Panama City Beach's Calypso Resort & Towers Condo Rentals

The drive down Panama City Beach was typical. A mixture of new condominiums line the beach, and run-down surf shops, ice cream parlors, margarita stands, and Alvin's Island stores line the other side of the road. The City has become a mixture of faded, old stores and fresh, new condominiums.

The interesting thing is that in Panama City, no one seems to care about the dichotomy. The City of Panama City Beach has undertaken extensive renovation plans. They are adding sidewalks, lining the streets with palms, and attempting to keep traffic under control.

We stayed at Calypso Resort & Towers which is about five miles, from Thomas Drive. Thomas Drive used to be the location of the best condos in town. Now, it is home of a few remaining local beach clubs and some of the older condos. It is still a nice place, but no longer the place to stay in Panama City Beach.

New condos are being constructed all along the beach. Many are finished and house anywhere from 600 to 1000 rooms. Many are still under construction. The construction of the new condos is more durable, and built to withstand hurricane force winds. Developers have also become savvy to a way to allow everyone a view of the white sands and cool, blue-green waters. New condos are being built with one building parallel to the beach, and two towers situated at an angle. Everyone can have a Gulf view room.

Our arrival at Calypso Resort & Towers was a pleasure. The condominiums are brand new. Construction finished this year, 2007. The exterior glows a pleasant burnt orange, accented by soft oranges and yellows. Stucco covers the solid stone construction. I could feel it as we approached; the Calypso Resort & Towers was going to be the perfect beach resort.

My expectations were not disappointed. Rooms at the Calypso are available in one, two, and three bedroom. My family was traveling with another, so we had a two bedroom condo. One small room, approximately 10 x 10, didn't count as a bedroom, but housed a dresser and bunk beds. It was a perfect place to tuck away the little ones at night. They enjoyed sleeping on the bunk beds, which were durable and had protective railing.