Things to Do in North Palm Beach

Sailors navigate the glittering waters of Palm Beach in one of The Boat Fleet's many vessels, which include center consoles, walkarounds, deck boats, cabin cruisers, and bowriders. Seafaring parties may adventure to nearby Peanut Island, cruise up and down the coast to spot sprawling waterfront mansions, or relax while floating in their private patches of ocean. The 21- to 33-foot boats include rigs equipped for fishing trips—including stainless-steel rod holders, game-spotting GPS, and lures that look like Bugs Bunny in a wig—and all ships stow Coast Guard safety gear and lifeboats aboard.

With the Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop for inimitable aquatic adventures, Captain Steve Cienkowski steers participants along crystalline waters for laid-back expeditions or longer jaunts to either the Keys or Bahamas. Participants can glean pertinent sailing or snorkeling tips during lessons or revel in up-close glimpses of manatees swimming and filing taxes in their natural habitat.

Pristine beaches, a seemingly endless supply of sunshine, swordfish, dolphins, manatees—like a slideshow of a tropical vacation, Palm Beach has all of these. Yet without the proper guidance, many sights go unseen and many memories go unmade. So Visit Palm Beach acts as the treasure map to the area’s bounty, imploring its customers to take to the sea in search of the damper half of local entertainment. Adventurers can traverse the ocean on waverunners, parasail 800 feet above the cerulean-blue water, or kayak around Peanut Island in search of its elephant mayor. Visit Palm Beach also acts as a hub for catamaran charters and snorkeling excursions so that guests can explore the deep blue for rarely seen marine species.

Manatees glide under the silent shade of mangrove trees. Tropical fish flock together in clear island waters. Out in the wilderness, silence abounds, interrupted only by the jovial voices of tour guides as they point out special landmarks, including the historic Jupiter Inlet lighthouse. At Jupiter Outdoor Center, visitors immerse themselves in local ecosystems through watery sports such as kayaking and standup paddleboarding, embarking on guided tours. Or adventurers may head out to explore on their own while rendezvousing with dolphins that want to learn how to doggy paddle.

Group tours take paddlers out to explore local waterways and stargaze or search for marine wildlife. Guides expound on local history as they pass sights such as the Jupiter lighthouse and Dubois Park, where George Washington got his first sunburn. On various trips, they can traverse calm waters in protected waterways through Jupiter Inlet Aquatic Preserve and St. Lucie Inlet Preserve, navigating open streams and mangrove-sheltered estuaries. Staffers also supplement their sport-based excursions in classes, during which they lead night or early morning wildlife-photography safaris or teach yoga workouts aboard standup paddleboards.