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Top Reasons to Go | Getting Oriented | What’s Where | Planning
Updated by Jan Norris
A golden stretch of the Atlantic shore, the Palm Beach area resists categorization, and for good reason: the territory stretching south to Boca Raton, appropriately coined the Gold Coast, defines old-world glamour and new-age sophistication.
To the north you’ll uncover the comparatively undeveloped Treasure Coast—liberally sprinkled with seaside gems and wide-open spaces along the road awaiting your discovery. Speaking of discovery, its moniker came from the 1715 sinking of a Spanish fleet that dumped gold, jewels, and silver in the waters; today the Urca de Lima, one of the original 11 ships and now an undersea “museum,” can be explored by scuba divers.
Altogether, there’s a delightful disparity between Palm Beach, pulsing with old-money wealth, and under-the-radar Hutchinson Island. Seductive as the gorgeous beaches, eclectic dining, and leisurely pursuits can be, you should also take advantage of flourishing commitments to historic preservation and the arts, as town after town yields intriguing museums, galleries, theaters, and gardens.
Palm Beach, proud of its status as America’s first luxe resort destination and still glimmering with its trademark Mediterranean-revival mansions, manicured hedges, and highbrow shops, can rule supreme as the focal point for your sojourn any time of year. From there, head off in one of two directions: south toward Delray Beach and Boca Raton along an especially scenic estate-dotted route known as A1A, or back north to the beautiful barrier islands of the Treasure Coast. For rustic inland activities such as bass fishing and biking atop the dike around Lake Okeechobee, head west.
Top Reasons to Go
Exquisite resorts: Two grandes dames, The Breakers and the Boca Raton Resort & Club, perpetually draw the rich, the famous, and anyone else who can afford the luxury. The Eau Palm Beach and Four Seasons sparkle with service fit for royalty.
Beautiful beaches: From Jupiter, where dogs run free, to Stuart’s tubular waves, to the broad stretches of sand in Delray Beach and Boca Raton, swimmers, surfers, sunbathers—and sea turtles looking for a place to hatch their eggs—all find happiness.
Top-notch golf: The Champion Course and re-envisioned Fazio Course at PGA National Resort & Spa are world-renowned; pros sharpen up at PGA Village.
Horse around: Wellington, with its popular polo season, is often called the winter equestrian capital of the world.
Excellent fishing: The Atlantic Ocean, teeming with kingfish, sailfish, and wahoo, is a treasure chest for anglers.
Getting Oriented
This diverse region extends 120 miles from laid-back Sebastian to tony Boca Raton. The area’s glitzy epicenter, Palm Beach, attracts socialites, the well-heeled, and interested onlookers. The northernmost cities are only about 100 miles from Orlando, making that area an ideal choice for families wanting some beach time to go with their visit to Mickey Mouse. Delightfully funky Delray Beach is only an hour north of Miami. The Intracoastal Waterway runs parallel to the ocean and transforms from a canal to a tidal lagoon separating islands from the mainland, starting with Palm Beach and moving northward to Singer Island (Palm Beach Shores and Riviera Beach), Jupiter Island, Hutchinson Island (Stuart, Jensen Beach, and Fort Pierce), and Orchid Island (Vero Beach and Sebastian).
What’s Where
Palm Beach. With Gatsby-era architecture, stone-and-stucco estates, and extravagant dining, Palm Beach is a must-see for travelers to the area. Plan to spend time on Worth Avenue, a collection of more than 200 chic shops, and at Whitehall, the palatial retreat for Palm Beach’s founder, Henry Flagler. West Palm Beach and its environs, including Lake Worth, are bustling with their own identities. Culture fans have plenty to cheer about with the Kravis Center and Norton Museum of Art; sports enthusiasts will have a ball golfing or boating; and kids love Lion Country Safari.
Delray Beach. Its lively downtown, with galleries, independent boutiques, and trendy restaurants blocks from the ocean, is perfect for strolling. The Tennis Center draws the Love-Love crowds. To the west is the unique Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens.
Boca Raton. An abundance of modern shopping plazas mix with historic buildings from the 1920s, masterpieces by renowned architect Addison Mizner. Parks line much of the oceanfront.
North County. Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, quaint Juno Beach, and Tequesta are more laid-back cousins to the areas south, with country clubs, newer malls, and family-oriented activities at the baseball stadium subbing for nightlife here. It’s a golfer’s paradise with PGA courses that make the pros.
Treasure Coast. The area north of Palm Beach county—from Stuart and beyond—remains blissfully low-key, with fishing towns, spring-training stadiums, and ecotourism attractions until you hit the cosmopolitan—yet understated—Vero Beach.
Planning
When to Go
The weather is optimal from November through May, but the trade-off is that roads, hotels, and restaurants are more crowded and prices higher. If the scene is what you’re after, try the early weeks of December when the “season” isn’t yet in full swing. However, be warned that after Easter, the crowd relocates to the Hamptons, and Palm Beach feels like another universe. For some, that’s a blessing—and a great time to take advantage of lower summer lodging rates and dining deals, but you’ll need to bring your tolerance for heat, humidity, and afternoon downpours.
Getting Here and Around
Air Travel
Palm Beach International Airport is in West Palm, but it’s possible (and sometimes cheaper) to fly to Fort Lauderdale, Miami, or Orlando. Do rent a car if you plan on exploring. Scenic Route A1A, also called Ocean Boulevard or Ocean Drive, depending on where you are, ventures out onto the barrier islands. I–95 runs parallel to U.S. 1, but a few miles inland.
From the airport, call Southeastern Florida Transportation Group, a local hotline for cabs, airport shuttles, and private sedans.
Airport
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI). | 1000 Turnage Blvd. | West Palm Beach | 561/471–7420 | www.pbia.org.
Airport Transfers
Southeastern Florida Transportation Group. | 561/777–7777 | www.yellowcabflorida.com.
Bus Travel
The county’s bus service, Palm Tran, runs two routes (nos. 44 and 40) that offer daily service connecting the airport, the Tri-Rail stop near it, and locations in central West Palm Beach. A network of 34 routes joins towns all across the area; it’s $5 for a day pass. The free Downtown Trolley connects the West Palm Beach Amtrak station and the Tri-Rail stop in West Palm on its Green Line. Its Yellow Line makes continuous loops down Clematis Street, the city’s main stretch of restaurants and watering holes interspersed with stores, and through CityPlace, a shopping-dining-theater district. Hop on and off at any of the seven stops. The trolley’s Yellow Line runs Sunday to Wednesday 11–9 and Thursday to Saturday 11–11. The trolley’s Green Line, which stretches farther east, west, and south, and connects to Tri-Rail and Amtrak, runs weekdays 7–6, Saturday 9–6, and Sunday 11–6. A seasonal Orange Line, operating from fall to spring, takes in museums and gardens in downtown West Palm Beach and on the island.
Contacts
Downtown Trolley. | 561/833–8873 | www.westpalmbeachdda.com/transportation.
Palm Tran. | 561/841–4287 | www.pbcgov.com/palmtran.
Train Travel
Amtrak stops daily in West Palm Beach. The station is at the same location as the Tri-Rail stop, so the same free shuttle, the Downtown Trolley, is available (via the trolley’s Green Line).
Tri-Rail Commuter Service is a rail system with 18 stops altogether between West Palm Beach and Miami; tickets can be purchased at each stop, and a one-way trip from the first to the last point is $6.90 weekdays, $5 weekends. Three stations—West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, and Boca—have free shuttles to their downtowns, and taxis are on call at others.
Contacts
Amtrak. | 800/872–7245 | www.amtrak.com.
Tri-Rail. | 800/874–7245 | www.tri-rail.com.
Hotels
Palm Beach has a number of smaller hotels in addition to the famous Breakers. Lower-priced hotels and bed-and-breakfasts can be found in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens. and Lake Worth. Heading south, the oceanside town of Manalapan has the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. The Seagate Hotel & Spa sparkles in Delray Beach, and the posh Boca Beach Club lines the superlative swathe of shoreline in Boca Raton. In the opposite direction there’s the PGA National Resort & Spa, and across from it by the water is the Marriott on Singer Island, a well-kept secret for spacious, sleek suites. Even farther north, Vero Beach has a collection of luxury boutique hotels, as well as more modest options along the Treasure Coast. To the west, towns close to Lake Okeechobee offer country-inn accommodations geared to bass-fishing pros.
Restaurants
Numerous elegant establishments offer upscale American, Continental, and international cuisine, but the area also is chock-full of casual waterfront spots serving affordable burgers and fresh seafood feasts. Snapper and grouper are especially popular here, along with the ubiquitous shrimp. Happy hours and early-bird menus, Florida hallmarks, typically entice the budget-minded with several dinner entrées at reduced prices offered during certain hours, usually before 5 or 6.
Visitor Information
Contacts
Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau. | 1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 800 | West Palm Beach | 561/233–3000 | www.palmbeachfl.com.