5 Vacation Rentals to Feel at Home in Panama City Beach, Florida

Laketown Wharf 131 is located inside one of Panama City Beach’s newest and largest condominium buildings. The soaring and massive Laketown Wharf building curves around its own private lake where every night there’s a musical fountain of lights show worthy of Vegas with its colorful dancing waters.

The beach is right across the street from the complex, and so is Pineapple Willy’s, a popular longstanding beach bar. You’ll find it hard to leave the grounds, though, with all that’s offered. There are five swimming pools, two 29-person hot tubs, a poolside bar, and many restaurants on-site. There’s also a boardwalk that goes around and across the lake—good for a scenic waterside stroll right outside your accommodations.

The unit is on the first floor, so you can easily come and go via the stairs. It sure beats having to wait on elevators and jockey with other guests to get in and out like those on the upper floors.

For a full-scale family reunion, you need a house fit for the occasion. The Cottage on Coral is built for just such a getaway. The word “cottage” belies the reality of this three-story house that can sleep up to 24 people. One room alone is filled with solidly-constructed bunk beds for six kids. Other rooms have a bunk bed with a double-sleeper below and a single up top.

All those bunks also make it good for a group retreat. The second floor has its own entrance up a flight of stairs, as well as a wraparound deck where you can sit and listen to the waves crash on the beach. There’s plenty of parking in the wraparound driveway. A privacy fence surrounds the property on a quiet street two blocks away from the public beach access.

Bayou Bill’s Crab House, a large family-friendly restaurant in business since 1986, is just around the corner when you’re craving fresh seafood.

This renovated One-bedroom Condo is part of a small complex in the community of Sunnyside at the far western end of PCB. There aren’t any high rises or hip nightspots in Sunnyside, so this is a good option for couples looking to avoid crowds and save money, or for a family with one child who can sleep on the large sectional sofa in the living room.

It’s a one-block walk down a side street to the public beach access, a pretty palm-tree-lined dune crossover leading to the uncrowded sands. When your beach time is done, there’s an outdoor shower for rinsing off the sand next to a covered carport.

The Sunnyside location is closer to the small beach communities of Highway 30A than it is to the heart of PCB. The communities on 30A are known for their smaller-scale dining and shopping options. Even closer is Camp Helen State Park with shoreline on two bodies of water, the Gulf and Lake Powell, a coastal dune lake great for kayaking and paddleboarding.

Graceland Laguna Beach sits far away from the spring break madness of PCB you may have heard about. The owners will not even rent to students. Located in the charming Laguna Beach community of pastel-colored cottages and mom-and-pop businesses, it’s like stepping back in time to Old Florida. This 1950s-era beach home is built for families who simply want to hang out at the beach and gather together in their accommodations.

There’s plenty of room inside and out, including a covered patio for grilling, large living rooms on both floors, a screened-in porch, and a big yard with a play area for the kids. A circular driveway with plenty of parking space provides easy access for all.

Perhaps best of all, the house is close to Thomas Donuts and Snack Shop, an institution in these parts. Thomas is a walk-up shack that has been making their own donuts, serving great sandwiches, and dishing out treats since 1971. It’s not uncommon for people to book their accommodations solely for the purpose of being near Thomas

If you want resort-style condo accommodations right on the beach but prefer uncrowded beaches, head to Pineapple Beach Villas. While most condominium resorts in PCB are mammoth affairs, Pineapple Beach Villas is small, in a good way. It’s literally nestled in the dunes, and there’s no scrambling for space to spread out towels on the sand.

Swim in the beachside pool and soak in the hot tub on the pool deck without feeling like you’re waiting for your turn. Crack the window or the door on the terrace to hear the waves crash on the beach right outside while you sleep in air-conditioned comfort.

Each villa has a view of the beach and the emerald waters of the Gulf. The only high rises you’ll see here are far in the distance, which is also where you’ll find the crowds.