Palm Beach – The Upscale Beach Town
The resort town of Palm Beach is one of the most luxurious historic places in South Florida. On the barrier island, Henry Flagler, the owner of Standard Oil and the father of the East Florida Railroad, settled. From his home in Palm Beach, he practically managed the construction of the entire state of Florida. Today, Palm Beach is a millionaire's estate town nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the Lake Worth Lagoon. Among the massive golf courses and grand estates, there are several fascinating must-visit sites such as the historic Breakers Hotel, the upscale shopping street Worth Avenue, and the Flagler Museum. Just to the east is its larger neighbor, West Palm Beach.
How many days do you need for a trip to Palm Beach? ????
For a visit to Palm Beach and a quick hop over to West Palm Beach, it's best to dedicate anywhere from a half-day outing to a full-day tour.
For those exploring the northern part of the Gold Coast, it's worth finding accommodation in West Palm Beach or Palm Beach.
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6 Must-See and Do Things in Palm Beach
- The lavish lifestyle of the tycoon Henry Flagler at the Flagler Museum
- The historic grandeur of The Breakers Palm Beach hotel
- The stunning oceanfront of Palm Beach
- Shopping (only for those who can afford it) on the ultra-luxurious Worth Avenue
- Spot manatees in the Manatee Lagoon
- Stroll along the lagoon in the South Cove Natural Area
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What is Palm Beach? ????
- The luxury resort town of Palm Beach is located on a long sandy barrier island, about an hour and fifteen minutes drive north of Miami
- It is separated from the major city in Palm Beach County by the Lake Worth Lagoon
- This is the most luxurious town on the Gold Coast, and the private baby of Florida founder Henry Flagler
- Flagler, the owner of Standard Oil, was the one who initiated and built the Florida East Coast Railway. This railway line connected Jacksonville with what is today Miami
- Flagler established a significant portion of the coastal cities, such as Miami, and played a huge role in the development of the other cities in South Florida
- Palm Beach was developed by Flagler as a highly luxurious residence area, where he also built his own home.
- West Palm Beach was founded by Flagler as a workers' city, intended to serve the wealthy residents of Palm Beach.
- Nowadays, the town remains a winter residence for some of America's richest, such as the Kennedy family and Donald Trump, with over 30 of its residents classified as billionaires.
- Palm Beach is home to about ten thousand permanent residents, and during the winter, an additional twenty thousand people who are considered residents but don't live there full-time occupy the city.
What is West Palm Beach? ????
- West Palm Beach was founded in 1894 as a workers' town that maintained the homes of the wealthy in Palm Beach every day.
- Over the years, it developed into a large city and now has about 120,000 residents living there.
- The city marks the northern edge of the sprawling Miami metropolis. It's a cultural and geographical junction of the American South (all of northern Florida which is part of the deep South) with the massive migration of Northeast residents to the sunbelt. This migration began with the wealthy of New York and New England who flocked to the state following the development by Henry Flagler.
- The towns and cities north of West Palm Beach are classic deep South cities like Stuart or Jupiter, but even there, the Miami metropolis extends with a huge abundance of new suburban development.
- West Palm Beach is the county seat of the large Palm Beach County, stretching from Boca Raton north to Jupiter.
- The city has a small downtown, but its practical hub is Palm Beach Island. The rest of the city is filled with rather drab industrial areas and massive suburban developments in all its limbs.
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Map of Palm Beach
How to Get to Palm Beach?
How to Fly to Palm Beach?
Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) – This small municipal airport is the most efficient solution for those wanting to reach the legendary city and island directly. It's located just south of downtown West Palm Beach, a ten-minute drive from the city center and Palm Beach. The airport is relatively active and well-connected to all major airports in the U.S. and Canada, on both the east and west coasts.
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Miami International Airport (MIA) – Miami's large international airport serves as the main gateway to Florida and the southeastern part of the USA. It is accessible from almost every corner of the world and the USA, with a direct line from Ben Gurion Airport.
The massive airport has three terminals and no less than 130 departure gates. The largest operator at the field is American Airlines, with dozens of regular routes within the USA, as well as to most of the Caribbean islands and Central and South America. The airport is just a fifteen-minute drive from downtown Miami and an hour and a half drive from Palm Beach.
For a convenient luxury vehicle transfer from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach, click here…
Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport (FLL) – The airport of Fort Lauderdale is well connected with airports within the USA. The airport has four terminals and primarily serves flights of American low-cost airlines. From the airport, there are flights to all major airports in the USA and Canada as well as many destinations in the Caribbean islands. It is located right in the heart of the city, slightly to the south. The travel time from Fort Lauderdale Airport to West Palm Beach is about an hour and a quarter.
For a half-day trip to the Everglades (departing from Miami), click here…
How to get to Palm Beach by car?
- The main route in West Palm Beach is the I-95 highway, which runs through the city from south to north and intersects with Okeechobee Boulevard
- The boulevard extends south from downtown West Palm and connects with the Royal Park Bridge, the southern of the two bridges to Palm Beach
- Another important transportation route in West Palm Beach is the Florida Turnpike, a toll road that connects North Miami with Orlando and links north of the city with the I-75
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For a sunset cruise in Palm Beach on a catamaran, click here…
When to visit Palm Beach?
- The best time to visit Palm Beach is during the winter and spring seasons when the weather is very stable and exceptionally pleasant.
- Winter in Florida probably offers the most perfect weather in the entire Western world. The temperatures are very pleasant, around 20 to 25 degrees, and there isn’t much rain.
- Unlike the pleasant winter, Florida's summer is pretty tough. The temperatures are high, and the humidity is dreadful.
- As we head into August, the humidity rises and around 3 PM, there's a heavy rain pour lasting over an hour that breaks the humidity.
- Spring and fall in Palm Beach are simply wonderful as well, with temperatures ranging from pleasant to warm, and mostly sunny skies.
From late spring until fall, significant tropical storms, including occasional hurricanes, can occur in Palm Beach and throughout Florida, significantly affecting the Atlantic coastline.
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How to plan a trip route in Palm Beach?
Palm Beach is a must-visit spot for anyone traveling in southern Florida. It is located on an island that lies west of the large city of North Miami Metro – West Palm Beach. The southern Florida travel route includes a visit to the town in the itinerary between Miami Orlando and Cape Canaveral.
- The tour of the town itself is simple, based on visiting the prestigious Worth Avenue and from there, heading north to the Society of the Four Arts, the Henry Flagler Museum, and then to the luxurious Breakers Hotel
- It's also worth driving along the South Ocean Boulevard, perhaps the most luxurious residential avenue in Florida, lined with magnificent estates.
- You should also, of course, hop over to the center of West Palm Beach, the Norton Museum of Art, and the Green Market. The heart of the city is CityPlace, a bustling and fun plaza with restaurants and entertainment venues.
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All Attractions in Palm Beach
Worth Avenue
Worth Avenue is the main and ultra-luxurious shopping street of Palm Beach. The avenue (just in name, as it's a remarkably narrow and intimate street) stretches across the entire island, from Lake Worth Lagoon in the west to the Atlantic Ocean beach in the east. At the beach, it connects with South Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach's stunning coastal road. At this junction stands the Worth Avenue Clock Tower, underneath which lies the stunning beach sand. South Ocean Boulevard is the place to drive and admire the frontages of all the billionaire estates in Palm Beach.
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Along the avenue are flagship stores of all luxury brands, many celebrities, wealthy residents, and curious tourists. The street's sidewalks feature Italian porticos (arcades) and rows of palm trees, offering shade to those wandering between the shops.
The Society of the Four Arts
The charming public space of The Society of the Four Arts is located between Worth Avenue to the south and the Flagler Museum to the north, just one block from Lake Worth Lagoon. The site houses two public libraries – The Four Arts King Library, and the Fitz Eugene Dixon Educational Building. Nearby is the Ann And Charles Johnson Hall concert hall.
The most beautiful part of the complex is The Philip Hulitar Sculpture Garden. It's a lovely area for a stroll, complete with tree-shaded benches and stunning sculptures.
Address: Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach
Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
The grand historical museum of Palm Beach is located in the home of the founder of the prestigious town (and nearly all the cities in Florida), Henry Flagler. Flagler's home is situated right on the edge of Lake Worth Lagoon, in the northern part of the island next to the Flagler Memorial Bridge, the northern of the island's two bridges. Flagler built his winter retreat (in Florida, the retreat is during the winter) just south of his historic hotel, the Royal Poinciana Hotel, where he hosted his friends. Flagler's house is the place to see the lifestyle of the tycoons who built America at the start of the 20th century.
The home's interior is filled with luxury decorations, expensive furnishings, and numerous architectural elements that faithfully represent Flagler's power and wealth. The house also provides a wealth of information about the rapid development of Palm Beach from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day.
Address: Whitehall Way 1, Palm Beach
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The Breakers Palm Beach
The important historic hotel built by Henry Flagler is located north of the prestigious Worth Avenue. Today's grand luxury hotel was built in 1926 for the wealthy visitors who came to the town for leisure. It is based on the historic hotel built by Flagler in 1896.
The first Breakers was built two years after the opening of Flagler's main flagship hotel, the Royal Poinciana Hotel, which was built in 1894 and essentially established the town. This hotel, located right opposite the Breakers on the shore of Lake Worth Lagoon, was severely damaged by the hurricane of 1926 and was closed permanently in 1934 and demolished. The only remaining part of the hotel is The Slat House, and a mall and luxury residential building were built on the site.
The Breakers is designed in the style of a Renaissance palace with two prominent bell towers on either side. Its front faces the hotel's large professional golf course (one of three major golf courses on the island) and its rear provides access to one of the most beautiful beaches of the Golden Coast. The hotel still operates as a luxury hotel today, but is very welcoming to casual visitors, being very conscious of its historical standing and hosting quite a few businesses open to the public.
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Address: S County Rd. 1, Palm Beach
Touring West Palm Beach
The big city of West Palm Beach is like the dull, daily shadow of Palm Beach. Built as a residential area for the workers of the rich estates on the island, West Palm Beach is now mainly a significant residential and commercial hub. The city itself isn't that interesting, but it has a few spots worth visiting like the Norton Museum of Art and the West Palm Beach GreenMarket. The heart of West Palm is CityPlace, a bustling plaza in the city center that's perfect for shopping and entertainment.
South Cove Natural Area is an intriguing spot near the Royal Park Bridge leading to Palm Beach. It's a long pedestrian deck over the lagoon waters that stretches to South Cove Island, offering breathtaking views of downtown West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach shoreline.
Manatee Lagoon in Riviera Beach to the north is a charming place where you can watch a group of manatees swimming in the lagoon as part of a visit to a small maritime museum.
