Florida has a lot of hidden gems and one of those happens to be the town of Jupiter, Florida. It’s located at the very top of South Florida, about 30 minutes north of West Palm Beach. Jupiter is just far enough away that it doesn’t draw big tourist crowds, but close enough that it still lands in the little slice of paradise that is South Florida. Because of its southern location, it is very much tropical and beachy. While it’s relatively quiet compared to its southern counterparts, there are a lot of great things to do in Jupiter, Florida.
I have to admit that I hadn’t even heard of Jupiter even though I lived in Miami for 5 years. It only came on my radar in the first place because my husband interviewed for a job here (now it’s our home!).
Jupiter is understandably less visited since you have 3 larger cities nearby that have their own airports (Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach). It’s got a lot of competition. However, if you’re looking for a day trip or a quieter spot, Jupiter is a great place to check out. It has also been listed on Coastal Living’s Top 10 Happiest Seaside Towns.
Things to do in Jupiter, Florida:
Attraction wise, I can’t say there’s too much to do. It’s also a lot smaller than other surrounding cities and doesn’t have a ‘downtown’ area. Jupiter is an outdoor living place. There are a lot of nature spots, places to do water activities, get out and walk, etc.
Tour the Jupiter Lighthouse
The Jupiter Lighthouse is an iconic landmark of the city which you can see from many areas. It’s just a fun, quintessential seaside structure to look at. You can tour the lighthouse and go up to the top for an aerial view of the city and waterways. You can see it from Dubois park and several seaside restaurants (Square Grouper, U-Tiki or the restaurants at Love Street).
There are also some huge banyan trees at the bottom of the lighthouse that are fun to see as well. The roots and tree limbs are pretty gnarly if you’ve never seen one before.
Take your Dog to the Beach
Jupiter happens to be a huge dog-friendly community. There are lots of parks and dog areas for your furry friend to explore. One happens to be the Dog Beach between beach markers 25-57. It’s a 2.5 mile stretch of sand that is an off-leash area for your dog to run around. They have little bags and trash bins at nearly every beach marker and everyone is really good about cleaning up after their dog.
Our little dog loves to go and dig in the sand! This area of the beach can also have insanely blue water. It depends on the day and weather of course because it can also be brown and not pretty at all haha. But that’s pretty standard of all oceans.
READ MORE: The Best Beaches in Jupiter, Florida
Walk the Juno Beach Pier
If you aren’t fond of dogs, just head to the beach markers past that area and you can have a pooch-free beach experience. If you go a little further south of the Dog Beach, you’ll get to the Juno Beach pier. It’s a great spot for photos and you can walk along it for a small fee.
It’s a popular spot to watch the sunrise and you won’t be alone if you head here in the early morning.
Shop at Harbourside Place
Harbouside Place in Jupiter is a luxury, waterfront, outdoor mall with several shops and restaurants. There’s the Wyndham Grand hotel if you’d like to stay in this area and restaurant options like The Woods, Tommy Bahama, Burger Fi and Calaveras.
It also has an outdoor area for gatherings or events and it’s just a nice area to hangout and grab a drink. Every now and then, they’ll have little fairs in the streets to walk around, pumpkin patches, performers, etc.
Visit the Blowing Rocks Preserve
The Blowing Rocks Preserve is a neat area to go to in Jupiter. The beach is actually covered in rocks that look like another planet. At the preserve, the rocks can get quite high off the sand causing the waves to crash into them. There are some neat archways created by the rock formations as well. It’s very unique and an interesting place to see in Florida.
There are also a few walking trails and areas where you can put a kayak in the water.
Walk the Beach at Coral Cove
Another place that is similar to the Blowing Rocks Preserve is Coral Cove beach. It’s just down the way from Blowing Rocks and is free to see since it’s not a preserve. The rocks here look similar but it’s a much smaller area of rocks. Rocks at the Blowing Rocks create a rock ledge and go down the shore a ways.
The Coral Cove rocks can be pretty flat in shape and only stick out from the sand a bit. It has some smaller rocky ledges, but not like the preserve does. It’s still neat to check out and a great spot for sunrise photos.
Kayak the Loxahotchee River
A great way to see the wild side of Florida is to get out on the water. The Loxahatchee River runs right through the middle of Jupiter and is a great spot to do some paddling. Rent a kayak or paddle board to float along the river and get up close and personal with Florida’s nature and wildlife.
Eat at a Celebrity’s Restaurant
There have been a handful of celebrities that have called Jupiter, Florida ‘home’ at some point. Celine Dion, Tiger Woods, Bert Reynolds, Olivia Newton John and Micheal Jordan have all had homes here. The two celebrity restaurants in Jupiter are associated with Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan.
The Woods is owned by Tiger Woods and is a high-end sports bar and restaurant. 1000 North is partially owned by Michael Jordan and has a great outdoor area with views of the Jupiter lighthouse.
Hang out at Dubois Park
There are a lot of great outdoor areas in Jupiter to explore but one of the main parks is Dubois Park. It has marked areas to swim on the inlet and lots of picnic tables to sit at. It’s a very family-friendly spot since a lot of the swimming areas are very shallow with barriers in place so that there aren’t waves.
It’s a beautiful area to just take a walk and is a great place to be outside. You can also spot the lighthouse from here!
Explore Riverbend Park
Riverbend Park is an area in Jupiter that has a lot of outdoor walking and biking trails. It’s a 666 acre park that has the Loxahatchee River running through it. So this another place you can get out on the water with a kayak or paddle board.
There are 10 miles of walking trails throughout the park and many different trail options. The trails are flat and take you through tropical foliage and occasionally by some swampy-looking water or the Loxahatchee River.
Get Drinks by the Water
There are several places in Jupiter, Florida where you can eat or have drinks by the water. One area in particular has several options. Head to Guanabana’s for a Flintstone’s vibe or Square Grouper for a sandy outdoor bar on the water. U-Tiki is another great spot for dinner or drinks.
FYI: Jupiter seems to have a lot more people than it does restaurants. Most of the restaurants in Jupiter don’t take reservations and you can frequently expect wait times to be 2 hours, even if you show up on a Tuesday. Even if you show up 10 minutes after they open. (We went to 3 brunches places around 10:30am once only to see crowds of people outside each one.)
The waterfront restaurants are obviously popular because of their location but they are nearly always busy. We just always assume the wait time will be around 2 hours for that area at any given time.
Go to Jonathan Dickinson State Park
To the north of Jupiter is the Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Though it is right next to the beach, it’s not actually on the beach. This is more of a nature spot where you can do some hiking, kayaking on the river, etc. If you’re looking for a a protected beach area, check out another state park nearby: John D. MacArthur Beach State Park.
Shop at Blueline Surf & Paddle Co
Blueline is a cute little surf shop along A1A near several restaurants. They’ve got beach clothes, tote bags, cups, etc. You can also rent kayaks or paddle boards here and even take a tour through them.
Where to Stay in Jupiter:
My husband and I have stayed at the La Quinta near Harbourside. You can walk across the causeway to Harbourside from there and the rooms have been decent. If we wanted to splurge, we’d probably stay at the Wyndham. It’s located within Harbourside and is a great location. But prices definitely fluctuate depending on the season.
And by season I mean, peak season, which is usually November-April for this area.
Hotels:
- Wyndham Grand: $$$, located inside Harbourside Place
- La Quinta: $$ centrally located across the causeway from Harbourside Place
- Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa: $$$, Beachfront
- Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott: $, central location
- Courtyard by Marriott: $$, good location near restaurants/bars
- Best Western Intracoastal Inn: $$, near the beach
I’m a little biased, but I think Jupiter is a great place to explore. The thing we love the most is that there are so many things to do in Jupiter, Florida that are outside. You can spend the day at the beach, head to any of the many parks for outdoor activities, explore the nearby Florida state parks or eat at the restaurants outside. It’s definitely a hidden gem in Florida.
PIN IT FOR LATER
You forgot Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, which the children especially love.
Thanks for info. We are moving there in July and so exited !!