Today I am sharing our Jupiter Florida Travel Guide!
We’ve been coming to this little gem tucked away on Florida’s east coast for about 20 years…I was first in middle school when my parents started dragging us on vacations with their friends, and then later when they bought their second home that would be come their place of retirement. Little did I know then that it would indeed become MY favorite place to vacation, and then my husbands, and now our whole family. Brian and I got married here on the beach, it was the first taste of the ocean our kids have both had, so it holds all sorts of special memories.
Since I post so frequently out and about in Jupiter I thought I would put together a little Jupiter Florida travel guide with our favorite places in case you decide to make this your next stop.
Places to Stay
Jupiter Beach Resort // this is where we got married and my number 1 place to stay. It’s a boutique-y type of resort with a nice pool, tiki bar, and right on the beach.
Wyndham Grand Jupiter Resort This is a new hotel and it is situated in the newly built Harbourside Place
Obvi Air BnB & VBRO
Places to Eat
Breakfast/Coffee
Oceana Coffee // This place has THE BEST ICED COFFEE! We go almost every morning on our way to the beach to fuel up for all the swimming, sand castle building, and basically non-stop chasing of Brian and Grace ahead of us.
Tequesta Bagels or Bagel Bistro. They have really good bagels and the iced coffee, Jamaican Me Crazy, is off the charts.
Lunch/Dinner
Papichulo. This is a new Mexican spot in town and it’s SOOOO cute. Feels like your in a different country and they have the best tacos AND queso ever.
Hog Snappers // This is our favorite! It’s always our first stop, even if we get in late, we immediately order take out. Tucked away in a nothing fancy strip mall,it’s a little surfer-y/raggae heaven with the best in Floribbean cuisine. Get the boulliabase, crab cake, melove salad and ALL THE SUSHI. I love the Tequesta roll 🙂
Food Shack // Be prepared for an hour+ wait unless you go without kids and can snag a seat at the bar. Everything here is SO good, you really can’t go wrong. We always get the sweet potato encrusted snapper.
Leftovers // Owned by the same people at Food Shack, everything here is amazing!
Jetty’s // An upscale restaurant on the water, really yummy seafood and steak. We don’t really go here much because we’re always so casual when we’re there, and we usually have our kids in tow.
Dune Dog // This restaurant is THE BEST! It’s not fancy, more like a little tropical seafood shack but has amazing food and it’s so great to bring the kids to. It’s so casual so you don’t have to worry so much about them being on their best behavior if you know what I mean. Also, kids also eat for .99 cents on Wednesday nights and they bring in entertainment for them like a balloon artist. You would think Brian and Grace were in Disney World they get so excited.
Cocktails
U-Tiki // Situated in Jupiter’s hot spot, this place has amazing drinks and views of the Jupiter Lighthouse. Their food is pretty good, a little over-priced if you ask me…
Guanabanas // In the same area as U-Tiki, Guanabanas is an outdoor spot that has been turned into paradise. There are so many palm trees, they form a full roof inside. There are bridges with water underneath, plantlike everywhere, and it sits on a little creek with adirondack chairs so you can enjoy waterfront.
Square Grouper // This is the first bar that ever came to Jupiter. It used to be a bait shop that sold beer and you should see what it has turned into. It sits on the intercostal with an amazing view of the lighthouse and you can watch all the boats go by. There’s also always live music so check their website for who’s up next.
Palm Beach Ice Cream // This place is legit. It’s right across the way from my parent’s condo so we literally go here every night. They make it all there and it is SO YUMMY, plus they have a neon flamingo hanging in the window 🙂 I like the Heath Bar Crunch.
ICE CREAM
Palm Beach Ice Cream. The best ice cream around, I love the heath bar crunch.
Things to Do
Beach, number #1. There are lots of beaches but we tend to go to Dog Beach. It’s nice and wide and it’s fun to watch all the dogs go by. There is also Carlin Park and Jupiter Inlet Beach. There is also Dubois Park which has a playground and a little lagoon that flows off of the inlet. It’s like a giant baby pool and doesn’t get deeper than 1.5 feet. Our kids love it here.
On The Water
Beach, always beach. We are total beach people and now with the kids it’s even more fun. It’s great to just let them run around and be free with no rules or boundaries (well besides the ocean). Brian is a really good swimmer so depending on the waves, he has free rein but we have to keep a close eye on Grace. She loves standing at the shoreline, and funny, she likes to yell at the waves. She usually gets knocked down at some point and then just unleashes on them, “BAD WAVES, BAD BAD BAD!!”. We pack a lunch, plenty of snacks and drinks, and usually a couple of coronas with lime for the adults.
Paddle board // There are lots of places to go paddle boarding but we love renting from Blueline Surf & Paddle Co (which also has a super cute boutique inside!)
Kayak // Jupiter Outdoor Center. We’ve never done this because we prefer to paddle board but if that’s your thing, this is the spot.
Fish Charter // There are loads of fish charters that go out for half and full days.
Snorkle // We haven’t done this in a while but ask around for the best spots, we’ve seen some incredible fish. I do remember one really good spot is right under the bridge to Jupiter Island and at John Macarthur State Park.
On Land
Pool. My parents have a pool in their complex which the kids love. We take them there after the beach or sometimes if we need a break from the salt and the sand, we head to the pool. A couple noodles and rafts and the kids are happy as can be.
Dubois Park. This is a really cool place to take the kids. It’s a man made estuary and the water stays really shallow so you don’t need to worry so much about the big waves. There are always tons of kids there, lots of sea life to explore, and a little playground.
Jupiter Lighthouse // You can walk all the way up to the top and see an amazing view. There are also always tours going on with the history of Jupiter.
Loggerhead Marine Life Center // This little turtle aquarium rescues endangered loggerheads and rehabilitates them in little viewing pools with windows so you can look inside. There is a docent at every pool so you get to hear the story about the turtle, it’s cute and the kids love it. If you’re lucky, you might be see a turtle being released! There is also an aquarium inside which houses all the native fish of the area.
Lighthouse Cove Adventure Golf. Little B has recently become obsessed with golf and he loves this mini golf spot. They also have an amazing playground and restaurant, also a full bar.
Shopping
I couldn’t write a Jupiter Florida travel guide without mentioning the shopping! The Palm Beach Gardens Mall is A-MAZING // I’m not a mall person but this one is so luxurious and nice, I love making a trip when I can sneak in an hour or so.
Blueline Surf + Paddle Co. This is a great place to go shopping for a little surfer outfit and also a place to rent paddle and surf boards.
Downtown // There are more shops and some fun little things for kids like a Carousel and an indoor play gym (usually our rainy day activity).
Again, Palm Beach.
Harbourside // This is brand new area that opened up right on the water and it has lots of shops, restaurants, farmers markets, an amphitheater, splash pad, etc…
*We don’t do much shopping because obvi kids, but if you’re into it, ask around once you’re there! I can also put you in touch with some people who know much better than me!
Make It Your Next Vacation Spot!
I think that about does it. Jupiter is like our second home and we really just love going to the beach. Our kids have learned to love the ocean from our frequent trips and we keep it very low key while were there. This trip we were able to go to the beach just about every day, we took the kids to the marine life center, the carousel and indoor kids gym on a cooler day, and when my parents came, we got out for a couple date nights. It’s an awesome family-friendly place to go, and it’s a super easy flight right into West Palm Beach (Jupiter is about 25 north of the airport).
I hope you liked this Jupiter Florida travel guide! To see more travel posts just like this, click here!
