The Undiscovered Secrets of Panama City FL's 10 Best Places - Paketmu (2023)

Are you looking for an unforgettable experience? Look no further than this curated selection of the top ten places to explore in Panama City FL! From awe-inspiring national parks, sparkling cityscapes and everything else in between – there’s something here that will capture your heart. Prepare yourself for a remarkable journey through one of America’s most iconic destinations in this city.

The 10 Best Places to Visit in Panama City FL

St. Andrews State Park

• Address: 4607 State Park Ln, Panama City, FL 32408, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (8046)
• Phone: +1 850-708-6100
• Website: Link
• Reviews:

  Great little State Park with an amazing wildlife area. The visitor Center was very neat and clean and informative about wildlife in the area and safety on the beach. For only $8 for our whole family, we spent the whole day visiting different areas of the State Park (a little bit of trail walking – didn’t see any gators though) and spending most of the time on the beach! Definitely worth our time Jewel of the State Park! Highly would recommend it for anyone visiting or wanting to get away from the resort beaches. The beach itself was beautiful and had a jetty on the north and south side, the North side of the jetty created a calm pool for the kids to play in and snorkel around looking for interesting things. The south side has some nice waves and even did a little bit of surfing!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Justin Talley (6 months ago)

  This was an absolutely wonderful way to spend the day. We took the water shuttle to shell island for a fantastic family day. Found many shells and got some great pics. Very secluded and nothing there. Make sure you take your chairs, umbrella and plenty of drinks and snacks. We will definitely return next year.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Sue DiTullio (7 months ago)

  Before when I went to Panama beach, I had gone to public access and someone came to the beach with their dog. I love animals but when we have children, our situation is difference. How can I play with my son when I worry about his health! Anyway , I stop my plan for go to public access and I went to this park ! Oh Gosh! Here was amazing and there were shower and restroom! Very clean and anywhere you can seat and enjoy from your time with your family! They didn’t permit to pets ! It was wonderful for me! But somebody smoked similar locomotives! But all things were fine and also you have parking here! Anywhere police look around and protect people and their car from vandalism! I appreciate him. Please don’t forget about tickets. Each people should pay 4 dollar for adults but it is fair because you receive very good service. I am sorry for my long speech! I love you my followers! ❤️😙

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Rimma Smailova (6 months ago)

  I love visiting St. Andrew’s State Park beaches. Today the pier was closed for repairs but the beach, nonetheless, was calling. The roads throughout the park need repair but I think the State purposefully doesn’t fix them so traffic has no choice but to drive slowly – it’s God’s country after all. There are clean restrooms and you can catch a boat to Shell island across the harbor/ bay. The water is warming up, the waves were perfect. What a really great day we spent with our community at the beach! Make sure you all come visit and have a great time loving on these beaches!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Mary j (10 months ago)

  Wish I had known about this park sooner! Loved our boat ride over to Shell Island. We spent most of our day there. The beach areas to swim back at the park are excellent for younger kids.(the Jetties.) Nice walking trail around Gator Lake but couldn’t see much of the lake due to overgrowth of vegetation and trees. Which they keep it as natural as can be. Saw many egrets and even a few deer and a buck wondering the park road sides. Definitely will be back next year. If you are in the PCB area this is a must see!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Christina Isbell (5 months ago)

Gulf World Marine Park

• Address: 15412 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32413, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.2 (4497)
• Phone: +1 850-234-5271
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:

  Monday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

  Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

  Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

  Thursday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

  Friday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

  Saturday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

  Sunday: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

• Reviews:

  I love that this place takes in animals that can not return to the wild! A rehab for the animals but I can’t help to think some of these animals needed to be separated.

  I was able to do an encounter with this lovely sea lion Cooper! He did some tricks he hasn’t performed before. I would not recommend some of the tricks for younger kids because he is heavy. However he is a smart sea lion. He was free to go if he didn’t want to do tricks or interact with us. And that’s one reason I really loved this! I also had tons of questions about him and his species and the trainer was very kind and educational! We were only in the pool for about 20 minutes. I wish we could have done more. But I’m glad the staff had some boundaries on what could and could not be done.

  The turtles were moved inside the building and they were attacking each other. The sharks in the tank outside were attacking each other as well. I tried saying something but I don’t think there was anything they could do. The shark was trying to tare off the other nurse sharks tail. And they were at it for hours.

  There is a touch area for the sting rays where you can pet the top of them. You can also feed them. However there was a customer picking them up out of water many times and laughing at it. Telling his kids to come pet them. The staff members near by didn’t seem to care. Kids were leaning over the wall and one almost fell in. Again nobody seemed to care. I almost ran over to the kid because I thought he was going to fall in and his parents were not paying attention.

  The dolphin swim adventure was really cool. You can take pictures with the dolphin and he takes you for a short ride on his belly. The dolphin was treat motivated. I don’t think the dolphin would have participated if he wasn’t getting treats the whole time.

  Overall this was a great experience. But a friendly reminder these animals have their own minds and should be respected. Don’t do anything that could provoke them. Listen to the trainers. And please watch your kids.

  ✭✭✭ By Davis Destiny (8 months ago)

  Had a pretty good time viewing the animals located at the park. I will say that once you are in the park, everything seems like a money grab. The pictures offered with the animals run $10 a piece and can really add up. We looked at the swimming with the dolphins options, and came close to purchasing the packages. The cost isn’t cheap, but not necessarily super expensive given the opportunity. The only problem I had with the encounter was the banning of any kind of cameras, of course they offer to take pictures for you if you purchase a picture package along with the already pricey activity. The package does not specify how many pictures you get, if more than the singular pics that were offered at the end of each animal program. I just think if I’m paying all that money to swim with dolphins I should at least have to option to bring a water proof camera, ie go pro, to capture this amazing opportunity. Even as an observer to capture my children enjoying the moment. At least admission to the park is included with the cost of the activity. Unless we took part in one of the animal encounters I think the one visit would suffice and would not see a reason to return. Then again the kids and wife enjoyed it so you never know.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Christopher Bennett (4 months ago)

  I’ve been here twice in the last four years and I love it. The park is small but the shows will keep you busy for
  3-4 hours. I like how they coordinate the shows so that you get a chance to see them all. I only wish the animal encounters were a little cheaper.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Melinda M (3 months ago)

  We have never been to Gulf World and thought this time we should check it out while in Panama. I would not ever want to be there during a crowded season. It’s a very small place compared to any zoo or aquarium we have visited. Being an off season now when we went it was fine. It was more expensive than for what we could normally get from other experiences at zoos or aquariums but it is still very enjoyable. I liked how you can pay for extra interactions and photos with the animals. We only needed two hours there so it is also good for a stop without it taking up an entire day of your vacation. It was pretty clean also. The dolphin show was fantastic and that’s where I consider I mostly got my monies worth so if you don’t see it you might as well just wait until you are sure you don’t miss that.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Kristiana Miller (8 months ago)

  We booked the Swim Adventure. Cajun was our dolphin and Ashley was the trainer. She was hilarious. This was such an awesome encounter. Only downfall is time limit, it is only 30 minutes. We were able to hug, kiss, sing and belly ride with Cajun. If you’re going to do the encounter be sure to pre-purchase your photo package. There are several other encounters to see. Stingray touch bay and the option to feed them for $5. Bird exhibits. We were even able to have one sit on our shoulders! Penguins! Sea Turtles! Sharks! Sea loins! Thank you Gulf World for the memories we made!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Christina White (3 months ago)

M.B. Miller County Pier

• Address: 12213 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (4225)
• Phone: +1 850-236-3035
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:

  Monday: Open 24 hours

  Tuesday: Open 24 hours

  Wednesday: Open 24 hours

  Thursday: Open 24 hours

  Friday: Open 24 hours

  Saturday: Open 24 hours

  Sunday: Open 24 hours

• Reviews:

  Only $3 per person to walk it and enjoy it, take good pictures during day and at night it’s beautiful!!! Definitely love it. Plenty of seating and restrooms on pier if needed, lol. You can also pay extra to go fishing on pier too. I believe I heard it’s $6 per person a day. I didn’t fish but plenty to catch as I observed. 😌 shared some pics I took though. Enjoy!!! ❤️

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Jessica P (5 months ago)

  Great place to fish, does cost for access to the actual pier, but it was reasonable. There is public beach access here, so parking is a little wild. Great views and great things to do nearby if the sand and water aren’t your thing. Sunsets here are majestic and romantic. There are also public restrooms here.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Glenn McGirt (10 months ago)

  I really enjoyed being back near this beach. It has been over a decade since I stepped on this beach and it felt good. The weather was just right. The sun was out and it was beautiful. It was hard to wave bye bye. I give it a thumbs up.

  ✭✭✭✭ By Phes M (2 months ago)

  Walking out over the top of the ocean is always fun. I enjoy looking back at the skyline and trying to spot different types of wildlife. No matter if it’s fish in the ocean or birds using the pier for shelter, this pier is really nice for pics and views. Plan on spending 45 min to an hour here. Plenty of bench seating to relax along the way. Price is $3 per adult and free parking. Well worth it!

  ✭✭✭✭ By Adam H (a year ago)

  I’ve visited everywhere from Pismo Beach to the Mediterranean Sea & this is the prettiest beach I’ve ever been to. The water was a beautiful teal blue and so clear! My daughter and I looked at each other and said, “The vibe is…” and we both said, “so quiet!” at the same time. It’s just so peaceful – literally just families hanging out and enjoying the Florida sun. We’ll definitely be back!! ❤️

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Grace Anthem (6 months ago)

ZooWorld Zoological Park

• Address: 9008 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.4 (3656)
• Phone: +1 850-600-8866
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:

  Monday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Tuesday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Wednesday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Thursday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Friday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Saturday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

  Sunday: 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

• Reviews:

  Absolutely great place. It’s got an awesome mix of interactivity and openness. It seems to be in such a weird location but they make it work and was my favorite part of the week long vacation in Panama.

  Kangaroo experience was absolutely awesome. Would have loved to do the fox experience but wasn’t in season and available.

  Could get up close to quite a few animals and they do a good job keeping it shaded on your walk.

  Highly recommend.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Cory P (MrSilverFox) (9 months ago)

  This was one of the most precious zoos I’ve ever been to! They have so many animal encounters that are both informative and enjoyable. You can tell their animals are all well taken care of and happy. We booked the kangaroo experience, and it was so adorable. Someone at the front accidentally overbooked our time-slot, so we didn’t get the complete one on one experience we hoped for. But my son got his and that’s all that matters! The petting zoo is literally the best. All the animals are so gentle and hilarious. I wish this was closer to me so we could go all the time!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Madison Turner (6 months ago)

  We had an amazing and wonderful time at ZooWorld. We did the Lemur experience. Our zoo keeper, Whitney, was great. We had such a wonderful and unforgettable experience. We interacted with the animals, we fed them and bonded with them. Animals were happy and enclosures were super clean. They are doing such an amazing job caring for these beautiful animals. We had a blast and we highly recommend everyone to go visit ZooWorld. Next time we are in town we will definitely go back.
  Thank you ZooWorld for the wonderful memories.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By annette burns (8 months ago)

  Absolutely loved this zoo. The staff were friendly and greeted you with a smile. We purchased the Lemur, Capybara, and Kangaroo Encounters, and Trey was our Encounter Guide. He did a fantastic job with the animals, provided information on each of the animals and made the experience incredible. I will cherish these memories for a long time. The zoo was clean, shady in areas, and the animal encampments were clean. Enjoyed the petting area where you may feed a 4 year old giraffe. The Budgie encounter was so much fun, they climbed and chewed on your shoes. Highly recommend for any age.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Becky Lipka (11 months ago)

  We had SO MUCH FUN at ZooWorld! All of the animals were so friendly and loved all of the attention they got. I highly recommend getting the cup with feed, bird seed, and tickets to feed the giraffe! This place looks small but trust me, it is well worth every penny especially if you’re an animal lover like me. The bird aviary is awesome.. at one point I had 7/8 birds on me! 😂 All of the goats were so precious too. I loved feeding them! I will definitely be visiting again. ❤️

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Montana Lowe (5 months ago)

WonderWorks Panama City Beach

• Address: 9910 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.3 (3265)
• Phone: +1 850-249-7000
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:

  Monday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

  Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

  Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

  Thursday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

  Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

  Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

  Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

• Reviews:

  Amazing Design!! We purchased our tickets online which was easy and not expensive. We went early so parking was a breeze and the museum was not crowded at all. Every room is pretty awesome and the rides were fun. My little one really enjoyed the bubbles with grandpa. The gift shop has some really nice keepsakes as well. Definitely worth the visit, you’ll love it.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Kay Lafleur (9 months ago)

  Kids had fun… they are 5 and 6 years old. Some displays were not working. Overall a pretty cool experience. For 4 of us it cost over 100 dollars. It took us about 2 hours to go through. Neat experience but probably wouldn’t do it again.

  ✭✭✭✭ By INDIANA JONES (3 months ago)

  It was Amazing!! We purchased our tickets there which was easy and not expensive. We went about 5pm parking easy and the museum was not crowded at all. Every room is pretty awesome and the rides were fun. We really enjoyed the bubbles we enjoyed everything.
  I highly recommend this place specially if you come with kids, they will
  Love for sure. Honestly I don’t have any complaints about this place. Everything was perfect. All rides are very good, highly recommended Aaa+++++

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Rony Peterson Jabour (5 months ago)

  The family absolutely loved all the cool stuff around every corner. Disclaimer to the parents be warned about the astronaut gyroscope 🤢🤣 They have a family day on Sunday that makes the experience affordable for everyone my only complaint would be the wait time on the 3rd floor is a little long and the space is very cramped at times. Some of the exhibits didn’t work properly either but overall was worth the money

  ✭✭✭✭ By Tyson Miller (4 months ago)

  Fun attraction, but several displays were broken (Google Earth, flight simulator, electricity thing, etc). It feels run down from a few years ago when I was here, but still had a lot of fun. A lot of fun things to do for all ages. I would highlight recommend the business fix it’s broken displays and increase efficiency on the rope course… The line was horrendously slow and inefficient.

  ✭✭✭ By Jonathan Gaydos (6 months ago)

Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

• Address: 9907 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.5 (3031)

Coconut Creek Family Fun Park

• Address: 9807 Front Beach Rd, Panama City Beach, FL 32407, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.5 (2033)

SkyWheel Panama City Beach

• Address: 15700 L C Hilton Jr Dr, Panama City Beach, FL 32413, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (1776)

Rick Seltzer Park

• Address: 7419 Thomas Dr, Panama City Beach, FL 32408, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (1580)

Oaks by the Bay Park

• Address: 2715 W 10th St, Panama City, FL 32401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (1191)

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