Panama City Beach stretches for 27 miles, so getting your bearings is relatively simple. Locals refer to Front Beach Road, beginning at the end of Hathaway Bridge, as “the Strip.” Cars filled with young people jam it on weekends. Two piers — the eastern County Pier and the western City Pier — anchor the Strip. If you want to make better time, use U.S. Route 98, also known as Back Beach Road.

Because of the extreme distances, it's not easy to walk here. There's no public transportation to speak of, except hourly shuttle buses that carry beachgoers over the bridge from Panama City (850-234-5571) and then run along Front Beach Road. One-way tickets cost $1, or you can buy a weekly pass for $10. You can also rent a bicycle for about $10 per day from a number of shops along Front Beach Road, including Aquatic Adventures Moped and Bicycle Rentals (850-235-8051). However, these are better for getting around the beach itself than for traveling longer distances in heavy traffic.

Best Time to Go

Unlike southern Florida, the area around Panama City receives over 320 days of sunshine a year. Temperatures, however, do differ, especially during the winter, with January highs only reaching the lower 60s. Summer is a different story. With highs reaching the upper 80s and with this area receiving the most rain of any region in Florida, summer days tend to be hot and humid.

Cautions and Safety Concerns

The glare of the ultrawhite sands on the beaches around Panama City can be blinding. Be sure to wear dark sunglasses and use appropriate sunscreen often. Colored beach flags indicate the safety or relative danger on the beach — red flags mean high surf and/or strong currents, yellow flags mean medium surf, dark green flags mean low hazard, and dark blue flags mean dangerous marine life is lurking in the waters. Be sure to heed these warnings. Beaches on the Apalachicola barrier islands have no lifeguards on duty.