St. Andrews State Park. A 1,200-acre coastal gem on the eastern tip of Panama City Beach that earned a perennial spot on "best U.S. beaches" lists, offering sugar-white Gulf shoreline, two hiking trails through flatwood pine, kayaking on Grand Lagoon, jetty fishing, and a ferry to Shell Island. Its dual-water setting — calm lagoon on one…
Shell Island Dolphin & Snorkel Cruise. A 7-mile-long undeveloped barrier island accessible only by boat, Shell Island sits just off St. Andrews State Park and draws visitors for its pristine emerald waters, resident bottlenose dolphins, and snorkeling over tropical fish, rays, and the occasional sea turtle. Catamaran and pontoon operators depart daily…
Pier Park & the SkyWheel. Panama City Beach's open-air entertainment hub on Front Beach Road anchors more than 100 shops, restaurants, and a 200-foot observation wheel with fully enclosed glass gondolas that deliver panoramic Gulf views at sunset. An IMAX theater, Dave & Buster's, and seasonal live events round out a full day of…
Schooners Last Local Beach Club – Sunset Cannon. A beloved Panama City Beach tradition since the late 1960s: each evening a crowd gathers on the beach behind Schooners to count down the final seconds of sunset, then an old cannon booms the moment the sun dips below the Gulf horizon. The ritual distills the easy, communal spirit of old-school beach Florida into a…
Deep-Sea Fishing Charters. Grand Lagoon on Thomas Drive serves as home port for one of the Gulf Coast's most active charter fleets, with experienced USCG-certified captains running half-day to 48-hour offshore trips targeting grouper, snapper, amberjack, mahi-mahi, and wahoo over deep-water canyons and oil-rig structure. Shared and private…
Shipwreck Island Waterpark. A sprawling 15-acre family waterpark on Hutchison Boulevard with more than 20 attractions including the Zoom Flume, White Knuckle River raft ride, a wave pool, lazy river, and dedicated toddler zones like Tadpole Hole. Seasonal late-April-through-mid-August operation lines up perfectly with summer family vacations.
Camp Helen State Park. A 180-acre preserve on the far west end of Panama City Beach where the Gulf, Lake Powell (Florida's largest coastal dune lake), and five distinct natural habitats converge. Short hiking trails wind through maritime hammock and salt marsh, river otters and osprey are common sightings, and the uncrowded Gulf beach is…
Gulf Coast Jam. Listed by Billboard as one of the ten best country music festivals in America, Gulf Coast Jam takes over Frank Brown Park each Memorial Day weekend with four days of headline acts — 2026 headliners included Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, and Post Malone — paired with beach days on the Emerald Coast. Launched in 2013,…