Delray Beach
Delray Beach, Florida is a small town on Florida’s East coast, along the Atlantic Ocean. Located in close proximity to West Palm Beach, Miami, and Boca Raton, it’s a popular tourist destination – especially around spring break.
As much as I love to travel and get the most out of places, I also love to just go on vacation. My family has been going on vacation to Delray Beach, Florida for generations and I have been going for about 10 years now. We stay at a tiny place on the beach, just outside of town. I love to just walk on the beach and take in the ocean.
How to Get to Delray Beach
It’s easily accessible from 3 airports – Miami, West Palm Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. Fort Lauderdale is the closest airport and it’s a bit smaller than the others, so it’s easy to navigate. However, if you are going around spring break, be prepared for long lines at the airport, especially on Saturday mornings. It’s a popular port for many cruises, so oftentimes people are coming back from cruises on Saturday morning, which can make for very large groups coming to the airport all at once. If you’re coming from Columbus, it’s usually the best bet for an easy, direct flight.
The great thing about Delray Beach is that there is always a lot going on – art openings, festivals, new restaurants and great little shops. When I make it off the beach, it’s nice to have such a fun place so close by.
What to do in Delray Beach
- Spend time on the beach – My favorite thing to do in Delray Beach is to just enjoy the beach. There are numerous public beaches located along the A1A – Highway 1 and depending on where you stay, your hotel may even have its own beach. I haven’t spent much time on the public beach because our hotel has its own beach, but from what I have seen, they never seem overly crowded. As you might guess, weekends are the busiest, but there always seems to be enough space even during spring break.
- Stroll Atlantic Avenue – You can walk straight off of the beach to Atlantic Avenue. Some shops and restaurants are more casual, but there are also many nicer places that you’ll want to come back and see when you’re not covered in sunscreen. A couple of my favorites include: C. Oricco and Periwinkle.
- Explore Pineapple Grove/Artists Alley – Delray Beach has a rich creative history. There is a love for art around the town. One of my favorite places to stop and see art is Pineapple Grove and Artist’s Alley. Artist’s Alley is a collection of studios where artists work with their doors open. The first Friday of the month is the official “open studios” night. Jeff Wyman is one of about 30 artists who has a studio there.
- Venture to Wakodahatchee Wetlands – located about 15 minutes inland, you can see lots of birds and even some crocodiles. Be sure to see my post for more details.
- Visit a Museum – South Florida is full of quality museums to enjoy. Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens is located in Delray Beach. In Palm Beach, the Flagler Museum and the Norton Museum of Art offer world-class art exhibitions.
- Spend a rainy day inside at Town Center at Boca Raton – a large, indoor mall with shops for everyone. They offer a nice mix of midlevel and luxury brands like J. Crew, Lilly Pulitzer, Carolina Herrera, Vince, Louis Vuitton, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom.
- Enjoy the shops at Mizner Park – a beautiful, outdoor shopping mall. It’s great for those windy days or when it’s just too hot to be at the beach.
- Find some of the quirky “old Florida” shops – like Brenda’s Birds or a great shell shop.
- Collect shells along the beach – speaking of shells, you can find some keepers. Early morning when the tides are going out or right after a storm are the best times.
- Learn about history – check out the Delray Railway Station, the Delray Beach Historical Society, or drive around to find some of the old banyan trees. You would be surprised how big they actually are!
Where to Eat in Delray Beach
We have always stayed somewhere with a kitchen, so we cook most of our food or buy premade items from Publix or Trader Joe’s. When we do go out, we like to keep it low-key. However, there are many nice, high-end restaurants in Delray Beach. Our low-key favorites include:
Ciao Sidewalk Cafe
1208 E Atlantic Ave
Nature’s Way Cafe
20 W Atlantic Ave
Pizza Rustica
1155 E Atlantic Ave
Renzo’s – see my post here
6900 N Federal Highway
Le Macaron
520 E Atlantic Ave
Sloan’s Ice Cream
111 E Atlantic Ave
Spot Coffee
44 E Atlantic Ave
For more ideas visit: Downtown Delray Beach & Visit Delray Beach
Have you been to Delray Beach? Any recommendations? Add your comment below!
Last Updated August 2016
