12 Activities To Do in Panama City Beach, FL

Looking for entertainment options and activities during your vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida? Not to worry: as if clear ocean waves lapping sugar-white sand isn’t reason enough, the beach community has incredible opportunities for water sports, boat tours, and on-shore entertainment for families, couples, and singles.

While appreciating the natural beauty, you can experience the thrill of world-class scuba diving, snorkeling, boating, fresh and saltwater fishing, world-class golfing, nightlife, amusement parks, water parks, and an endless array of eco-tourism opportunities in PCB Florida.

Here are the top 12 activities to do in Panama City Beach:

Shell Island Snorkel & Dolphin Cruise

Cruise over to Shell Island where you and your family can snorkel to find thrilling shells and sea life, swim up to the island to explore, paddleboard around the boat, or slide down the water slide. After an hour, you can depart from the island to head out to the gulf for sightseeing, dolphin watching, and sailing! The cruise ends with fun contests and dancing on the board.

Snorkel and Dolphin Watch Tour on The Footloose

Sail through the historic Grand Lagoon and see dolphins swimming alongside the boat, then jump in for a shallow-water snorkel experience to see different species of marine life.  Feel the relaxing warm sea wind. You will truly appreciate the underwater beauty that Panama City Beach and Shell Island have to offer until you have gone snorkeling with us.

Sunset Sail on the “Footloose” Catamaran

Remarkable sunset sail offers an opportunity to see some of the area’s greatest sights while enjoying the cool, salty breezes. Be on a sharp lookout for dolphins as these magnificent creatures seem to be more energetic in the late afternoon. Embrace your loved one to enjoy the company of your friends and family while you watch the blue sky turn into a spectacular light show as the setting sun casts warm hues above the western horizon. The beauty of a Panama City Beach sunset is heart-touching.

Cold Spring Eco-Tour Panama City

Florida Cold Springs, once considered the Fountain of Youth, this spring offers you the opportunity to explore a unique ecosystem. Take to the water aboard a kayak or stand-up paddleboard, and then endeavor below with an underwater scooter to swim with the fish, turtles, and crawfish that call this area home. The spring and the surrounding environment once entirely submerged, which means you might spot some fossils of long-extinct animals—especially shark teeth.

St. Andrews State Park

Explore the beaches, nature trails, dunes, and marshes of St. Andrews State Park, a former military reservation that covers more than 485.6 hectares of area. Get detailed information about marine life on a scuba diving expedition, sunbathe on white sands and go spotting alligators, deer, and wading birds. It is one of the finest places to start visiting at the Environmental Interpretive Center where you can watch the park orientation video and see ecosystem dioramas. We will also find a saltwater aquarium and seashell collections. St. Andrews State Park is located 3 miles to the east of Panama City. Among its facilities are a shower station for day bathers, two playgrounds, and three picnic areas.

Gulf World Marine Park

This family-friendly park allows face-to-face meet with dolphins, seals, and alligators. Watch amazing animal shows, walk through lush tropical gardens, and be amazed by the wildlife around you. Some exciting animal shows are being held several times throughout the day, so you have the opportunity to enjoy whenever you reach the park. You can also watch porpoises flip, leap and splash in the Bottlenose Dolphin Show and can also learn about sharks, turtles, and stingrays during their daily feeding sessions. You can visit Gulf World Marine Park any day of the week.

Pier Park

Pier Park is a major location for shopping, dining, and fun, all just a short walk from the beach. Whether you want to freshen up your wardrobe or look for a souvenir, you will find what you’re looking for at Pier Park. We can find everything from large stores to small specialty boutiques. Before you visit Pier Park, check for current deals on its website. It includes a host of thrill and gentler rides. Enjoy the nerve-racking twists and turns of the spinning coaster ride. Move to the Sky Tower and experience 40 feet of freefall. Then, swing fast and high on the Sea Dragon. Pier Park is situated close to the beaches of Panama City Beach and is easily reached by the Bay Town Trolley local transit system.

Shipwreck Island Waterpark

Looking for a little exhilaration during the hot weather, slip and slide your way through the rides and attractions of Shipwreck Island Waterpark. From heart-pumping slides and waterfalls to a lazy river and narrow pools, there is plenty of aquatic fun for all ages. For those who like their water rides on the wilder side, move for the Tree Top Drop, which includes a rapid drop slide and an enclosed twisting tube slide. You can also enjoy the waves of the Ocean Motion Wave Pool that create 3-feet high waves every 10 minutes On the White Knuckle River, race down the 660-feet  twisting tube while sitting inside a large inner tube. If you have kids, take them over to Tadpole Hole. There are activity lakes featuring a variety of animal-shaped slides, a yellow submarine, and a rope climb. Shipwreck Island Waterpark is a short walk from Panama City Beach’s primary coastal road.

Conservation Park

A favorite destination for both locals as well as tourists! PCB Conservation Park offers opportunities for a variety of outdoor refreshment activities. The City of Panama City Beach has been established for the enjoyment of hikers, bikers, and nature lovers. Surrounded over 2900 acres, the Conservation Park has 24 miles of trails and over a mile of boardwalks that lead through Cypress Domes. The trails range from 0.6 miles to 11 miles, with 12 different trails to choose from. Parking and public restrooms are located at the Trail Head building along with a covered pavilion which is available for rent. The Park remains open 7 days in a week i.e, from dawn to dusk. You must bring your binoculars and cameras for enjoying the beauty of birds, wild animals and a close watch of nature.

Museum of Man in the Sea

Trace the history of the underwater survey with a visit to the Museum of Man in the Sea.  You can look through the early days of deep-sea diving and know-how technology has helped in the quest to investigate life under the sea. The most popular highlight of the museum is the collection of old mini-subs and vessels, which are situated outside the main building. You can also look over the bright red canister that is U.S. Navy SEALAB-1, the world’s first underwater living facility. Go through the Techdiver, which picked up an unexploded nuclear bomb from the seafloor off the coast of Spain. The plane that was carrying the weapon crashed while attempting to refuel in mid-air in 1966. Museum of Man in the Sea is situated at Panama City Beach Parkway, a short walking distance from the local trolley bus route.

Capt. Anderson’s Marina

One of the premier water excursion facilities in PCB Florida including Deep Sea Fishing, Dolphin Encounters, Eco Sea-Fari Tours, and Shell Island Express Ferry. Offers half- and all-day deep-sea fishing services at several bottom-fishing boats. The Marina includes two superb restaurants, the world-famed Capt. Anderson’s Restaurant and Dockside’s Hook and Cook – Oyster Bar.

Treasure Island Marina

One-stop shop for all your marine needs that includes storage, service, fuel, bait, ice, ship’s store, and transient dockage. Restaurants, nightclubs, shopping, and never-ending white sand beaches are a few minutes away from you, so grab a rental car or a cab and head into town for some upbeat fun!

Panama City Beach, Florida, also known as the Emerald Coast, is a fun city that has a beautiful white pristine beach. This is the place where you can plan your ultimate vacation with your kids, family & friends. We at Panama City FL Resorts will help you with the best vacation rentals in PCB Florida and activities while you’re visiting.

Vacations are special times & we’re here to help.  We invite you to come as a guest and hope you will come as a friend for the next time. You can email or call us with any questions about our properties and reservations for Panama City Beach.