Destinations

8 published hubs, written under the BeachLetsGo Editorial byline and reviewed by Site Owner.

Panama City and Historic St. Andrews were researched from City of Panama City, Bay County, Florida state park, FDOT, NOAA, NWS, FWC and Florida Department of Health sources. These specific sites have not yet been visited in person.

Panama City

Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach is a city, a beach, and a stretch of unincorporated Bay County — and they are not the same thing. Who governs what, the five neighborhoods, and why one bridge shapes every trip.

Grand Lagoon

Grand Lagoon is the far east end of Panama City Beach — Thomas Drive, the marina and charter cluster, and the road to St. Andrews State Park. Much of it is unincorporated Bay County, not the city, it is the furthest sub-region from the airport, and it is the least walkable.

Pier Park

Pier Park is the commercial and pedestrian centre of Panama City Beach — an open-air retail and dining centre at 600 Pier Park Dr, the Russell-Fields City Pier, and the one part of this coast where a visitor can park once and walk. It is not enclosed and it is not beachfront.

Open Sands

Open Sands is the central beachfront stretch of Front Beach Road either side of Pier Park — independently owned condo towers, the M.B. Miller County Pier with the only settled pier fee schedule on this coast, and a dining roster this page grades name by name instead of listing flat.

Middle Beach

Middle Beach is a Front Beach Road condo stretch that shares its name with a road at the other end of the beach. Middle Beach Road is Hutchison Boulevard, an inland connector. They are different places, and booking one and driving to the other is a documented failure mode.

West End

The West End is the quiet end of Panama City Beach, running out toward the Walton County line. A gated community with one public county access, a state park at the outer edge, and the thinnest dining and retail coverage on the corridor.

Compare them

Destinations at a glance
DestinationTypeIn one line
Panama CitycityPanama City is a working bay town on St. Andrew Bay, not a Gulf beach town. Who should base here, where the water access is, and what the marinas, closure days and single bridge crossing mean for your trip.
Historic St. AndrewsneighborhoodHistoric St. Andrews was its own town until 1926 — a working marina, a Saturday market under a 250-year-old oak, a letterpress museum, and oyster bars. What it is, what it isn’t, and how not to confuse it with St. Andrews State Park.
Panama City BeachcityPanama City Beach is a city, a beach, and a stretch of unincorporated Bay County — and they are not the same thing. Who governs what, the five neighborhoods, and why one bridge shapes every trip.
Grand LagoonneighborhoodGrand Lagoon is the far east end of Panama City Beach — Thomas Drive, the marina and charter cluster, and the road to St. Andrews State Park. Much of it is unincorporated Bay County, not the city, it is the furthest sub-region from the airport, and it is the least walkable.
Pier ParkneighborhoodPier Park is the commercial and pedestrian centre of Panama City Beach — an open-air retail and dining centre at 600 Pier Park Dr, the Russell-Fields City Pier, and the one part of this coast where a visitor can park once and walk. It is not enclosed and it is not beachfront.
Open SandsneighborhoodOpen Sands is the central beachfront stretch of Front Beach Road either side of Pier Park — independently owned condo towers, the M.B. Miller County Pier with the only settled pier fee schedule on this coast, and a dining roster this page grades name by name instead of listing flat.
Middle BeachneighborhoodMiddle Beach is a Front Beach Road condo stretch that shares its name with a road at the other end of the beach. Middle Beach Road is Hutchison Boulevard, an inland connector. They are different places, and booking one and driving to the other is a documented failure mode.
West EndneighborhoodThe West End is the quiet end of Panama City Beach, running out toward the Walton County line. A gated community with one public county access, a state park at the outer edge, and the thinnest dining and retail coverage on the corridor.