-624-6889
Intl: (407) 917-8432
Posted on March 10, 2023
Located on the pristine coast of the Florida Panhandle, Panama City Beach sits right on the Gulf of Mexico so you will find beaches, parks, water sports, and many things to do on and around the water. It is a great place to take the kids for a vacation holiday on the beach, and for couples to enjoy a trip together on the Gulf of Mexico. Here are some of the best things to do in Panama City Beach.
Visiting the beach is one of the best things to do in Panama City Beach, and the city has several to choose from. There are 27 miles of coastline and 100 marked public access points so you can easily spend entire days at the beach. Also, many of the Panama City Beach timeshare resorts are on the beach and will have beach access so you may not even need to drive or park a car to spend an entire day on the water.
The heart of Panama City Beach is the main beach in the center of town, an eight-mile stretch with a pier in the center of the coastline. This is where you'll find some of the main attractions too, like the Panama City Beach Pier, and Pier Park.
Spend a day here and there'll be plenty of restaurants, shopping and activities around you so you can rent umbrellas, build sandcastles, watch the other beachgoers, and swim in the Gulf of Mexico.
Schooner Park, on the eastern end of Panama City Beach, is a laid-back, fun beach with lots of live music, beach volleyball courts, and annual festivals. It's a social beach, with good swimming and a waterside deck, and if you are looking for things to do in Panama City Beach, this offers plenty of events to choose from, especially during peak tourist season.
Sunset is the most popular time to visit when the beach cannon firing ritual goes off and the setting sun lights up the beach and water with hues of red and purple.
The beaches on either side of M.B. Miller Pier are family-friendly, the waters are perfect for swimming and the sandy beaches are popular with sandcastle builders, sunbathers, beach yoga practitioners, and beach volleyball players.
The area features several restaurants and shops, and with a Pier Pass, you can come and go on the 1500-foot-long pier, which is great for fishing, bird and marine life watching and catching the sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico.
Panama City Beach has several parks, many of which are on the Gulf of Mexico Shore or even one of the islands off the coast, meaning you can combine a state park visit with some time at the beach without having to go anywhere else. For outdoor things to do in Panama City Beach, these parks are another great place to start.
Pier Park, also known as City Pier because it is located off the Russell-Fields Pier, contains the heart of the shopping, dining, and entertainment district of Panama City Beach.
This complex is fun to visit whether the day is sunny or cloudy, and features everything from retail stores to funky beach shops. On nice days, you will want to dine at one of the restaurants with an outdoor patio or seating area so you can eat with the fresh sea breeze coming in off the Gulf.
Pier Park is also the home of Pier Park Amusements. This is a great place to take the family to go on amusement park rides and watch movies at the IMAX theater. If you are taking a family vacation at your Panama City Beach timeshare, this is a definite stop to make with the kids.
Shell Island and St. Andrews State Park, a short ferry or boat ride away from the mainland, is a 700-acre protected barrier island with a gorgeous natural beach and sheltered, shallow water for snorkeling and swimming. Endangered loggerhead and green sea turtles nest on the island, so you might spot them there at night, but you also have to be careful of the marked nesting spots.
Part of St. Andrews State Park is on Shell Island, the rest is a 1200-acre stretch right on the beach with 1.5 miles of shoreline. It is a great place for boating, kayaking, snorkeling, and swimming, or you can explore the inland trails on foot or on a bicycle. It's one of the top things to do in Panama City Beach and among the best places to see birds in the area, as well as other Florida wildlife.
Two other local parks, Camp Helen State Park and Rick Stelzer Park, are also popular destinations due to their scenic beauty and natural beach landscape. Rick Stelzer Park is known for its natural sand dunes, which you can learn more about through the interactive educational displays which explain the critical importance of these dunes in the Gulf of Mexico landscape.
Cape Helen State Park is unique, with its mixture of fresh water and sea water where the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Powell, and Phillips Inlet meet. It is a popular site for fishing, hiking, bicycling, and history, because of the 4,000-year-old mounds built by its first inhabitants.
Russell-Fields Pier, at the main Panama City Beach, is a great place to go fishing, take a walk, watch the seagulls, and observe the swimmers and boaters coming and going in the water below. Several species of fish can be caught right off the pier including mackerels, flounders, and cobias.
The Pier is also right next to Pier Park so you can easily combine all three sites into a single-day trip, or return for more activities another day.
There are also many evening things to do in Panama City Beach, from the musical nightlife and cannon fire found at Schooner's Beach to the many beach bars lining the coast. During the day, you can shop, see the beaches, and find local dining options along the Decor by the Shore trail, with its many local businesses along a stretch of Panama City Beach.
With a Panama City Beach timeshare, there will be plenty of chances to play on the beach and in the water and explore the many fun hangouts and unique stores that this city has to offer.
With such a great beach town, you’re sure to find great timeshare resorts and Panama City Beach timeshares are certainly at the top of the list. Below you’ll see our collection of popular timeshare resorts in the area based on the offer feedback we receive from our buyers.
At the top of our list is Wyndham Vacation Resorts Panama City Beach, a fantastic beachside resort with everything you need for a memorable vacation. Right on an epic stretch of coastline, you can play beach volleyball or dip into the resort swimming pool, hot tub or enjoy a cocktail at either the pool bar or the unique Sky Bridge Bar. Watersports, shopping and dining are all close by your studio, one-, two- or three-bedroom suite.
Another terrific beachfront location, Landmark Holiday Beach Resort is part of the Capital Vacations family of timeshare resorts and offers one-, two- and three-bedroom accommodations with all the space and comfort you need while on vacation. The indoor pool, hot tub and sauna add to the relaxation options when not on the beach, and the rooftop deck offers up amazing views. Enjoy the tennis courts and fitness center before unwinding in the Clubhouse.
On the southeastern side of town closer to Rick Stelzer Park, The Summit offers beachfront balconies with each suite. One-, two and three-bedroom condos all come with full kitchen, living room, and handy in-unit washer/dryer when coming in from the beach. Multiple pools, hot tubs, steam rooms along with the onsite restaurant and tiki bar mean you don’t ever have to leave the resort. There’s even a Water Sports Center for fun in the Gulf.
Bluegreen points owners have the option of staying in Bluegreen Resort's Landmark Holiday Beach Resort and take advantage of the great amenities of this beachfront resort. Use your points to choose from one-, two- of three-bedroom suites with full kitchens, separate living and dining areas, convenient washer/dryers and balconies with incredible views of the Gulf. Watersports, boating, fishing, golf and shopping are all close by, as are Gulf World Marina Park and Shipwreck Island.
With a unique location tucked between a lagoon fed by Saint Andrews Bay and the Bay Point Golf Club, Marriott's Legends Edge at Bay Point offers a respite from the beach scene. Head to the Bay Point Marina to book a fishing charter and you’re easily within reach of the beaches at St. Andrews State Park. Swimming pools, children’s pool, hot tub, fitness center and bike rentals are all available from your two-bedroom villa with two bathrooms, full kitchen, living room, dining area and washer/dryer.
These are wonderful timeshares in Panama City Beach designed to exceed your expectations. But there are many more resorts to choose from so if you have a resort in mind that is not on our list or are even thinking of selling a Panama City Beach timeshare, click here to contact us or give us a call at 877-624-6889.
Steve manages the public relations and content creation efforts of the company. Previously the Chief Operating Officer for Perspective Magazine, he provided oversight and contributed articles for the five regional vacation ownership trade magazines under the Perspective Magazine banner.
A contributor for industry publications such as Resort Trades and Developments Magazine, Steve Luba has 36 years of experience in various roles in radio and television, sales and marketing, public relations, media and government liaison initiatives.
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