Panama City Beach is named a spring break and household trip vacation spot, with its excessive rises and crowded seashores. But throughout St. Andrews Bay, Panama City is a complete different story. While it could be the most important metropolis on Florida’s northern Gulf Coast, Panama City maintains that small-town appeal and funky village vibe, working arduous to maintain issues salty.
With thriving historic districts, numerous eating choices, eclectic retailers, and galleries paired with dolphin excursions, fishing charters, crusing excursions, and entry to beautiful seashores, there are many issues to do in Panama City Florida for these on the lookout for a quaint twist to the standard Florida seashore trip.
About Panama City, Florida
Originally based as a fishing village in 1827, Panama City has a powerful maritime historical past of fishing, shipbuilding and salt mining. During the Civil War, the St. Andrews Bay Saltworks was one of many south’s largest salt producers and the 2 remaining authentic salt kettles are marked with state historic markers.
In 1909, throughout the constructing of the Panama Canal, Chicago businessman George Mortimer West drew a line between Chicago and Panama City, Panama and determined to take a position the place it intersected with this space in Florida.
There are 4 distinct neighborhoods in Panama City, every with its personal persona and appeal. Downtown, also called Harrison, was the unique identify of the city and right this moment it’s the space’s arts and theater district. St. Andrews is a historic downtown on the Bay, with beautiful parks with moss-draped stay oaks, stunning bay views, cute retailers, galleries, and eating places that line the sidewalks alongside of a giant marina.
Glenwood is the cultural hub of Panama City’s African American group, with the African American Cultural Center and the twenty third Street Panama City Shopping District. East of Downtown, Millville is the world’s paper manufacturing and shipbuilding heart.
Despite its proximity to native seashore resort cities, Panama City and its native neighborhoods look extra like small fishing villages. It is a kind of small cities in Florida that may be a hidden gem and well-worth testing.
One factor I cherished about St. Andrews was that it has character and appeal. It has a picturesque setting, quaint old-time structure, and is a kind of small cities stuffed with attention-grabbing characters.
How do you Get to Panama City, Florida?
Panama City sits within the heart of Florida’s Emerald Coast on the northern shores of St. Andrews Bay. It is lower than three hours east of Pensacola and two hours west of Tallahassee.
The closest airport to Panama City is the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (ECP), which is positioned roughly 20 miles northwest of downtown Panama City. Several airways function flights into ECP, together with Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines. The airport provides direct flights from a number of cities together with hubs comparable to Charlotte and Atlanta.
Things to do in Panama City Florida
Here are among the many issues to do in Panama City Florida:
Take a Dolphin Cruise
Panama City is a good place to take a dolphin cruise. Dolphins love the clear water of the bay and for those who get fortunate, they could even come as much as the boat and flirt a bit. I took a dolphin tour with Panama City Dolphin Seafari Tours.
Unlike different dolphin cruises I’ve taken in Orange Beach, Alabama, Dolphin Seafari Tours provides smaller boat cruises for personal excursions — excellent for households. Since you’re the solely ones on the boat, the agenda is as much as you. You can observe the dolphins or snorkel by Shell Island to seek for sand {dollars}. Captain Matt is aware of these waters nicely and may tailor your expertise to your tastes.
Visit Shell Island
A brief boat or shuttle experience away from Panama City is Shell Island. This uninhabited barrier island is roughly seven miles lengthy and is thought for its stunning, pristine seashores and crystal-clear waters. It is common with guests for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, and fishing.
The island is accessible by boat, and a number of other firms provide guided excursions to the island or you may also lease your personal boats or jet skis to get to the island. Once on the island, there aren’t any services, so that you must deliver your personal meals, water, and provides, making for a peaceable and secluded escape from the busy metropolis seashores.
Take a Fishing Charter
Deep-sea fishing is a well-liked exercise in Panama City and the world attracts each novice and skilled anglers. Fishing charters usually take company out into the Gulf of Mexico, the place they will catch a wide range of species comparable to gag grouper, scamp grouper, bonito, trout, flounder, blackfin tuna, white snapper, and extra.
Charters can vary from a couple of hours to a full day and a few additionally provide instruction and steerage for many who are new to fishing.
Go Birdwatching
Located on the Great Florida Birding Trail, Panama City is a good location for birdwatching, with a wide range of habitats and ecosystems which can be dwelling to many species of birds. There are a number of websites within the Panama City space on the Trail together with the Econfina Creek Wildlife Management Area and the Point Washington State Forest.
Other common locations for birdwatchers are St. Andrews State Park, which boasts over 200 species of birds, and Panama City Beach Conservation Park, which options a wide range of trails and boardwalks that wind by means of marshes and woodlands. If you want, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission provides a free birding information to the Florida Birding Trail, which incorporates detailed maps, species lists, and birding suggestions.
Watch a Sunset
Those Gulf Coast sunsets are beautiful and that you must be sure that to see at the very least one in your go to to Panama City. The St. Andrews Marina is a pleasant spot to catch a sundown, with the silhouette of the boats at anchor within the foreground.
Take a Historic Walking Tour
To study extra concerning the distinctive historical past of this space, be a part of a guided historic strolling tour round St. Andrews. These 90-minute excursions happen each Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. and meet on the Panama City Publishing Company Museum.
There can be a free strolling tour app produced by Florida Stories which you could obtain to take the tour by your self.
Rent a Kayak or Paddleboard
Renting a kayak or paddle board is an effective way to discover the attractive waters round Panama City. There are a number of firms that provide kayak and paddle board leases within the space, together with Bayside Rentals, Katie’s Paddleboarding Adventures, and All Inclusive Adventures, the latter two which provide excursions guided by skilled instructors.
For a singular expertise, you may take a glow at the hours of darkness kayak tour with All Inclusive Adventure utilizing clear backside kayaks fitted with LED lights that illuminate the bay stuffed with marine life.
Popular places for kayaking and paddle boarding in Panama City embrace St. Andrew’s Bay, Shell Island, and the close by Econfina Creek. For extra adventurous paddlers, the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddle Trail provides an unimaginable journey across the whole state of Florida, together with a number of stops alongside the Panhandle coast.
Go Shopping
Panama City would make a terrific girlfriend getaway vacation spot too, with its mixture of artwork, meals and purchasing. In St. Andrews, yow will discover cute areas like Little Village, which provides a mixture of small artisan retailers, meals, drink, and stay music in a peaceable waterfront venue.
There are additionally cute beachy boutiques in addition to enjoyable surf retailers like Sunjammers, which is a mixture of boutique and water sports activities clothes shop. There are additionally artwork galleries and paint studios like Floriopolis.
Make a Stop on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail
It shocked me to study that Panama City has an official cease on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. In 1963, civil rights activists organized a peaceable protest towards segregation on the metropolis’s Gulf Coast Community College, which led to the arrest of a number of demonstrators. The following yr, civil rights chief Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited Panama City and delivered a speech at a neighborhood church, urging the group to face up towards segregation and discrimination. Over the years, many native activists and group leaders labored to problem segregation and promote equal rights in Panama City.
Today, town has a number of historic websites and landmarks that commemorate the civil rights motion, together with the Nelson Chapel AME Church and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Harrison Avenue.
The historic Bay County Courthouse can be dwelling to the landmark Gideon v. Wainwright case, through which the Supreme Court upheld the U.S. Constitution’s sixth Amendment, granting legal defendants the fitting to free court-appointed protection counsel and is a cease on the Civil Rights Trail.
Eat Oysters
Panama City’s historical past as an oyster fishing city dates again to the early 1900s when oysters had been ample within the close by Apalachicola Bay and native fishermen would harvest them by hand and promote them to markets and eating places all through the area.
Today, oysters are nonetheless an necessary a part of Panama City’s financial system and tradition, and town has developed the Panama City Oyster Trail. This self-guided path covers over a dozen oyster purveyors and eating places, together with Gene’s Oyster Bar, with its personal historic marker.
Whether you favor uncooked, baked, grilled, fried or sauteed, the Panama City Oyster Trail is an effective way to style all of them. And there’s an Ale Trail, too, the place the craft beer and the ambiance circulate at 9 native pubs. And do you know that Panama City native Honor Allen is a four-time National Oyster Shucking Champion along with his personal documentary, Honor’s Best?
Attend a Madri Gras Parade
The Krewe of St. Andrews Mardi Gras celebration is an annual occasion that has been happening in Panama City, Florida, for over 20 years. The occasion takes place within the historic St. Andrews district of Panama City, and usually happens on the weekend earlier than Fat Tuesday.
The parade options over 30 floats from 14 Krewes, and attracts a big crowd of locals and vacationers alike, with an estimated attendance of over 50,000 folks. The St. Andrews Krewe Mardi Gras celebration additionally options quite a lot of different particular occasions, together with a pet parade and a household parade, together with stay music performances, meals distributors, and different actions all through the weekend. I had the chance to attend and experience on a float for the parade and it was so enjoyable, opening my eyes to Mardis Gras past New Orleans.
Listen to Music
Panama City is lucky to have the Panama City Symphony Orchestra, the Panama City Music Association, and the Gulf Jazz Society offering glorious symphonic, classical, opera, fashionable and jazz music performances every year.
Attend a Festival
The Blessing of the Fleet & Sock Burning is an annual custom the place practically 50 boats sail by the St. Andrews marina whereas the group gathers to honors these misplaced at sea and ask blessings for the protected travels of those that make their residing on the water. Afterwards, revelers pull off their winter socks to “free their feet,” tossing them into a giant tub to be burned and formally usher in flip-flop season. Just one of many ways in which St. Andrews stays salty!
Other enjoyable festivals in Panama City embrace:
See Public Art
Panama City is thought for its arts group, from a scattering of artwork galleries to a spread of public artwork. One of the most important of which is Public Eye Soar, the most important free digital projection artwork present within the state of Florida. Taking place in November, this competition options artwork, movies, music, dance, movie, and interactive experiences from artists all around the world.
There are additionally three Chad Gainey sculptures positioned at Oaks by the Park, which spotlight the ocean life residing in and round Panama City waters.
The Center for the Arts is the inventive coronary heart and soul of Panama City. Housed in a 1926 historic constructing throughout from Martin Theater that after served because the City Hall, it’s free to go to and hosts 30 displays a yr and likewise provides artwork courses for youngsters and adults.
Take a Food Tour
One of my favourite methods to discover a vacation spot is thru its meals and the easiest way to try this is on a meals tour. A Taste of Panama City Food Tours provides meals tour choices in Harrison and St. Andrews, introducing guests to native historical past and cultural alongside the best way. The excursions cowl “Old Florida” delicacies, cajun and creole, Mexican, and different native favorites.
Where to Eat in Panama City Florida
Amavida — this natural, honest commerce espresso store isn’t what you’ll look forward to finding in a small city like St. Andrews, however in case you are a espresso connoisseur, that you must test it out. Even for us non-coffee drinkers, they provide smoothies, scrumptious pastries and native paintings in a hip setting.
Bayou Joe’s — in the summertime this dockside staple opens up the deck so boaters can pull proper up, typically stacking up four-five deep. This is the one place the place I’ve seen an early morning “happy hour,” common with native shift staff, however additionally they provide an incredible breakfast. I indulged within the irresistible “Garbage Grits” — an enormous bowl of grits with cheese, tomatoes and veggies piled excessive.
Little Village — For yummy fish tacos in a quiet out of doors setting, sit on the again deck at Little Village in downtown St. Andrews.
Where to Stay in Panama City Florida
Note: My go to was hosted by Destination Panama City. All opinions are my very own. This submit incorporates affiliate hyperlinks. If you click on and make a purchase order, I’ll make a small fee to assist the operating of this weblog and to maintain providing your trip concepts and suggestions.
The different advantage of staying in Panama City versus Panama City Beach is that you will avoid wasting cash. There might not be any beachfront highrises however you can find choices pleasant to your finances. I discovered the Holiday Inn in Panama City surprisingly giant and comfy, with free WiFi and parking, fashionable walk-in showers, and a full-service restaurant and bar.
Save this to Pinterest
