Best Time to Visit Panama City Beach: The resort town of Panama City Beach is one of the warmest places in the Florida Panhandle and a beautiful destination for your next beach vacation. As one of the top 3 beaches in the United States, Panama City Beach offers visitors 27-miles of pristine coastline with emerald green water flanking white sand beaches. From family fun on the beach to eco adventures and unique dining experiences, the town has plenty to offer. So when is the best time to visit Panama City Beach?
7 Reasons Why Fall Is The Best Time To Visit Panama City Beach
While we’ll break down the weather and general experience in Panama City Beach during each season shortly, we’re convinced that late Summer and Fall is the best time to visit Panama City Beach.
- Near-Perfect Weather
As we mentioned, Panama City Beach is one of the hottest cities in Florida so as you’ll imagine, the Summers can get pretty steamy! Daytime temperatures can be near 90°F with humidity levels soaring. As a result, the real-feel temperature can feel suffocatingly hot and afternoons are characterized by intense thunderstorms. Towards the end of Summer and in the Fall temperatures drop to a much more comfortable range and humidity dips back down to manageable levels. Daytime temperatures are around 79°F so it’s warm enough to hit the beach and spend plenty of time outdoors without overheating!
- No Crowds
It’s no secret that Spring and Summer are the busiest months of the year in Panama City Beach, with Spring Breakers and families flocking to the resort town for their vacations. Once the Summer crowds thin out in August, there are far less people to contend with and less of a wait at restaurants and bars, at the golf clubs or on tours. There’s nothing worse than feeling rushed to finish your meal or get through a tour so the next group can come in, so during the Fall you can enjoy everything at leisure.
- Less Traffic
While everything is in pretty close proximity and easy to get around to in Panama City Beach, there is absolutely no traffic to contend with in the Fall. Why waste even 5 precious minutes of your vacation stuck in traffic when you really don’t need to!
- Cheaper rentals
By late August, prices of holiday rentals and resorts drops dramatically. You’ll find much better deals in the Fall and save a whole lot of money to put towards dining out and fun activities instead.
- Out-of-this-world sunsets
The sunsets in Panama City Beach in the Fall just hit different. Low-hanging clouds are more common in the Fall and make the hot pink and orange streaked sky even more dreamy. You’ll definitely want to capture a picture with the Fall sunset as your backdrop.
- Great service
Good customer service is not a new concept in Panama City Beach, after all the locals are used to catering to tourists year-round. However during the busy season, it’s not possible for them to be as attentive as you’d like them to be. During the Fall when things are quieter you’ll get much more personalized attention. Don’t be surprised if the restaurant owner swings by your table for a chat while you wait for your meal.
- Fun events
In September the WSL Panama City Beach Championships take place, so if you’re a softball fan be sure to book your ticket to be a spectator of the event.
During the first week of October is the annual Pirates of the High Seas Fest, which includes parades, reenactments, a fireworks display and beach treasure hunt for kids. The family-friendly event is held to commemorate the legends of the pirates who roamed the Gulf Coast back in the 1800s.
The 3rd week of October brings the Fall Motor Rally and Classic Cars Show for petrol heads and hot-rod junkies. If that’s not your thing, don’t you worry! The Grand Lagoon Bloody Mary & Music Festival and the Lobster Festival will keep foodies entertained and satisfied.
There’s no denying all the evidence points towards Fall being the best time to visit Panama City Beach! But if you’re not convinced, here is some information on the general conditions during the rest of the year.
Panama City Beach in Spring
Spring sees a huge influx of tourists, the town abuzz with Spring Breakers and a party hub during March. The weather is around 76°F with low humidity so very pleasant and warm, however the crowds make it an unappealing time to visit. The crowds are young with events catering to over 21s, so not a great time for families with kids. If you want to visit in Spring, make it in May before the Summer crowds descend on the town and the temperatures rise too much.
Panama City Beach in Summer
While Summer is also busy, it brings with it a very different crowd of families and retired couples who are in the town to relax and enjoy all it has to offer. While there is so much to do in the Summer and fun events for kids, it is a very hot time of the year. As we mentioned before, temperatures soar to the high-80s and humidity is at its highest, so if you can cope with hot weather, then Summer is still a good time to visit.
Panama City Beach in Winter
Winters are on average 55°F so pretty chilly but still much warmer than the temperatures up North. Swimming can be daunting as the air and water temperatures are brisk to say the least. Fishing, scuba diving and dining at the many waterfront restaurants are top-rated activities during the Winter months. However don’t expect lazy days on the beach, you may just be a little too cold to bare all on the beach!
You will now have a pretty good idea of what to expect during Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter and perhaps you’ll figure out the best time to visit Panama City Beach for your own travel requirements based on what we’ve shared here.
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