Welcome to Panama City: over 27 miles of breathtaking, unrivaled beauty along the Gulf of Mexico, and one ofthe most beautiful cities on the Florida panhandle.

For private getaways, family vacations or group tours, Panama City is the perfect destination. Within a 30-mile radius are three state parks ranked among the nation's top 20 beaches. St. Andrews State Park encompasses 1,063 acres of beaches, dunes, pineflatwoods, saltwater and freshwater marshes. There is a camping area and a double boat launch and marina.

A casual community of over 150,000, Panama City has lots to offer. Camping and picnic facilities abound. Shell Island, across the Bay, is an uninhabited barrier island that can be visited only by boat. Nationally recognized chain affiliates and resorts offer accommodations plus impressive meeting facilities, several with 40,000-square-foot meeting complexes. Panama City restaurants present a pleasing blend of Southern charm and international cuisine.

WEATHER

With an average water temperature of 72 degrees and average air temperature of 78 degrees, Panama City Beach is becoming a year-round vacation destination. Relax and enjoy Florida's hidden vacation spot: Panama City.

HISTORIC ST. ANDREWS
Historic old St. Andrews is where Panama City really began. It encompasses several square miles and has a variety of unique restaurants such as Captain's Table, and Uncle Ernie's, where you can dine overlooking the bay. There are gift shops and antique shops throughout the area. Find a cappuccino or espresso at St. Andrews Coffee Shop or a great breakfast at Beck Avenue Café. It's a fun place to walk, and visitors can enjoy many special events such as the annual Mardi Gras celebration, the Shrimp and Oyster festival and a Christmas Boat Light Parade. It's just a fun place to be.

MUSIC
For those dancing to a different beat, Panama City Beach's numerous beach clubs offer day or night entertainment. Musical choices vary from classical hits and golden oldies to heavy metal and high energy. Head for Hook's Grille and Grog at The Treasure Ship, Club LaVela, the nations largest nightclub, or Breakers on the Beach, and join in the local action. Jazz lovers will want to return in June for the Panama City Jazz Festival held in McKenzie Park, which features local entertainment and name acts. Oktoberfest, held the last weekend in September or the first weekend in October on Grace Avenue in downtown Panama City, features colorful polka dancing, German food/beer, and arts and crafts.

ART
Art lovers will want to check out the Paul Brent Gallery in downtown Panama City. Natural artists and historians should visit the Man in the Sea Museum, the Indian Temple Mound Museum, the Emerald Coast Science Center and the Pioneer Museum at St. Andrews State Park.

MILITARY MUSEUM
Panama City is a neighboring community to three major military establishments. TyndallAir Force Base, the largest, serves as headquarters for Air-Defense for most of Florida and is home to the new squadron of F-22 fighters, the latest in military hardware. It is bounded on three sides by water and is part of the Air Force air-to-air defense training. The Naval Coastal Systems Navy Base is a training ground for Navy Seals and Tactical Naval Defense Strategies. It is also home to the Navy's newest in mine defense training as well as Hovercraft development and training. The U. S. Coast Guard Base at Panama City claims one cutter and a fleet of smaller vessels fordrug interdiction, patrolling and protection in the Gulf, as well as search and rescue.

PORT FACILITIES
Port of Panama City is the largest deep-water port between Mobile and Tampa. The St. Andrews Channel can accommodate ocean going freighters that load and off-load tons of products for the Panhandle Coast. Eastern Ship Building constructs vessels up to 300 feet for commercial and excursion use around the world.

DIVERSITY ABOUNDS
Panama City Beach, which claims to be the Seafood Capital of theWorld, offers an array of restaurants with a variety of mouth-watering menus. From casual eateries to award-winning establishments, you can be certain of having a memorable dining experience. Afterward, you'll find entertainment to fit every age,  group and taste. The young at heart can choose from miniature golf, a zoo excursion, amusement parks, a water park and museums, to list just a few.

Annual events to enjoy include the Gulf Cost Triathlon, the Indian Summer Seafood Festival, the Bay Point Billfish InvitationalTournament and Nature's Gallery Historical Arts and Crafts Festival. With more than 18,000 hotel, motel and condominium units, as well as campgrounds and RV parks, you're sure to find the perfect vacation to fit your budget and accommodation needs.

Looking for outdoor activities? There are plenty to choose from, including relaxing rounds of golf on one of five 18-hole courses, exhilarating tennis matches on one of the numerous courts, sight-seeing and much more. Swimming, fishing and pleasure boating are just a few activities you can enjoy in the beautiful waters of the Gulf of Mexico. For a bit more adventure, try parasailing, jetskiing, snorkeling, windsurfing or diving.

In addition to FishStock, Panama City hosts other community events,such as Indian Summer Seafood Festival, held during the firstweekend in October. Enjoy three days of top-name country music entertainers, arts and crafts, and your fill of seafood. The Spring Festival of the Arts, held the first weekend in May, is sponsored by the Panama City Junior Women's Club and features over 100 artists and craftsmen from throughout the Southeast.

Usually held the first Saturday in April, Panama City's KidFest, sponsored by Early Childhood Services, takes place on the field at Gulf Coast Community College. It features children's entertainers, games, displays and hands-on activities.

DINING
An elegant setting ... a view of the harbor aglow with twinkling lights and a table in the corner by the window for two in an award-winning restaurant that knows how to make you feel special. This is the secret to a romantic evening in Panama City.

Enjoy all that the Emerald Coast has to offer by day, then dine the night away at locally popular places such as Captain Anderson's Restaurant, a Golden Spoon 12-time winner; BayPoint's 30 Degree Blue gourmet restaurant or Hamilton's, with two generations offering the Gulf's freshest seafood. Steak and beef lovers will love the old English atmosphere of The Boar's Head. Schooners, "the last local beachclub," sits right on the gulf with an excellent menu and an annual Lobsterfest during September.


DISCOVER PANAMA CITY'S FISHING

Fishing is a main attraction for Panama City and much of the Gulf of Mexico destinations in Florida. Bay County has the state's largest charter fleet as well as seven fully equipped partyboats. There is no question that year-round fishing is viable, and the substantial area sport-fishing fleet is always ready.Whether you enjoy deep-sea fishing, fishing from the shore or even freshwater fishing, this area is for you! Panama City specializes in the freshest, premium seafood straight from the gulf and invites you to its many fish houses, restaurants and seafood markets, dedicated to bringing you the best of the Gulf of Mexico seafood industry. Whether its blackened or grilled grouper or mahimahi, sushi-grade tuna, steamed shrimp, flounder filets or blackened amberjack, it's fresh and comes to you directly off the docks of the Gulf of Mexico.

Here's what you can expect during your visit to FishStock.

Cobia migrate from east to west along the beaches, beginning in March and April. Most are caught from piers, such as the Panama City Beach Pier, which, at 1,500 feet is the longest in the Gulf. Three 5-ounce lead-head feather jigs or live eels are the mostpopular baits. King Mackerel can be caught throughout the gulf from April to November. Trolling is the most popular way to catch themusing a local lure called a "duster and three-hookrig", baited with a dead cigar minnow. Medium-weight 3/0 size reels spooled with 30- to 50-pound-test mono work well. Local guides add a 12-ounce egg sinker and a mono 60-pound-test, 6-footleader attached to a swivel and 2-foot, 41-pound-test wire leader.The wire threads through the "duster" and is attachedto the hooks. The cigar minnow is hooked to the first hook in the chain. Dolphin will hit live bait, spoons or plugs, on light tackle. The best time for them is from May through October. Look for weed lines and other floating debris. If sailfish are your game, then Panama City is for you. Sailfish enjoy the warm gulf thermals all year. Your best bet is to troll live or dead baitfish such as mullet, mackerel, herring or squid on a Kona head, feathered jig or plastic squid rig.

MARINA FACILITIES
There are 13 marinas in the Panama City area. The Panama City Marina and St. Andrews Marina are public facilities with free launching ramps and parking. Sun Harbor Marina and Pier98 are private facilities. Panama City Beach has five private marinas, including, Bay Point Marina, Treasure Island Marina, Lighthouse Marina and Pirates Cove Marina. Captain Anderson's Marina plays host to its own fishing fleet as well a gift shop and fish market.

CRUISES
Those who would like a closer look at the gulf and the bay can enjoy a variety of scenic cruises. The Glass Bottom Boat offers a unique opportunity to see the bottom of the bay and also demonstrates how "shrimping" is done. On the Captain Anderson's Dinner Cruise boat, guests can take a romantic evening cruise over the open waters while enjoying exquisite meals, dancing and sight-seeing from the upper decks. Kids love the Pirate Ship that sets sail at various times and allows them to participate in "mutiny battles," a search for lost treasure and an educational tour. A variety of day and sunset sailing cruises are also available.

Whatever your pleasure, Panama City  has become a mecca for family fun. And it's a magnet -- you can't visit without coming back to discover what you missed the first time.