Incorporated in 1925, the city of Jupiter is in northern Palm Beach County, with just under 65,000 residents. Ranked as one of the country’s most pleasant and livable coastal towns by a well-known travel magazine, it’s full of beautiful beaches, cultural and natural attractions.



1. Jupiter Lighthouse Park

Managed by the Loxahatchee River Historical Society, Jupiter Lighthouse and Park has been open to the public since 1973 and sits on a 120-acre site that overlooks some of the coast’s most magnificent views.

Guided and unguided tours of the facility are available; for tech-savvy travelers, it’s possible to use your phone as an audio guide, so you’ll get the same great information but at your own pace.

If you are fit and not afraid of heights, it is possible to climb to the top of the lighthouse.

Kids can make the trek to the top of the lighthouse, but they must be at least four feet tall.



2. Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Open seven days a week and located in Hobe Sound just a few minutes from Jupiter, Jonathan Dickinson State Park is the largest park in southeast Florida and offers visitors a wide range of activity options.

For those who want to burn some calories and see the park at the same time, canoe, kayak, and bicycle rentals are available. We chose to Kayak the river.  Guided tour options by boat, canoe, horseback, and buggy are available as well.

There’s a trendy new food and beverage area featuring wine, beer, and a full menu consisting mainly of items made with locally grown and produced ingredients.



3. Dubois Park

Dubois park facilities offer boating, swimming, fishing, picnicking and several other activities all in a scenic tropical setting. This is the best place to visit with your family any time of the week.

A visit to the park can not be complete without boating. This is one of the best experiences inside the park. Renting a canoe, kayak or a paddle boat is very easy. These boats will get you into deeper waters more than your naked eyes could do plus the experience is amazing. After a day of activities, then it is time for you and your family to rest. There are restroom facilities with showers and a lot more other outdoor activities to keep you out until late hours of the night. Entry fee to Dubois Park is absolutely free!

It is a gorgeous spot to spend the day!



4. Carlin Park

Donning nearly 3,000 feet of white sandy beach that gently slopes into the Caribbean-like ocean, Carlin Park is located on State Route A1A in Jupiter and is open daily from sunrise to sunset. It offers six tennis courts that are open until 9:00 PM.

The beach is one of its most popular attractions in the park and includes swimming areas staffed by lifeguards, nearby picnic tables, pavilions, and several kids playgrounds.

After a long day of exerting activities like swimming, volleyball, and tennis, visitors appreciate the outdoor showers and relaxing café; it’s the perfect place to unwind with a cold beverage.



5. Busch Wildlife Sanctuary

The Sanctuary is a non-profit organization that serves Palm Beach County. They rely on the public to bring injured wildlife to their wildlife hospital. Over the years, they have rescued deer, foxes, screech owls, hawks, bald eagles, squirrels, birds, and many others. The goal after rehabbing these animals is to release them back into the wild.

The sanctuary is free to visit, but they do accept and appreciate donations from visitors.  It is open to the public Monday - Saturday 10am - 4:30. It does wander through a nature trail, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended and you should plan on it taking about 45 minutes to an hour to explore.



6. Blowing Rocks Preserve

One of the most beautiful and fascinating stretches of barrier island in Martin County, and for that matter in all of Florida, is Blowing Rocks Preserve, on Jupiter Island, just south of Hobe Sound and north of Jupiter.

In 1969, residents of Jupiter Island donated 73 acres of intact beach, dune and reef habitat, so that future generations would be able to appreciate a disappearing type of ecosystem.

The Atlantic has reclaimed and covers some of the rocks, and those submerged reefs, called “nearshore hardbottom,” are federally designated as Essential Fish Habitat and as a Habitat Area of Particular Concern. The shallow, intertidal and submerged reefs teem with marine life, offering amazing snorkeling, especially on calm days in the spring and summer.

These reefs support at least 257 species of fishes, three species of sea turtle, and 533 invertebrates, including corals, and one of the most clever and fascinating of worms. Upon the Anastasia substrate, Phragmatapoma lapidosa collects suspended grains of sand that the worms use to build honeycomb-like mounds in the surf. These colonies provide cover and food for many species of brilliant reef fish, several crabs, and even wading birds. It’s really important nursery habitat.

Some of these fish that grow up there are so tiny in the spring and summer the water seems filled with sparks.

You may also bump into sea turtles, harmless nurse sharks and tarpon with their silver-dollar scales shimmering in the sunlight. The best snorkeling is accessed from the south end.

Scuba divers swim out from the beach to deeper reefs that host brilliant corals, goliath groupers and big stingrays, among myriad other marine life.



7. Tunnel of Banyan Trees

Take this short, magical drive down Bridge Road in Hobe Sound.  These trees are knarly and beautiful and they create a picture perfect tunnel arched over the road.