Growing up 90 minutes from Panama City Beach, the area will always have a special place in my heart. I can remember quite vividly spending Saturdays at Petticoat Junction or Miracle Strip Amusement Park, or if I played my cards right, both. Afternoons would be spent on the sugar white sand beaches, and each trip would end with dinner at Captain Anderson’s.  

Best Beaches (left),Growth (right), and Shell Island (below right) both courtesy of Panama City Beach CVB

Oh, how the times have changed. You’ll still find Shipwreck Island, Alvin’s Magic Mountain Mall, Gulf World, Treasure Ship, the above-mentioned Captain Anderson’s, and Angelo’s, along with new developments and attractions. 

Here’s a sampling of what you can find and do when you visit the World’s Most Beautiful Beaches:

• Starting in late April, Bay Point Marriott Golf Resort & Spa will offer their guests complimentary transportation to Shell Island on their new 60-passenger boat. A twenty-minute boat ride will deliver guests to a seven-mile long island undeveloped and uninhabited by people. It also happens to be home to one of the world’s largest concentration of bottle-nosed dolphins.  

• The second phase of Pier Park has been completed. This shopping-dining-entertainment center is the largest in Northwest Florida. This summer, Pier Park will be the location for such events as a summer concert series and fishing derbies.

• The Big Top is in town from June 13 - August 2 at Frank Brown Park. The Florida State Flying High Circus brings their three-ring circus act to Panama City Beach through Circus By The Sea. Up to 2,000 guests can enjoy performances by the trapeze artists, jugglers and acrobats.

Frank Brown Park, courtesy of Panama City Beach CVB

• Be Keeper for a Day at ZooWorld. You can feed endangered primates, assist in a live animal show or go behind the scenes with a guided tour of the Tilghman Infant Care Facility, offering close-up views of the baby animals born at ZooWorld.

 

Coming Soon…

• Perhaps the biggest news in the area is the construction on the new airport in Panama City Beach. Slated to open in 2010, the facility is expected to be the first airport built in the U.S. since September 11, 2001. In addition, developing in conjunction with the airport will be the West Bay Preservation Area, a 40,000-acre preserve with the largest expanse of undeveloped coastline in Florida. Visitors will enjoy a sanctuary for hiking, fishing and bird watching.

 

Share This