Page 48 - DreamScapes Magazine | Fall/Winter 2025

PANAMA CITY BEACH
The getaway you’ve been waiting for all year
BY EMMA WRIGHT
ou wouldn’t be the first person in Panama City Beach
Y
(PCB) to spend days blissfully doing nothing except
taking a dip in the clear turquoise water, then grabbing
fresh Gulf seafood just steps from the sand. But, on the other
hand, you could plan some daily fun and not come close to
exhausting the possibilities.
GULF SUNSETS AND STELLAR GOLF
PCB has a way of feeling both refreshingly new and warmly
familiar. Break out your best dance moves at the iconic
Winter Resident Senior Prom. Taste some great wine, craft
beer and sample cuisine at UNwineD presented by Publix.
Hit the links while soaking up the sun at one of PCB’s out-
standing greens such as the newly opened Topgolf Panama
City Beach. Every course in PCB has a different vibe, though
most come with spectacular Gulf views.
SHELLS AND WRECKS
If you’re a first time visitor don’t miss the two state parks that
flank each end of PCB: St. Andrews State Park and Camp Helen
State Park.
Expansive St. Andrews State Park has white sand beaches
that stretch along the Gulf and St. Andrews Bay. The water is at
its best in fall and winter so it’s a great time to try paddle
boarding or snorkelling. To boot, Panama City Beach is known
as the “Wreck Diving Capital of the South,” thanks to the
number of intact shipwrecks. St. Andrews has multiple camp
sites as well as stylish glamping tents.
Into kayaking? Paddle to Shell Island, a 11-kilometre-long
long barrier island of unadulterated nature and diverse
wildlife. Pack a picnic and soak up the sunshine while you
unwind. (You can take a ferry there, too.)
Camp Helen State Park is home to a rare coastal dune lake.
Explore the park on two wheels (you can rent a bike on site) or
hike the Oak Canopy Trail, an easy 1.7-kilometre hike fringed
by wildflowers. Camp Helen is a paradise for birdwatchers.
A PASSPORT TO PLEASURE-FILLED SHOPPING
If your pleasures are food and shopping, Pier Park is your stop
for big name stores and independent boutiques. This open-air
mall has the ocean breezes keeping you cool while you shop.
When you get hungry, consider beloved restaurants such as
Margaritaville and The Back Porch Seafood & Oyster House.
Don’t miss Decor by the Shore, a dedicated shopping trail
that takes the work out of discovering the coolest locally
owned design boutiques, and don’t forget to ask for the Decor
by the Shore passport. Collect stamps at each shop and when
you’re done, drop into the visitors centre for some Panama City
Beach swag.
DS
TRAVEL PLANNER
For the latest travel information about Panama City Beach,
visit VisitPanamaCityBeach.com
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DREAMSCAPES FALL/WINTER 2025
PHOTOS: PANAMA CITY BEACH