With a population of about 40,000, Panama City Beach is a small city on northwest Florida's panhandle. It is a popular tourist destination right on St. Andrews Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.
The city's official web site boasts that Panama City Beach is attractive for raising a family, which is true about eleven months a year. The web site also boasts that the city is an exciting tourist destination year-round, which is true, too.
But the city is most well-known for one thing: Spring Break.
College students from all over Canada and the U. S. Make their way to Panama City Beach each spring to party with other like-minded people. It's a good place to party and forget about the scrutiny of school and exams. To wit, for the past two years, Panama City Beach has hosted MTV's Spring Break. And students will again have another chance to party there in 2010.
Hotels and motels line up to lure these partygoers to stay at their place. Because of this, you should reserve your rooms early - even a year in advance is recommended. Everywhere will fill up quickly.
During the day, there is plenty to do in Panama City Beach Spring Break. For sure, there are the endless beaches. Beautiful sandy beaches for swimming, soaking up rays, playing Frisbee or beach soccer, and watching all the other partiers having a blast. While the public beaches are the most popular, they get very crowded during this time. However, don't worry, there is always St. Andrews State Park, which also has nice beaches. There is a small fee to enter the park, but it might be worthwhile to avoid the crowds.
Nearby the main strip is a popular water park called Shipwreck Island. A ticket to get in is about $30 or so. You'll need more dough, however, if you want to eat or drink inside because coolers and food from outside are forbidden. Regardless of age, though, there are all kinds of rides for everyone to enjoy.
For those who want to party at night, luck is on your side. There are many bars, restaurants, and nightclubs available.Maybe the best-known nightclub is Club La Vela, purported to be the largest nightclub in America. The club is several stories and houses multiple themed rooms where parties never slow down. ther well-known party spots include Spinnaker and Hammerhead Fred's. Then there's the Boardwalk Beach Resort, situated right on the beach. It hosts Spring Break concerts and themed contests all day every day and it might be the place for you to see and be seen.
There is also plenty of shopping, if that's your thing. There are malls aplenty, as well as more souvenir shops than you can count. A popular local attraction is Alvin's Magic Mountain Mall. It resembles a cave and everything from beachwear to cheap souvenirs can be found there. As it's Florida, an alligator display is quite the attraction, as well.
Spring Break 2010 in Panama City Beach starts for some as early as mid February. The majority of students will enjoy their break throughout March with the two busiest weeks starting March 6th.
Locals get their small city back around April 10 of next year, when MTV Spring Break officially ends.
