Palm Beach
Palm Beach, FL
Palm Beach splits its public beach access between Midtown Beach near the town's shops and Phipps Ocean Park further south, both metered rather than free given the town's wealth and lack of large public lots. It's a quieter, more manicured stretch of Atlantic coast than the busier beaches in Fort Lauderdale or Miami.
The quiet, manicured character reflects the town's wealth, though the metered parking with no free public lot options beyond a narrow morning window keeps it from feeling especially welcoming to casual visitors.
How we score beachesPhipps Ocean Park's tennis center lot offers free parking for the first two hours between 8am and 1pm, worth timing a morning visit around if the metered rate elsewhere feels steep. Both beaches charge the same 5 dollar hourly rate along Ocean Boulevard otherwise.
Metered parking runs 5 dollars an hour along Ocean Boulevard at both Midtown Beach and Phipps Ocean Park; Phipps' tennis center lot is free for the first two hours from 8am to 1pm.
Both beaches have short, flat walks from metered parking to the sand.
Check current signage for pets, town-specific rules aren't clearly documented for visitors.
Winter and spring bring South Florida's driest, mildest weather and the biggest snowbird crowds. Summer's heat and hurricane season, June through November, thin things out despite the warmest water of the year.
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