Walker at Sunset on Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach sits along the Florida Panhandle on the Gulf of Mexico, roughly 100 miles southwest of Tallahassee. The beach's sand is composed almost entirely of quartz crystal washed down from the Appalachian Mountains, giving it the fine white texture that draws visitors from across the country. The city's 27 miles of coastline face the Gulf's warm, shallow waters, which stay relatively calm compared to open ocean beaches. Tourism has driven the local economy here since the mid-20th century, when the completion of highways linking the Panhandle to inland Florida and neighboring states first opened the area to mass visitation.

Taken February 2011