Situated Between West Palm Beach And Boca Raton Is A Coastal Florida City With Artsy Downtown Vibes

Southeast Florida has no shortage of interesting towns and cities tucked neatly between West Palm Beach and Miami. Today, the entire region is a vast metropolitan paradise, joined together by perpetual urban growth along Interstate 95. While it's currently home to some gems, like the fun-filled paradise of Delray Beach, once upon a time, only a sleepy Highway 1 connected all of the area's small towns, separated by cow pastures and farmland. One of those little towns, incorporated way back in 1913, was one of the earliest planned communities in the area.

Lake Worth Beach lies just south of West Palm, but even if you're a Floridian old-timer, you might have never heard of this town. That's because the city was known simply as Lake Worth before changing its name in 2019. Most of the town occupies a wedge of space between the Intracoastal Waterway and Interstate 95, but there's also a small section of beach, a slice at the end of Lake Avenue with a few restaurants, the town fishing pier, and a beautiful beach park.

The town isn't grand, like Ft. Lauderdale, aka the breathtaking canal-filled Venice of America, or the glitzy, glamorous, and more famous Palm Beach, but it's got everything you need for an unforgettable Florida getaway. The tidy, art-lined downtown area has shops and dining, and the beach is one of the prettiest around, complete with drinks on the iconic pier.

Downtown Lake Worth Beach is spread over a few blocks where Lake Worth Road splits into two one-way streets: Lucerne and Lake Avenues. Murals are splashed across the buildings in the area, making just walking the streets an artsy experience. The area has small boutiques, cafes, and a selection of restaurants to suit any appetite, with several art galleries interspersed among them. Every February, the town hosts an annual Street Painting Festival where hundreds of artists flock in to literally fill the streets with art.

You can't visit Lake Worth without spending a few hours at the beach, as the town has one of the nicest beach parks along the coast. Benny's on the Beach offers oceanfront al fresco dining in two locations, each with the best view in town. One location is on the boardwalk plaza area, and the other is just a few feet away, built out on the pier. The park features a community pool, sandy Atlantic frontage, and a long fishing pier. Parking at the beach is available for a nominal cost.

As you stroll or drive over the Lake Avenue bridge toward the beach, you might notice the beautiful natural shoreline along the lagoon. That's the Snook Islands natural area, part of the county's living shoreline program and 118-acre wetland restoration effort. There are mangroves, oyster reefs, and wildlife, including manatees, turtles, and birds like the American oystercatcher. You can walk the boardwalk or paddle a kayak around for an up-close look.

Lake Worth Beach is located just 10 miles south of downtown West Palm Beach and CityPlace, which offers chic, European vibes. The Palm Beach International Airport is even closer than that. Lake Avenue is located immediately off of I-95, so finding the place isn't difficult. Tri-Rail, the region's commuter rail network, serves Lake Worth with a station at Lake Avenue and I-95.

With easy access to the major cities and towns along the coast, like West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and artsy Delray Beach, Lake Worth has plenty of options for where to stay. The Sabal Palm House is a boutique bed and breakfast with an impressive five-star rating on TripAdvisor. Best of all, it's located immediately off Lake Avenue, within walking distance to downtown, and only 15 minutes from the beach on foot. While the town doesn't have any beachfront resorts, there are plenty to pick from in the immediately surrounding parts of South Palm Beach, including TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice Award winners the Four Seasons and Fairfield Inn & Suites.

Lake Worth Beach is undoubtedly a year-round town, but its climate especially lends itself to winter getaways. This is snowbird country, where the population swells as the seasons turn cold up north. Winter average lows are always 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, and highs range from 74 degrees in January to a muggy 89 in July and August. Peak travel season in the area is from December to April, with most vacationers looking to avoid the heat of the middle of the summer.