The first European settlement in the St. Andrews Bay area was along Beach Drive between Frankford Avenue and Lake Caroline. Retired Georgia Gov. John Clark and his wife Nancy built a home and lived there from 1827 until their deaths in 1832. Just a few people resided year round in St. Andrews, earning a living making salt, fishing, and boarding vacationers who came to the area for the “healthy sea baths” and the fishing.
Historic Downtown Panama City provides entrepreneurs, workers, residents and visitors with an innovative, creative and progressive environment, where the individuality of this historic bayside neighborhood can be felt. The Historic Downtown is the heart of the Panama City community. It is a walkable community that provides urban loft living, authentic experiences, and access to recreation.
Panama City Beach officials – along with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Corp of Engineers and the Florida Department of Fish & Wildlife – developed an innovative system to restore thousands of acres of protected wetlands, leading to the creation of the 2,900-acre Panama City Beach Conservation Park
Ecotourism is more popular than ever, and visitors to Panama City Beach have a surprising number of opportunities to take part in ecologically responsible, fun-filled outings. Fishing, hiking, biking, nature photography, swimming, tubing, canoeing, kayaking, boating and bird-watching are just some of the activities eco-tourists enjoy in Panama City Beach, Florida