High-Rise Condos Along Panama City Beach’s Shoreline

Panama City Beach sits on a barrier peninsula in the Florida Panhandle, facing the Gulf of Mexico along roughly 27 miles of white quartz sand. The sand's brightness and fine texture come from quartz crystals washed down from the Appalachian Mountains over thousands of years. High-rise condominium towers built from the 1970s through the 2000s line much of the beachfront, replacing the small motels and cottages that once defined the area. Dune systems anchored by sea oats remain protected under Florida law, since they help stabilize the shoreline against storms and erosion.

Taken February 2011