Discover the Heart of The Palm Beaches - If it’s excitement you are looking for, then Central Palm Beach County is the place to visit. Here culture, history, vibrant nightlife, and legendary hospitality are stirred up with a tropical twist. It is the main transportation hub for The Palm Beaches, with an international airport and two train lines that put all of South Florida at your fingertips.
Palm Beach
Movie stars, aristocrats and barons of industry have frolicked on The Palm Beaches golden sands since America’s First Resort Destination® rose to favour in the late 1800s. You don’t need to be a Rockefeller to have your own “once upon a time” moment here. Visitors to The Palm Beaches will find a warm welcome, a tropical breeze, genuine hospitality and plenty of ways to live a modern-day fairy tale. Stately accommodations and beachfront resorts reign in Palm Beach.
Home to Florida’s oldest golf course, The Breakers, was the premier playground of the Gilded Age and still dazzles today. Shopaholics, take note: The Palm Beaches practically invented retail therapy. See and be seen on iconic Worth Avenue, a shopping mecca that gets mentioned in the same breath as Fifth Avenue and Rodeo Drive. You’ll also find charming cafés tucked into bougainvillaea-scented courtyards where you can cool off with a refreshing glass of rosé.
Walking tours are a great way to discover the island’s history, notable landmarks and cultural institutions like the Flagler Museum, the grand former estate of railroad magnate Henry Flagler. For an unforgettable ramble, walk or bike the Lake Trail to see eye-popping yachts, stunning Lake Worth Lagoon views and some of The Palm Beaches most fabulous backyards. Be sure to stop off at the Society of the Four Arts, an open-air art exhibit founded in 1936.
West Palm Beach
A hub of nightlife, entertainment, cultural attractions, and recreation in The Palm Beaches.
Start your adventure in the vibrant neighbourhoods of downtown West Palm Beach. Overlooking sparkling Lake Worth Lagoon, Clematis Street is home to funky sidewalk cafes, colourful murals, and buzzworthy bars. Hop on a free trolley to The Square, a shopping district and open-air plaza where it’s not unusual to stumble upon rousing events and live music. Venture a little farther to explore Antique Row and the candy-coloured storefronts of Northwood Village, an eclectic enclave known for its art galleries and global cuisine. Bargain shoppers love Tanger Outlets Palm Beach, with savings on more than 100 name brands like Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Nike, and Vera Bradley. You can also enjoy Grandview Public Market, with 12 gourmet food vendors there is something for everyone. Take in a performance (concerts, comedy shows, ballets, operas and more) at the Kravis Centre for the Performing Arts.
It’s hard to beat West Palm Beach for family fun. Sitting side by side just south of downtown, the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society and the Cox Science Center and Aquarium offer more up-close animal encounters and hands-on learning experiences.
Wellington
Sandy beaches give way to greener pastures for horse lovers in Wellington. Home to an internationally recognised equestrian community (with a social scene to match), this city in The Palm Beaches offers endless opportunities to play by day and ride off into the sunset at night. Each January through April, Wellington’s equestrian season leaps into action. The Winter Equestrian Festival welcomes the world’s top riders in show jumping and dressage for 12 weeks of competition.
During Palm Beach International Polo Season, you can’t swing a mallet without hitting a daily event, field-side brunch, or champagne-soaked party. Capping it all off is the International Gay Polo Tournament, with non-stop excitement happening on and off the field. Find a fabulous hat for the match (or just a little retail therapy) at The Mall at Wellington Green.
Lake Worth Beach
With “Lake and Beach” in its name, it’s a sure bet that Lake Worth Beach offers all the water-soaked fun you’re after on a Florida vacation. This seven-square-mile city is wedged between some of the most action-packed waterways in The Palm Beaches, and its revitalised downtown has its own distinct charms worth discovering.
The palm-dotted streets of downtown Lake Worth Beach are lined with eclectic boutiques, art galleries, antiques stores, and restaurants with plenty of local flavour. Quaint bed-and-breakfasts are tucked into quiet side streets, and there’s even a historic playhouse that hosts everything from ballet to Broadway.
Just across Lake Worth Lagoon – a boater’s playground that stretches all the way to West Palm Beach – are postcard-perfect shores, a new fishing pier and restaurants on the beach that offer endless views of the sparkling Atlantic Ocean. To the west, see the local side of Florida at Lake Osborne. You can fish this well-stocked freshwater lake, with boat launching ramps and fishing piers at John Prince Memorial Park.
Late Okeechobee and The Glades
Perched on the shores of Lake Okeechobee, the largest inland body of water in Florida, The Glades are “the gateway to the Everglades,” where palm trees give way to moss-draped oaks and tropical landscapes melt into pastures and swampland.
The cluster of farming communities that includes Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay—together known as The Glades—form a major hub of Florida’s agricultural heartland. Each September, the country-fried Black Gold Jubilee celebrates the end of the harvest season. You can learn more about Belle Glade’s fascinating place in Florida history at the Lawrence E. Will Museum. Or catch a concert, theatre production or local art show at the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Centre.
Lake Okeechobee is a big draw for anglers – some even call it the Bass Fishing Capital of America (the crappie, speck, and bluegill fishing are pretty-great too). The Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail is a 109-mile trail and a great place to hike, bike or even horseback ride along the lake rim, catch crimson sunsets and simply savour a slower-paced side of The Palm Beaches.
