6 Things to Know Before You Visit Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida, is one of the world’s best travel destinations. The island of Palm Beach is known as being a glitzy paradise for the rich and famous. Palm Beach has historical landmarks, stunning mansions, and scenic water views. The town is on a barrier island in Palm Beach County, separated from nearby cities like West Palm Beach.
There are dozens of billionaires that are residents of Palm Beach, and throughout history, it’s been home to U.S. Presidents and politicians, moguls, and celebrities.
If you’re thinking about planning a visit, following are six things to know before you go.
1. Driving in Palm Beach
If you’re flying into the Palm Beach area, you may want to rent a car to get around town. Public transportation is limited. If you are going to drive in Palm Beach, there’s a lot of scenery to take in. Just be mindful of the many other drivers on the roadways. Most are likely to be tourists, so they’re not familiar with the area as well, increasing the risk of accidents occurring.
Palm Beach is only 16 miles long, and to the west, it’s bordered by the Intracoastal waterway. To the east is the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Bike the Lake Trail
One of the popular things to do in Palm Beach is biking the Lake Trail, which is 5.5 miles, running parallel to the Intracoastal Waterway.
There are views of Palm Beach estates to the east and then the skyline of West Palm to the west.
There’s a massive kapok tree along the way and coral towers on both sides of the passage where North Lake Trail comes together with Country Club Road.
3. Shopping Worth Avenue
Worth Avenue is one of the must-sees of Palm Beach.
Worth Avenue is known around the world as a beautiful area for shopping and dining. The Mediterranean architecture is a draw on its own, even if your budget only allows for window shopping.
Worth Avenue was one of the first places on Palm Beach Island that was developed. It was established in 1913, and it was originally a residential street until the 1940s. Along with shopping and dining, you can take a historic walking tour, enjoy the art galleries, or stop in and have a cocktail at the many eateries and lounges.
4. When To Visit
The summer months can be swelteringly hot in Palm Beach, which is why the high season tends to start at the end of fall when the crowds are still small. It goes through the winter, but if you wait until the holiday season to go, there will be crowds, and you’ll pay a premium.
Hurricane season for Florida is in the fall, so this is something to be mindful of as you plan your trip as well.
5. Where to Stay
One of the most well-known and luxurious hotels in Palm Beach is the Breakers. The historic hotel is designed in the Renaissance Revival style. Henry Flagler originally opened the hotel in 1896 as a way to accommodate travelers on the Florida East Coast Railway.
In 1973, the hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Breakers is currently an AAA five-diamond rated resort and has been since 1996.
The Colony is another historic hotel that also happens to be incredibly colorful. The Colony Palm Beach has just 89 rooms, and you’re within steps of Worth Avenue and the Atlantic Ocean.
The Chesterfield is a more moderately priced option that’s still elegant. This hotel is also historic, and it’s surrounded by palm-lined streets, near Worth Avenue.
6. Other Things to Do
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Some of the many other can’t miss options in Palm Beach include:
a) Have breakfast at Green’s pharmacy. The lunch county is where President John F. Kennedy would have breakfast when he was in town, and the menu and overall atmosphere remain pretty much the same.
b) The polo season runs from January through the end of April, so consider going to the International Polo Club Palm Beach. There’s a champagne brunch every da Sunday during the season.
c) If you want to grab a sandwich to take to the beach, head to the family-owned Amici Market.
d) You can take a boat or water taxi to Peanut Island, where there’s an 80-acre county park. This is where you’ll find the Palm Beach Maritime Museum. It was at one point a Coast Guard station and the presidential bunker for President Kennedy.
Finally, if you love animals, go to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center, which is a non-profit that helps rescue endangered sea turtles.
Photo Courtesy: Each photograph in this article has been borrowed from wikipedia.org under the creative commons license. Each photograph has been linked to its host page on wikipedia.org.
