Palm Beach, FL

Palm Beach is an affluent barrier-island town in Palm Beach County, Florida, with a year-round population of roughly 9,000 residents. Tucked between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, it carries the polished, resort-like character of an old-money seaside enclave, lined with Mediterranean-style estates, manicured gardens, and palm-canopied boulevards. The town is best known for its luxury shopping, pristine beaches, and as a seasonal retreat for East Coast visitors. It sits roughly 70 miles north of Miami, with the larger city of West Palm Beach directly across the bridge to its west.

Worth Avenue is Palm Beach's signature shopping street, a palm-lined stretch of Mediterranean Revival architecture running a few blocks between the ocean and the Intracoastal. Lined with high-end boutiques, jewelers, art galleries, and cafés, it draws visitors from around the country who come to stroll its narrow vias and hidden courtyards. The avenue lies within the town itself, just minutes from any of the island's inns and resorts. Worth Avenue

The Flagler Museum, also known as Whitehall, is a 75-room Gilded Age mansion completed in 1902 by Standard Oil co-founder Henry Flagler. Set on the shore of Lake Worth about five minutes' drive from the center of Palm Beach, it serves as a museum of Florida's early-twentieth-century rail and resort era, with original furnishings, a private railcar, and seasonal exhibits. Flagler Museum

Across the bridge in West Palm Beach, the Norton Museum of Art is one of Florida's most respected art museums, with a collection spanning European masters, American works, photography, and contemporary Chinese art. Roughly a ten-minute drive from Palm Beach proper, the recently expanded campus includes galleries, a sculpture garden, and outdoor spaces. Norton Museum of Art

A short ferry ride from the Riviera Beach marina — about fifteen minutes from Palm Beach — Peanut Island Park sits at the mouth of the Lake Worth Inlet and offers palm-shaded picnic areas, a small beach, snorkeling, and a tour of the historic Kennedy-era bomb shelter. The island is a popular day trip for visitors looking to swap the island's manicured pace for a more laid-back afternoon on the water.

Palm Beach's combination of tropical weather, walkable scale, and concentration of high-end amenities makes it a natural fit for short-term rentals. Travelers can spend their mornings on the beach or along Worth Avenue, their afternoons exploring cultural institutions across the bridge in West Palm Beach, and their evenings at one of the island's oceanfront restaurants. With Miami only about an hour to the south and the broader Palm Beaches' restaurants, golf, and nature preserves within easy reach, the town draws a steady stream of well-heeled visitors year after year.