Travel Guide: Panama City Beach With Kids

 

Hello and happy spring!  I can’t believe we’re nearing the end of March already.  The kids had their spring break last week so we decided to do a last-minute road trip to Florida to unwind and getaway.  I’ve long heard about the beautiful strip of beaches along the 30A highway in the Florida panhandle, so I figured we would brave the 12-hour drive and check it out for ourselves!  We had an incredible 5 days in paradise, and it was the perfect escape.  Read on for more details of our Panama City Beach vacation including my tips for how to make the most of your time when you’re traveling with kids!

 

Panama City Beach

Dress: Chicwish Gradient Maxi (XS / TTS) – (also here, splurge option)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker

 

This was our first time to Panama City Beach and of course, the first thing on our agenda was hitting the beach!  This area of Florida is known for it’s beautiful sugar sand and captivating blue-green water, and it delivered 100%!  We picked up a couple beach toy sets beforehand and the kids built castles, dug pits, and took turns burying each other for nearly the entire trip.  The sand here was surprisingly soft so I actually loved just walking barefoot along the shore!  As for the water, it was personally too cold for me but my kids loved splashing in it.  Dylan did also try boogie boarding for the first time but it didn’t last long unfortunately as I wasn’t much help and the waves were just a bit too strong.

on Dylan: Target Wave Rash Guard (similar) | Target Shark Swim Trunks (similar)
on Mei: old Target (similar, similar, similar)

 

matching swimsuits – I’m wearing S / size down if in-between (similar bikini option)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker

 

My favorite part of visiting the beach is always catching the sunset.  Panama City Beach truly had iconic cotton-candy skies as the sun went down and it was such a magical way to end the day.  Our hotel, Holiday Inn Resort, also contracted with Endless Beach Rentals to set up a bonfire on the beach every Tuesday and Thursday during sunset — I absolutely loved the bonfire and highly recommend packing supplies to make s’mores!

women’s swimsuit: Amazon Flower Applique (also here, similar, similar)
girls’ swimsuit: Amazon Flower Applique (size down) – (similar)

 

The beautiful white sands of Panama City Beach are hands-down the top reason for visiting this beautiful town.  We encountered zero crowds either the entire time that we were there (even during Spring Break week!) and it truly felt like we were enjoying a little slice of paradise on our own.

Best Place To Stay In Panama City Beach With Kids: Holiday Inn Resort

One of my main stipulations when booking this vacation was that I wanted to find a hotel that was kid friendly.  I can’t always trust that my kids will enjoy the beach so having a hotel that had water areas specifically for kids was key.  The Holiday Inn Resort ended up being exactly what we needed — they had 3 pools consisting of a main lagoon pool, a side warm pool, and another side hot tub.  Behind the pools was a Lazy River and off to the side was a Kids’ Splash /Spray Pad.

Top: Agua Bendita ‘Calista’ (S / TTS) – (also here, Amazon dupe, another Amazon dupe, similar)
Bottom: Agua Bendita ‘Isabella’ (S / TTS) – (also here and here, similar)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker
Hat: Brixton ‘Joanna’ (S) – (also here and here, also love this Amazon one)

 

on me: Amazon Cupshe Ruffle Bikini Top (S) – (similar, blouse option)
on Dylan: Land’s End Rash Guard | Land’s End Swim Trunks

 

I booked the hotel actually thinking the kids would be spending all their time at the splash / spray pad, but turns out Dylan was all about the Lazy River tube float while Mei just wanted to soak in the warm pool.  The warm pool was probably my favorite as well — the weather was just a bit chilly and windy so having a smaller pool filled with warm water that my kids and I could all enjoy was an absolutely godsend.  Truth be told, the Lazy River water actually wasn’t super cold either (I’m thinking it must have been slightly heated) so I took a few laps around with Dylan each day and it was so much fun!

Dress Set: Amazon Ruffle Crop + Skirt (XS / TTS)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker
Hat: Brixton ‘Joanna’ (S) – (also here and here, also love this Amazon one)
Bracelet: Victoria Emerson ‘Kalamazoo’
Bag: Kate Spade ‘Cameron’ (also here)

 

Details I loved about the Holiday Inn Resort:

• public access to the beach just steps away
• free beach bonfire every Tuesday and Thursday evening
• free luau performance every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evening
• free Lazy River tube float
• heated family-friendly pools
• splash / spray kids water play area
• free kids’ activities led by hotel staff every day (e.g. art, beach games, crafts)
• walking distance to coffee shops, grocery stores, and restaurants
• lots of good on-property eats — our faves were the poolside Pizza Shack and indoor The View restaurant where kids eat free!

Best Things To Do In Panama City Beach With Kids

Outlaw Rentals

Top: Amazon Ruffle Smocked Cami (XS / TTS)
Bottom: Amazon Cutoff Shorts (24 / TTS) – (similar)
Shoes: Dolce Vita ‘Idrah’ (6 / size up) – (also here)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker
Hat: Brixton ‘Joanna’ (S) – (also here and here, also love this Amazon one)
Sunglasses: Quay ‘Ever After’

 

My kids literally could have played in the water all day everyday, but I wanted some variety so we did just a couple activities off the hotel property to change it up.  One of the first things we noticed when we were in Panama City Beach were these exotic cars driving down the main beach strip.  I’m not a “car person” by any means but we rented the 4-person slingshot for an hour on our last day and omg, it was SO MUCH FUN.  We ended up just driving down the street to grab lunch and then heading back, but it was so much fun and different than anything else the kids have experienced before.

We rented from Outlaw Rentals and they do lots of different vehicle rentals including golf carts, scoot buggies, and slingshots.  I do recommend calling ahead and reserving the vehicles, especially if you’re interested in a slingshot, as they book up fast!

Pier Park

Top: Amazon Cupshe Ruffle Bikini Top (S) – (similar, blouse option)
Bottom: Amazon Cutoff Shorts (24 / TTS) – (similar)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker
Bracelet: Victoria Emerson ‘Kalamazoo’
Hat: old LOFT (similar)

on Mei: shirt | shorts | shoes

 

A couple locals mentioned checking out Pier Park for something to do so we made the quick 10-minute down to this outdoor shopping area.  Many of the shops are colored in fun pastels which made for a fun photo-op, but there are also fun activities for the kids including a bungee trampoline and mini 4-car train (both of which we did and loved!), as well as a SkyWheel ferris wheel that gives you aerial view of Panama City Beach.

Top: Amazon Polka Dot Crop Blouse (S / size up)
Bottom: Amazon Ruffle Swing Skirt (S)
Shoes: Dolce Vita ‘Idrah’ (6 / size up) – (also here)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker
Hat: Brixton ‘Joanna’ (S) – (also here and here, also love this Amazon one)
Bracelet: Victoria Emerson ‘Kalamazoo’
Bag: Kate Spade ‘Cameron’ (also here)

 

Pier Park is also a great place to catch a bite to eat by the water (I’ve heard good reviews for The Back Porch, Pompano Joes, and Margaritaville!).  There’s also a dog-friendly beach area and delicious ice cream shops if you’re looking for a chill way to spend a couple hours.

Best Places To Eat In Panama City Beach With Kids

Jacob Juice

I personally love starting out each day with a green juice and found the cutest small juice and sandwich spot called Jacob Juice.  I ordered an amazing build-your-own green juice consisting of spinach, cucumber, apple, ginger, and lemon while the kids guzzled down their strawberry banana smoothie.  The owners are super personable and even remembered us as we visited there 2 days in a row, and threw in extra samples for us each time!

The View

We ate at the Holiday Inn Resort hotel restaurant, The View, three nights in a row cause it was just so convenient and delicious — plus kids eat free!  I highly recommend the sea scallops with prawns as I ordered it twice cause it was so good, but also loved the mahi mahi fish tacos.  The kids ate up their grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, as well as chicken tenders — there was even a small ice cream dessert included in their free meal!

Runaway Island

We ventured out for dinner on day 2 and loved the outdoor patio beach setting of Runaway Island.  I ordered the blackened mahi fish tacos (yum!) while Adrian ordered the blackened Grouper fish platter.  Mei loved her mini corn dogs while Dylan ate up his burger!

Firefly

I was craving sushi and saw rave reviews of Firefly.  We went right as they opened their doors at 5pm as reviews warned that tables filled up fast.  The service here was actually very prompt (we found that most eateries in Panama City Beach are on “island time” 😆).  We ordered the Tuna Sashimi Won-Tacos (pretty good!), lobster bisque soup (so good!), grilled snapper, and Heisman + Howie sushi rolls.

Barefoot On The Beach

We saw rave reviews for this beach bar and grill walking distance from our hotel and decided to stop here for lunch on our last day.  This open-air café is super casual as we were seated on a high-top table right next to the pool.  I do recommend having your kids bring swimsuits as they’re able to play in the pool or beach while the food is prepared.  If you’re wanting a little local flavor, definitely recommend this spot — we started with the gator bites which were delicious (even the kids ate them up!) and my Dirty South Shrimp Tacos were delicious!

Suggested by followers:

The Pancakery

Thomas Donut & Snack Shop

 

on me: 
Top: Agua Bendita ‘Calista’ (S / TTS) – (also here, Amazon dupe, another Amazon dupe, similar)
Bottom: Agua Bendita ‘Isabella’ (S / TTS) – (also here and here, similar)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker
Hat: Brixton ‘Joanna’ (S) – (also here and here, also love this Amazon one)

on Mei:
old Target (similar, similar, similar)

 

Bikini: Amazon High-Waisted Cheetah Print Notch Bikini (S / TTS) – comes in 10 colors! (similar, similar)
Necklaces: Sequin ‘K’ Initial Padlock – 20% off w/ KILEEN20
Sequin ‘Camille’ Chain Choker

 

 

We had a great family vacation in Panama City Beach!  Our 5-day trip was the perfect beach escape that we needed and there was so much to enjoy for both kids and adults.

 

Have you ever been to Panama City Beach?  Any other tips for next time?  Let me know in a comment below!