WATER & COAST

Mexico Beach

Bay County · Panhandle & Emerald Coast

3.1 miles of white sand in Bay County, and the city calls its beaches uncrowded. South 37th Street is a way onto the sand, with public parking there and in several areas on the beach side of U.S. 98. Sunset Park, 1813 Highway 98, sits on the beach with picnic areas, parking and restrooms, and Canal Park at the Gulf end of Canal Parkway has a picnic pavilion and restrooms. The city pier was destroyed by Hurricane Michael in 2018, and in September 2026 FEMA promised the money to rebuild it; the work is expected to take about a year once it starts. Sea turtles nest from May through October: stay 30 feet from a nesting turtle and keep lights off the beach at night.