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Panama City: Panama City Beaches
Panama City Beaches
Our parks and beaches are rated among the top 10 in the world
and offer activities including bicycling, hiking, jogging,
fishing, shuffleboard, volleyball and tennis:
 Visitors
have been traveling to Panama City Beach for its bright white
sand and emerald green waters for hundreds of years. With
more than 27 miles of beachfront, there are plenty of activities
to enjoy like sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, dolphin-spotting
parasailing, jet skiing, fishing and so much more.
Panama City Beach's legendary pure white sand resulted from
quartz crystals washing down from the Appalachian Mountains
centuries ago. Along their journey, the crystals were bleached,
ground, smoothed and polished until the surf of the Gulf of
Mexico deposited these millions of grains of sand on the shoreline.
During the day the beach is abuzz with activities on the
sand, on the surf and under the sea. Volleyball and Frisbee
games take place on the beach with parasailing, jet skiing,
boating and windsurfing on the water while scuba divers and
snorkelers spy playful bottle-nosed dolphins, sea turtles
and manta rays underwater.
Panama City Beach has won numerous national awards for its
beaches. To name a few: The Travel Channel rated Panama City
Beach as the #10 beach in America in 2001. The Surfrider Foundation,
an international group dedicated to protecting the world's
oceans and beaches, selected Panama City Beach as the #3 "Most
Healthy Urban Beach" in America in 2000. Dr. Stephen
Leatherman, also known as Dr. Beach, the country's foremost
expert on beaches, selected Panama City Beach as the #1 beach
in America in his 1995 annual rankings. In 2000, Panama City
Beach was selected by the readers of Southern Living among
the top five in the "Best Beach" category.
At the east end of the city, St. Andrews State Park is of
special interest to locals and area visitors alike. The 1,260-acre
park is one of the most popular outdoor recreation spots in
Florida. It has thick forests, sand dunes covered with sea
oats, fresh and saltwater marshes, a lagoon swimming area,
fishing jetties, hiking trails, 1.5 miles of beach and two
campgrounds. From here, you can also take a ferry trip to
Shell Island, a pristine barrier island just across from the
mainland. This 700-acre island is a peaceful spot for sunning
or collecting shells.
Come late afternoon, visitors gather to marvel at our breathtaking
Gulf Coast sunsets. The sight of a fiery sun dipping into
the shimmering emerald water marks the perfect end to a perfect
day at the beach. |
