1. It’s Just A Wild Party Town – 11 months of the year, Panama City Beach Florida is a pretty laid back vacation destination. Spring Break is where Panama City Beach gets this reputation from. Fortunately Spring Break is only February 15th to April 15th and a portion of that time is family Spring Break and not the wild college Spring Break. May and June are great months to go to Panama City Beach and so are August, September, October, and even November. These are the most laid back months.
2. It’s The Red Neck Riviera – This myth was started way back when the beach was lined with small mom and pop type accommodations and attracted vacationers who were on a serious budget and luxury accommodations were not available. That is just not true any more. Prior to the housing bust in 2008, several large scale development projects took place including Aqua, Calypso, Sterling Breeze, Palazzo, and Emerald Beach. These are luxury, upscale accommodations that cater to even the most discriminating traveler. Add in gourmet restaurants, Pier Park shopping and entertainment, Seafood Wine and Music Festival, and you have a really classy little place on the beach.
3. The Beaches Are Dirty – Just not true. Panama City Beaches have the whitest, finest sand around and Panama City Beach does a great job in policing litter and junk.
4. There’s Nothing To Do – Every time I go to Panama City Beach, I always have a hard time choosing what I want to do. No matter who you go to the beach with, they will find something to do. There is Gulf World, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not, Wonder Works, golfing, deep sea fishing, para-sailing, shopping, dining, there is a little bit of everything for everyone. Oh yeah, there’s miniature golf and go carts too
5. It’s Too Expensive – Panama City Beach is competitively priced with other vacation destinations and I would even venture to say much less expensive. Orange Beach Alabama is much more expensive. If you compare Panama City Beach to other popular Gulf destinations like Destin, Clearwater, Sarasota, Corpus Christie, Fort Walton, you will see that Panama City Beach is the best, most affordable beach destination.
6. The Water Is Toxic Because Of The Oil Spill – Just not true. The oil spill had limited effect on Panama City Beach. The Water is safe.
7. There Are No Good Restaurants – I have personally dined at some great restaurants in and around Panama City Beach Florida. Salt Water Grill, Boatyard, Uncle Ernies, FireFly, The Terrace, Tuscan Grill, Guy Harveys, Cafe 30A, Bud and Alley’s, you could eat at a different restaurant every night for 2 weeks and not run out of great dining options.
8. It’s Not A Year Round Destination – This used to be the case but the TDC in Panama City Beach has done a great job at attracting venues that keep the beach hopping year round. Thanksgiving is becoming a very popular time to go to the beach and we are booked solid for New Years Eve. I have been in PCB in October and it felt like I was there in peak season. There’s always a great time to go to Panama City Beach.
9. All The Restaurants Close In The Winter – There are a few restaurants on the East end of the beach that do close during the winter and that angers the locals there. Many restaurateurs recognized that and have kept their restaurants open year round. All of the restaurants at Pier Park stay open all year round as do all of the restaurants on 30A.
10. The Beaches Are Crowded – There is plenty of beach. More than enough for everyone to claim there spot in the sun. Panama City has 27 miles of white sandy beach and if you want something really low key, check out St Andrews State Park. There are weeks/weekends that do have higher than normal occupancy and those are Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day. Just like at your local lake or park, density will always be higher during these times.

If you would like to visit Panama City Beach Florida to see for yourself, please visit us on the web so that we can help you plan your next vacation to the “World’s Most Beautiful Beaches”.