Panama City Beach, Florida: The Best Florida-Beach Ever

Panama City Beach is a city in Bay County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico coast. The city is often referred to under the umbrella term of "Panama City," despite being a distinct municipality from the older and larger inland Panama City to the east, making Panama City and Panama City Beach two separate cities. Panama City Beach's slogan is "The World's Most Beautiful Beaches" due to the unique sugar-white sandy beaches of Northwest Florida.

For quite some time Panama City Beach has been a popular vacation destination, especially among people in the Southern United States. The city is also a very popular spring break destination, sometimes being referred to as "The Spring Break Capital of the World," due to about 100,000 college and high school students who arrive during the months of March and April.

Well-known locations in the city were places such as "The Hang-Out" at the Long Beach Resort motel and the now closed Miracle Strip Amusement Park. A construction boom from 2001 to 2007 dramatically changed the beachfront skyline with high rise condos and hotels, although many planned projects have been scrapped or put on hold due to the real estate downturn.

The city is often negatively referred to as "The Redneck Riviera" due to the southern culture, facilities, and residents. Naysayers often cite a lack of nightlife and entertainment besides the beach as well as inadequate facilities for tourists as reasons why tourism hasn't expanded past spring break.