The Best Things To Do On Peanut Island

Floating right off Florida’s Palm Beach coast, the delightfully named Peanut Island feels deliciously far-removed from the luxury mansions and glitzy clubs framing nearby meccas Palm Beach and West Palm Beach onshore. This surprising 80-acre island paradise sits directly reachable for visitors craving secluded beaches, abundant adventures, and fascinating backstories history lovers especially appreciate without venturing far.

How To Spend a Day at Peanut Island, Florida

Peanut Island supplies almost endless escapades, distilling iconic Florida treasures into a single idyllic refuge. Drift through swathes of swaying seagrass as manatees placidly graze nearby before scrambling up one of the last intact World War II bunkers, tracing the island’s strategic role in safeguarding vital shipping interests during fiery battles past.

Thanks to pedestrian bridge access links constructed in 2005, this low-lying coastal gem places you right at the pulse point of nature’s resilient glory, reclaiming previous military outposts transformed today into unspoiled beaches and dunes fanning across the interior. What better way to spend lazy afternoons than kayaking the perimeter, waving at mammoth cruise ships steaming past along the Intracoastal Waterway?

Things To Do On Peanut Island

This unassuming spot, sized just one-third the span of New York City’s Central Park, crams options galore, keeping families captivated for hours. Dedicate at least one full vacation day for the following activities:

Peanut Island Snorkeling Lagoon

Snorkelers rejoice in the gin-clear shallows cradling Peanut Island, supplying tranquil launch points to discover Southern stingrays silently patrolling the sandy bottomlands on the prowl for crustacean morsels. Paddling atop paddleboards grants viewing the full panorama of vivid species taking shelter within its protective perimeter, like pufferfish, juvenile sea turtles, and huge tarpon streaming around the mangroves framing the northern tip.

Kayaking and Paddleboarding To and Around the Island

Why not explore everything surrounding Peanut Island’s teardrop layout under your own power for panoramic perspectives unique to marine touring? Outfitters like Kayak Lake Worth deliver rentals, and transportation directing towards fruitful bends or simply peddle lazy circles soaking in glass tower skylines etched along the Palm Beach horizon like a mirage offshore.

Relaxing on Peanut Island

Sometimes doing absolutely nothing tops the priority list after weeks of daily grinding back on land. Choosing from the island’s three named beaches rolling out generous real estate to stake out the ultimate sunshine lounging and wave-watching perch proves the height of productivity here. Build masterpiece sandcastles equipped with moats and flying buttresses, or simply crack open that novel year overdue for a first read.

Camping on Peanut Island

One gem may surprise first-time visitors – a fully equipped campground welcomes overnighting underneath the stars, reveling in island isolation after day crowds depart. Few palm tree-studded sites along Florida’s dense coast feel farther removed from muggy mainland heat and humidity or more conducive kicking back watching pelicans dive bombing for dinner at dusk. Just secure permits beforehand since 12 popular spots book out quickly.

Wildlife and Nature on Peanut Island

Ibis strut proudly along the undeveloped southern flats slurping tiny crabs sprinkled across mud mingled with mangrove propagules newly planted to bolster protective island buffers. Playful dolphins show rocketing skyward beyond swelling waves as gumbo limbo trees shade sandy pathways, linking the dots between beach combing, snorkeling, and view-rich meanderings, revealing 60 years of evolving island ecosystems.

Where is Peanut Island?

Unfolding due east from Palm Beach proper, Peanut Island occupies 80 acres as the crown jewel of the county’s conservation holdings, given its ecological riches sustaining endangered loggerheads alongside game fish galore.

Locals recognize the island’s clearly visible silhouette centered directly along the Intracoastal Waterway channel paralleling mainland shores. Thanks to decades of protecting American sovereignty, stone sentries still stand, marking its historical chapters.

The island also sits just over half a mile offshore from Mar-a-Lago, the famed Palm Beach estate built by cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1927, now a private club that occasionally hosts global dignitaries like presidents seeking Florida sunshine when northern states turn bitterly cold and bleak.

Peanut Island Day Trip Itinerary

Trying to check everything off in a single visit proves ambitious, but attacking what tops your personal must-do lists makes time fly, launching non-stop enjoyment:

Morning

Catch early ferries disembarking from Riviera Beach Marina to conquer snorkeling when conditions shine best, beckoning rays and congregation black snappers.

Pack picnic provisions before transferring through island gates to select ideal home bases along sandy strands with shade trees overlooking gentle surf (no grocery stores exist onsite). Remember, carrying reusable water bottles cuts plastic pollution, protecting local marine residents!

Mid-Day

Wade into bathwater shallows from tranquil Palm Beach Inlet Cove, observing tiny crabs scuttle before motoring out kayaks underneath first-time paddlers. Watch massive cruise ships and private yachts glide past light hours effortlessly as luxury towers shimmer through heat haze backdropped onto Palm Beach.

Afternoon

Claim cool bunkers once defending US Shipping Channel access sketching or journal watching busy maritime traffic. Hit the perimeter trail looping 1.5 miles to survey mangrove inlets, picnic grounds, and remnants of bygone military days during WW2.

Stay late for dreamy sunsets from secret rocky perches along the Atlantic side with skylines alight. Listen to wave music syncopate against gentle gusts through seagrape leaves and palms as the day’s first stars make cameo appearances saying farewell to the coast.

What to do on Peanut Island

With kayaking adventures across its sheltered blue waters, secluded beaches shaded by palm trees, fascinating wartime history, and abundant wildlife, Peanut Island offers visitors a perfect Florida island escape right at Palm Beach’s doorstep.

Access is a breeze,  thanks to convenient Peanut Island shuttle boats and water taxis whisking passengers the short hop across the Lake Worth Inlet from Singer Island and Riviera Beach Marinas.

Once on the west side of the island, strolling 1.5 miles of paved pathways allows taking in the park’s highlights spanning both scenic sides. Have a picnic table set overlooking the serene blue waters before heading out to snorkel or paddle board.

Then, catch the last afternoon water taxi ride back to the west side marina to continue exploring glamorous Palm Beach itself – the perfect pairing of natural and luxurious right at your fingertips!

How do you spend the day on Peanut Island?

The best way to enjoy a day on Peanut Island is by snorkeling its clear waters to spot rays and fish, kayaking or paddleboarding the perimeter coves, picnicking on the beaches, exploring WW2 bunkers, visiting the Peanut Island park, and hiking the island nature trail before capping it off, watching serene sunsets over the inlet waters.

Is it worth it to go to Peanut Island?

Absolutely – easy ferry access transports you to pristine island beaches feeling worlds apart from crowded mainland shores but only minutes away. Relax, swim, snorkel, kayak, take a boat ride. Soak up history and immerse in nature just off Palm Beach but without hordes of tourists.

Do they sell food on Peanut Island?

No, Peanut Island does not sell food or drinks, so be sure to pack plenty of snacks, meals, and extra water to last the whole day until ferries resume late afternoon returns to the Riviera Beach Marina. Grills let you cook, and there is potable drinking water available.

How long is the walk around Peanut Island?

It takes roughly 45 minutes to one hour to follow the smooth 1.5-mile paved pedestrian path looping around Peanut Island with sporadic beach access trails leading over to scenic coves and the campground along its wooded interior regions.