Aerial view of the beach and Lake Worth Beach Pier in Palm Beach County, Florida

Palm Beach Guide: Midtown Beach, Phipps Ocean Park & Peanut Island

November 1, 2026

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Fog & Foundry Travel Journal · Palm Beach

Palm Beach is a slim barrier island on Florida's Atlantic coast, about 18 miles long and in places only a few hundred feet wide, with the ocean on one side and the Lake Worth Lagoon on the other. It is all pastel villas, clipped hedges, striped cabanas and long, warm afternoons. Our Palm Beach Cherry bikini is named after it — cherries on pink, made for a pool club in the sun. Here is our honest guide to the beaches, the food and the town.

At a glance

Where: Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, south-east Florida, USA — across the lagoon from West Palm Beach
Population: about 9,200 in the Town of Palm Beach (2020 census), many more in the winter season
Language: English; Spanish is widely spoken across South Florida
Currency: US dollar
Best time to visit: December to April, when it is dry, sunny and in full season; summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms, and hurricane season runs June to November
Average temperature: highs of about 24°C / 75°F in January to 32°C / 90°F in August; sea 23–29°C / 73–84°F

Waves rolling onto a sandy beach in the Palm Beaches, Florida — **West Palm Beach, Florida** — Atlantic waves on the sand at sunrise. Photo: Dominique Hicks / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Midtown Beach — the classic

Palm Beach Municipal Beach, which everyone calls Midtown Beach, runs along South Ocean Boulevard a short walk from Worth Avenue. It is the town's main public beach: wide golden sand, clear Atlantic water and lifeguards on duty, with metered parking right along the road.

Our take: come in the morning, when the light is soft and the water is calmest, then walk over to Worth Avenue for lunch in the shade. Sunrise over the ocean here is worth the early alarm.

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Phipps Ocean Park — the quiet one

Access update: The Town of Palm Beach lists Phipps Ocean Park as closed through November 18, 2026. Use Midtown Beach in the meantime and check the town’s project page for reopening updates.

Further south on the island, Phipps Ocean Park is a stretch of natural, dune-backed beach with lifeguards, picnic areas and far fewer people. The park is also home to the Little Red Schoolhouse, built in 1886 and the first school building in south-east Florida.

Our take: pack a picnic and spend a slow afternoon here. It feels more like old Florida than the polished stretch in town.

Palm-lined Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida — **Worth Avenue, Palm Beach** — palms, awnings and shop fronts. Photo: Hannah Lindahl / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Peanut Island — the snorkel spot

At the mouth of the Lake Worth Inlet, just north of the town, Peanut Island is a 79-acre county park made from dredged sand in the early 1900s. It has a path around the shore, picnic areas, camp sites and a man-made reef in clear, calm lagoon water where you can snorkel among tropical fish.

Our take: there is no bridge — you get there by boat or water taxi from the mainland marinas. Time your snorkel for high tide, when the water coming in through the inlet is at its clearest.

Stone crab claws on ice with lemon wedges — **Stone crab claws** — a Florida favourite, served cold with lemon. Photo: Blake Wisz / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Where to eat

Stone crab claws, served cold with mustard sauce, are the Florida treat — the season runs from mid-October to May.
Grouper sandwiches and fresh snapper at waterfront spots.
Cuban sandwiches and a strong cafecito — South Florida's Cuban food is everywhere.
Key lime pie for dessert, and long lunches in the courtyards off Worth Avenue.

A man walking along a palm-lined path in Palm Beach, Florida — **Palm Beach, Florida** — an afternoon walk under the palms. Photo: Tessa Edmiston / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Culture & local life

Modern Palm Beach began with Henry Flagler, whose railway brought winter visitors south in the 1890s; his 1902 mansion, Whitehall, is now the Flagler Museum. Worth Avenue has been the town's shopping street since the 1920s, with Mediterranean-style arcades and little courtyard lanes called vias tucked behind the shop fronts.

Life follows "the season": from around December to April the town fills with galas, polo and full restaurants, and in summer it is noticeably quieter. The Lake Trail, a 4.7-mile path along the lagoon side of the island, is the best way to see it all by bike.

Beachgoers on the sand on a sunny day in the Palm Beaches, Florida — **West Palm Beach, Florida** — a sunny beach day with the locals. Photo: Tom Locke / Unsplash (Unsplash License)

Good to know

Swim near the lifeguards at Midtown Beach, or at Phipps Ocean Park once it reopens, and watch for rip-current flags.
Sea turtles nest on Palm Beach County beaches from about March to October — keep away from marked nests and never use lights near them at night.
Much of the shoreline is private; use the public beaches and marked access points.
Rent a bike for the Lake Trail, and bring change or a parking app for the beach meters.