Located on St. Andrews Bay in the western panhandle of Florida, Panama City beach and the warm Gulf of Mexico waters attract over 6 million visitors annually to the nearby vacation rental homes and condos, including its famous Spring Break season. Panama City and Bay County are also home to a large number of military personnel, with Tyndall AFB, a Naval Support Activity Base and an Coast Guard Base Located nearby.
Accommodations
Panama City offers a relaxing and entertaining getaway with a variety of condos, vacation homes, hotels, and resorts. Choose an accommodation near any of Panama City's local attractions that offers comfort while making the most of the beautiful beaches at affordably priced rates.
View our Panama City Vacation Rentals or Panama City Resorts
Activities
Panama City Beach has a dizzying selection of parks that offer kiddy rides, go-kart tracks, batting cages, paintball, laser tag, a maze, water attractions and miniature golf. Equal in number and variety, its water sports concessions and charters accommodate with glass-bottom boat tours, deep-sea fishing, scuba diving, parasailing, kayaking, and wave running. Try the Museum of Man and the Sea or the Gulf World Marine Park, which does educational shows and dolphin encounters.
Events
The Annual Bay Point Billfish Invitational Tournament in July has become one of the most prestigious tournaments of its kind in America. Anglers converge on Panama City hoping to land a record-setting billfish and large cash prizes. Thunder Beach is Panama City Beach's own motorcycle rally, a twice yearly celebration of the motorcycle and the riders.
Water Sports
The white sand beaches and emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico are perfect for swimming, surfing, or catching up on your tan. You can also find powerboat and sailboat rentals, as well as jetski rentals. The warm Gulf waters are inviting for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Golfing
Panama City has become a popular choice for winter golfers. Once Spring Break and the summer crowds leave, Panama City Beach's 27 miles of white sand and emerald green waters attract visitors from the north. The mild winter, is perfect for "sweater play."
History
St. Andrews Bay was discovered by Spanish explorers who named it after the Catholic feast day of St. Andrew. The town of St. Andrew was established in 1830 and the deep water port became a focus for the shipment of cotton, cattle, beef, pork, lard and lumber to foreign countries in exchange for salt, coffee and other commodities. Discussions were held about selling the panhandle region to the Republic of Alabama, but local resistance allowed it to remain a part of the Florida Territory.
During the American Civil War, Old Town St. Andrew was burned to the ground by Federal troops. The natural harbor and the abundance of fish in the area caused the town to be rebuilt after the war. The areas first sawmill was built on the north shore of the Bay in 1885 and land was sold in the area for 1$ per acre. The city was formed in 1905 from unincorporated lands and named Panama City in a effort to get a New Orleans fruit company, whose major source of fruit was Panama, to relocate to the area.