9 Best Beaches Near West Palm Beach, Florida

Juno Beach Park

Juno Beach is a town just north of West Palm Beach that is beloved by both locals and visitors. And with more than five acres of soft-sanded shoreline, Juno Beach Park is the perfect place to spend the day. Start the morning early at the Juno Beach Pier to catch an east coast sunrise. Rent a pole and go fishing, or enjoy popular recreational activities like surfing, swimming, and kiteboarding.

If you're here with your dog, walk a few minutes north to Jupiter Dog Beach, where you can let your well-behaved pup entirely off-leash to enjoy the waves. Visitors fascinated by sea turtles, meanwhile, can step out of the sun and learn more about the beach’s dense turtle nesting ground at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Afterward, head to the nearby Juno Dunes Natural Area, a 569-acre nature preserve featuring miles of walking trails through Florida maritime hammock and coastal scrub. End the day with a casual meal at Thirsty Turtle Seagrille, where you can order everything from fried clam strips to blackened fish tacos and cracked conch. Spent your day fishing? You can also bring your freshly caught and cleaned catch to the kitchen to cook for you.

Municipal Beach

Chances are when you think “Palm Beach,” you think of Worth Avenue. Lined with palm trees and high-end brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Ferragamo, this lavish walkable promenade is often referred to as the “Rodeo Drive of the East Coast.”

After strolling down the street in your finest coastal elegant attire, make your way to the 25-foot-tall Clock Tower for the perfect photo op. Made of coral stone, it was built in 2010 as a monument to the former Palm Beach Pier, destroyed in 1930 by a hurricane. Framing the Atlantic Ocean, it stands next to Municipal Beach, a city-managed shore that is clean, outfitted with restrooms and showers, and has lifeguards on duty.

After soaking in the sun, continue indulging by booking a stay or a meal at The Breakers hotel. This opulent and historic Palm Beach establishment earned its name by being at “the breakers," right where the waves crash into the shore. At the Seafood Bar, you’ll have front-row seats to water and sunsets. Stop here to try the bartender’s rotating cocktail of the day.

Lantana Municipal Beach

A trip to this Lantana beach can—and should—be a full-day affair. Before making your way to the shore, start with a hearty breakfast at the Dune Deck Café. This open-air diner serves a sea-inspired menu with fresh catches like Florida stone crab claws, lobster omelets, mahi-mahi tacos, and octopus salad. Enjoy views of Lantana Municipal Beach while you fuel up for the day. 

Then head right down to the beach and enjoy 750 feet of coastline that’s best for swimming or simply relaxing in the sand and soaking up some Vitamin D. The public amenities include grills and tables, as well as bookable pavilions. Kids can enjoy a playground and a rock wall, while adults can have fun at the sand volleyball court.

End the day at the Old Key Lime House, established in 1889 and claiming to be Florida’s “oldest waterfront restaurant.” You can’t miss the bright green Florida bungalow establishment, where diners can sit on the water on floating pontoons. Come here for the quintessential Florida beach bar experience, complete with a thatched roof tiki bar and live music.

Peanut Island Park

Located in the Lake Worth Inlet, off the coast of Riviera Beach, Peanut Island is an 80-acre, man-made island accessible only by boat and paddleboard. Best known as an anchoring spot for boaters and partiers, it’s also the site of President John F. Kennedy’s nuclear bomb shelter during the Cold War. (While not currently running tours of the Kennedy Bunker, Palm Beach County has plans to renovate and reopen it to the public, though no date has been announced yet.) Today Peanut Island is a recreation hot spot of turquoise water that most visitors don’t know about or make the effort to get to. You can even camp on the island!

If you don't have a private boat or canoe, you can reach Peanut Island via a water taxi. Departing from Sailfish Marina or Riviera Beach Marina, it takes little more than a few minutes to get there. Before or after your trip, stop by Riviera Beach's Manatee Lagoon, a free attraction for viewing the Lake Worth Lagoon manatees that congregate here in the winter months.

Jonathan Dickinson State Park

The largest Florida state park in Southeast Florida, this natural habitat is home to the Loxahatchee River. You can enjoy the sandy beach shores of the river here, or opt to explore the large and diverse coastal habitat of the park as a hiker, biker, or horseback rider. Although Florida is known for being flat, here you experience part of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge—dunes and hills that are specific to the landscape of this park. Climb the boardwalk to the highest point, Hobe Mountain, an ancient sand dune 86 feet above sea level that offers remarkable views of natural Florida scrub and the Atlantic horizon. On the way, see if you can spot flora and fauna specific to the park like the Florida Scrub Jay, Florida Scrub Lizard, and the Florida Dancing Lady Orchid. Entry is $6 per vehicle.

Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge

Named after environmentalist Nathaniel Pryor Reed, this natural area and its visitor center highlight the animals that have called Florida home long before humans did, particularly the sea turtles that rely on this protected land for nesting. See live animals like reptiles and amphibians at the visitor center, and participate in guided turtle walks, bird walks, and beach clean-ups.

Within the wildlife refuge is the Hobe Sound Nature Center, which is easy to reach and has a short scrub trail that spills out on a quiet beach on Florida's Intracoastal. This path is a 0.7-mile loop, and hikers must be able to maneuver sandy slopes and hills to be rewarded with a mangrove-lined beach and gentle lapping waves. Leashed dogs are welcome on the mainland part of the park.

Blowing Rocks Preserve

If you’re starting to think all Florida beaches look the same—white sand, sapphire waters—think again! You can find rocky coastlines in Florida in several places, but it’s the Anastasia Formation limestone rock of Blowing Rocks Preserve that comprises one of the largest outcroppings in the state.

Protected by the Nature Conservancy, this beach is a site to see at high tide, when the waves crash and whoosh through eroded blowholes, soaring up to 50 feet in the air—similar to what you'd see on Pacific coastlines. Try to get here early in the day (it opens at 9 a.m.) to snag a parking spot, or visit on a weekday or during unpopular hours. You will have to maneuver stairs and thick sand to reach the rocky outcropping, but you can also enjoy a lagoon trail, boardwalk, native plant garden, and education center. Entrance is a suggested $2 donation to help maintain the coastal preserve.

Jupiter Beach Park

Jupiter Beach is a coastal town just 15 miles north of West Palm Beach. A great spot to entertain the whole family, Jupiter Beach Park offers a wide range of activities, from swimming and playing sand volleyball to saltwater fishing. When you've had your fill of beach time, check out Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum, where you can take a tour of the grounds and lighthouse. End the day feasting on seafood on Love Street. This vibrant restaurant row in Jupiter Beach is home to Guanabanas, U-Tiki, Square Grouper, and Lucky Shuck—all of which are favorites for fresh and raw seafood.

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park

Off the coast of North Palm Beach is this 439-acre state park that protects rare and untouched Florida habitats like a maritime hammock, estuary, underwater reefs, and beaches and dunes. Beachgoers will enjoy the 1.6 miles of undeveloped coastline at the end of a 1,600-foot boardwalk. Popular for swimming, surfing, snorkeling, diving, or just the classic beach picnic, the park provides restroom and shower facilities and a beach wheelchair upon ranger request.