Panama City or Destin. FL ????

Hi L.,

We've spent several summers at Grayton Beach which is exactly between the two...we love it there. I want to ditto Julie from Atlanta. It actually sounds like what I was going to write, word for word, lol!

M.

Destin for family.... Panama City for drunken college party :o)

Sorry I'm a little late to answer this one. I lived in Panama City for 7 years and I agree with the general assessments. Destin is going to be a bit more expensive than Panama City. Both places have drunken young adults (it's a beach, so expect that), but Panama City really has come a long way in the last 5 years. Shipwreck Island is a water park at Panama City Beach that the family will probably love, and Rockit Lanes is a fun bowling alley/arcade. Both beaches have miniature golf, boat tours, arcades, etc., though Panama City caters to that a bit more. As another mom posted, be sure you stay on the gulf side of Hwy 98 if you are going to stay in Panama City Beach since you'll have to cross the road. Now there's a ton of condos and high-rise hotels in Panama City Beach that weren't there 10 years ago, so there are more gulf-side choices. Your best bet would be to try to get away from the "Miracle Strip" section of the beach and go a little farther down the west end of the beach where it isn't so packed and you won't have to deal with the congestion of the young people cruising in the evening.

If you need more info or want opinions about specific places, especially in Panama City Beach, feel free to send me a private message on here. Lots of my friends still live in that area and if I don't know something, I can Facebook them. Good luck and have a fun vacation!

They're similar. Both great beaches, restaurants, Outlet Malls. But, Panama City= teens partying. Destin= family fun!

Have been to both and like both. Splash in PCB would be fun for your kids to stay at. I liked Ft. Walton Beach, Waterscape Resort/Condo's which is 20 minutes from Destin..... my fave place of all!

I have been to Destin, PCB, and Pensacola Beach. Destin is definitely my favorite! We have also stayed at Pelican Beach Resort (3 times) and we really enjoyed it. It is directly on the beach, has a great pool, and has an onsite deli/restaurant. Also, there is a waterpark right across the street. The only complaint we had about it is that some of the units are in need of renovation. Destin is very family oriented, with hotels that are set far off of the road and far away from neighboring hotels. PCB is a very pretty place, but the hotels are on top of one another and they are also right off of the road. It is definitely more of a "party" atmosphere as well. Pensacola is beautiful, but there really isn't a whole lot to do. Pensacola Beach is very small and you have to drive into Pensacola to find anything to do. I don't like overly touristy places, but I like to have a few options. We were supposed to go to Destin last summer and unfortunately, we got scared by the oil spill and went to Myrtle Beach instead. We were going with some friends of ours and had reservations at Villa Coyaba- a 4 bdrm condo right on the beach. We were so sad to miss out on this place! We plan on going back and staying there next summer (we did Disney this year). If my husband and I were ever to buy a timeshare or vacation property, Destin is where we would do it. HTH!

Our family has been to Destin 3 times and Panama City once, but we are planning to go back to Panama City for Spring Break this year. I have to say Panama City is coming back. So you can find condos that are newer and usually on the beach. We like both areas, but I still think Destin is a little nicer for a family. It is harder to find a place on on the beach. Destin has a lot of places just across the street.
I don't think you can go wrong in either area. Both have the beautiful blue , blue waters and white, white beaches.

I used to live in Pensacola (nas pensacola) which is about an hour away from Panama City.

Destin.

Panama City is full of drunk Marines, Sailors, & college kids. FULL. It's a bar/alcohol scene. Are there places to escape the 17-25yos testing the limits of their livers and libidos? Yes. But it's like trying to find a nice quiet place to relax in Times Square. Doable, but not easy, nor guaranteed. Ironically, that close to base, Pensacola is MUCH quieter than Panama (although the Blue Angels practice daily when they aren't out touring, and there's also a lot of other fast mover traffic in the area, which can either be fun or annoying as all get out depending on your inclination). But Pensacola Beaches are shockingly empty the vast majority of the time, though one will find military folk out every weekend, the beaches are huge, and it's easy to find private areas. Not so, Panama. Of course, there's also the Navy Dive School in Panama, which adds to the craziness. Even as a Marine, I avoided Panama City, because the driving/crowding was untenable. (During certain hours one can get out of the car, go to a restaurant, order to go, pee, collect food, walk back out to the street and only have your care moved up 1-2 spots during that 20 minute jaunt). And the party is continuing on the street. As a child (while my dad was in Dive School in Panama) we had to stay in the hotel property at all times, because it was walled off from the revelry outside of it.

Destin has always been a little more "high-end" than Panama City, but Panama City has REALLY come back in the last few years! It's quite the family destination and there is a lot more stuff to do there -but it's also more crowded. I've spent my life going to both as a small child, child, teen, adult and parent. I'm delighted that they've taken the old Miracle Strip amusement rides and redone them and set them back up at Pier Park, which is a new complex of restaurants, shops, a mall, movie theater and the amusement rides. Across the street is a lovely pier. There are also tons of kid things to do -lots of put-put, Ripley's Believe it or Not, this Upside down house and science interactive place and several waterparks. It really depends on when you want to go -PCB is VERY crowded during the summer between the end of May and first of August. If you could go the 2nd, 3rd or 4th week of August -it would be great, because most of the schools in the Southeast have started back by then. Destin is crowded too -just not quite as built up and crazy as PCB. If you're looking for completely laid back on that stretch of Gulf -check out Santa Rosa and Grayton Beach. The Fort Walton area also has gorgeous beaches and is pretty economical with lots of nice condos.

I have been to both. Liked them both. Destin is a nicer city, I think there is more to do there, Harbor Walk and stuff like that. But I think PCB is a little cheaper.
Pensacola is about 1.5 hours from Destin and the beaches are amazing! Its not so touristy there.

This is our favorite place to stay in Destin, its directly on the beach, no roads to cross to get to the beach. Be careful, a lot of Resorts on Hwy 98, you have to cross the hwy to get to the beach, which sucks with kids. Make sure there is no road to cross.

http://www.pelican-beach-resort.net/?gclid=CPbbk_6iyKkCFY...

Let me know if you have any questions, we are always down there.