Safety Index: Show
Panama City Beach, Florida, is so much more than Spring Break. The panhandle beach town has been synonymous with the annual gathering of college students for years. It might even be a deterrent for families looking for a getaway, but there’s so much more to this beach than just tequila shots and club music thumping from hot spots. This is also a city that took a direct hit from Hurricane Michael in 2018, leaving millions of dollars in damage behind. You’d never know it today, as the community spirit and dedicated crews took over, restoring the pristine beaches and buildings. While March and April might be loaded with spring breakers, the rest of the year there’s a family-friendly destination waiting to be discovered, whether you want to swim among shipwrecks, shop ’til you drop, or just chill on the sandy white beaches. Panama City Beach is locally and regionally known as PCB, so that’s how we’ll refer to it throughout the article. *One note: The crime statistics from Panama City Beach are calculated given the population vs. the crime numbers. There are only 18,000 people who live there full time. 4.5 million people visit Panama City Beach each year, averaging 375,000 a month, so the crime numbers as calculated “officially” don’t mesh with the real population of the transient city. I’ll break these down as we go along. Warnings & Dangers in Panama City BeachOVERALL RISK : MEDIUMI'm going to call it a medium overall risk, simply because this is a vacation getaway spot and there are always going to be people looking for a crime of opportunity. This can also be a party town if you choose to enjoy the nightlife, and that brings a certain danger as well. TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK : LOWYou have several great, safe options so there's a low risk. The Bay Town Trolley is a great way to get around the city and it's only $4 for unlimited rides all day with discounts for students and seniors, while children under 5 ride free. Taxis and rideshares are also available and must follow city and country licensing processes. PICKPOCKETS RISK : LOW3.5 million visitors and not a single report of pickpocketing or purse snatching in 2020. I was baffled when I saw that. By crime statistics alone, there's a low risk, but that number is held up by tourists being careful with their belongings. NATURAL DISASTERS RISK : MEDIUMIf you haven't seen the damage Hurricane Michael did to this area, I recommend you look it up. It was incredibly bad. Hurricanes are always a risk here, with its prime position on the Gulf, and thunderstorms also kick up in the summertime but can happen year-round. Because of this, there's a medium risk, but that's only because of the POSSIBLE severity. Day-to-day, it's a beautiful, sun-drenched location. MUGGING RISK : LOWAgain, 3.5 million visitors and just 10 robberies. There's a low risk of it happening to you. TERRORISM RISK : MEDIUMTyndall Air Force Base is near PCB, so based on that we'll call it a medium risk. Plus, consider all the people who vacation here. This is a popular port area in the panhandle as well. SCAMS RISK : MEDIUMYour biggest scam concern here is a rental scam and there's medium risk. People will list a condo or home for an incredibly good deal and ask for a deposit. Then the traveler arrives and there's no rental and they lose the deposit. It's best to book through a major hotel chain or ask a local rental agency for guidance. Never put down a deposit with a money order. Use a credit card for deposits, so if you do get scammed you'll have protection. WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK : HIGHThere's a high risk for those coming here to party, and that's just because I've been to PCB many times (and I'm a woman) and the party life brings concerns about drink tampering, date rape, and intoxication dangers. There's a much lower risk if you are just hanging out at the beach and taking in tourist attractions. TAP WATER RISK : LOWThe water is safe in PCB and there's a low risk. The 2020 annual report even states at the very top "We are pleased to report that our drinking water meets all federal and state requirements." Safest Places to Visit in Panama City BeachThere’s so much to do on this small slice of beach, so it’s best to plan your days out if you can. I’m going to walk you through the Top 5 locations tourists visited in 2019 (avoiding 2020 due to the pandemic closures.) The top draw year-round is St. Andrew’s State Park. You can soak in rays on the 1.5 miles of beach or walk through a pine forest. The emerald green waters provide some of the best snorkeling on the panhandle. Migratory birds are abundant throughout the year, making for great wildlife viewing. I highly recommend taking the ferry from the park to Shell Island. Captain Anderson’s Marina is the place to go if you want a sightseeing or boating tour. You can opt to swim with dolphins, scuba on shipwrecks, or do some deep-sea fishing. The M.B. Miller County Pier is another fishing favorite and, with 1550 feet to walk, it’s great just for sightseeing and a zen moment. Gulf World is a great place to visit sea life without going on a boat. There are daily shows with the wildlife and you can sign up for a special swimming session with dolphins. If you want to go to Shipwreck Island, you don’t even have to leave PCB. That’s a waterpark in the middle of town. Places to Avoid in Panama City BeachThere aren’t any places to avoid in PCB. Crime maps show the highest levels are near the entrances to the island from the mainland. It’s less about places to avoid and more about places to keep your wits about you. There are plenty of tourist trap restaurants that you might want to experience just because they are the “cool place” to be, but these places also come with larger crowds and a lot of alcohol being consumed due to “signature drinks.” Places like Sharky’s Beachfront Restaurant and Pineapple Willy’s are in that grouping. If you are going to be drinking, it’s best to have a sober friend with you. For 11 months of the year you can drink alcohol on the beach (March being the only exception. Sorry, spring breakers.) The beaches are open 24 hours a day, so a lot of people want to go stargazing or night swimming. Now, I’m one of those people who went night swimming at PCB in the mid-90s, so I can’t cast judgment on that. I also took all necessary steps for safety and since I’m a scaredy-cat, I only went knee-deep in the water. You just have to be sober enough to be able to protect yourself if a bad situation happens. It should go without saying, but you shouldn’t swim in the Gulf at night when drunk. Safety Tips for Traveling to Panama City Beach
So... How Safe Is Panama City Beach Really?This is a city where you can’t go on raw crime numbers alone vs the population. For example:
There are definitely times PCB is more crowded than normal, but it’s never a ghost town. The crime statistics are never going to hold true using the typical crime rate math. With PCB being more crowded, there will be more risk of people looking for crimes of opportunity, like you leaving a backpack on the beach while snorkeling, or leaving a purse at the table when you go to the bathroom. Never accept a drink from a stranger you didn’t see poured yourself. Don’t go to a private party you heard about from someone at the bar. These are just the basic safety tips anyone should follow, but we always need reminders. How Does Panama City Beach Compare?
Useful Information
Click here to get an offer for travel insurance Panama City Beach Weather Averages (Temperatures)Jan 12° C Feb 14° C Mar 17° C Apr 20° C May 25° C Jun 27° C Jul 28° C Aug 28° C Sep 27° C Oct 22° C Nov 18° C Dec 13° C Average High/Low Temperature
Can you walk on Panama City Beach at night?You can really see the stars come to life when the sun goes does in Panama City Beach. Stargazing at the beach is a great activity whether you're with a group of friends or your family members. Taking a walk along the beach at night can be a very relaxing activity.
Do Panama City beaches close at night?Panama City Beach doesn't shut down at night by any means. You can catch incredible live magic shows at Gulf World.
How safe is Panama City Beach?Panama City Beach ranked 22 on the list, with 10.69 violent crimes per 1,000 people and 87.78 property crimes per 1,000 people, according to the online report. It was one of five cities in Florida on the list, which also included Florida City at No.
Is it safe to walk around Panama City?Even if you go with a group, you can still get unwanted attention. Don't walk around at night – at all. It's just not a good idea. With Panama's crime rate, combined with you not knowing anything about the streets you'll be walking around, it will just put you at risk.
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