Delray Beach, Florida, is a Palm Beach County town on the Jupiter-to-Key West coast. This guide covers 13 beaches, parks and attractions, 12 places to eat and 13 upcoming events, kept current from official sources. Top picks: Wakodahatchee & Green Cay Wetlands, Off-beach dog swims and Deck 84. One of the activities is free. Nearest towns: Highland Beach (4.3 mi) and Boynton Beach (4.4 mi).

Last updated September 7, 2026. Events refresh daily; places are hand-picked and re-checked monthly.

Delray Beach runs Atlantic Avenue straight from the train tracks to the sand, and the whole mile is restaurants, bars and galleries that stay busy every night of the week. Add a Blue Wave beach, the Morikami Japanese gardens and a Saturday GreenMarket and you have the most walkable town on this coast.

For the live version of everything below, open the Delray Beach page: things to do · events · where to eat.

Beaches & Parks in Delray Beach

  • Wakodahatchee & Green Cay Wetlands (Delray Beach / Boynton Beach) — Elevated boardwalks over wetlands — the region's best easy birding, excellent at fall migration. Price: Free · Dogs: no.
  • Off-beach dog swims (Various) — Snyder Park dog lake (FTL), Canine Cove at South County Regional Park (West Boca), Lake Ida Dog Park (Delray), Amelia Earhart Bark Park dog pools (Hialeah), Perrine Wayside (Palmetto Bay). Dogs: yes.
  • Dog parks with water (Various) — Snyder Park dog lake (FTL), Canine Cove (West Boca), Lake Ida (Delray), Amelia Earhart Bark Park pools (Hialeah). Dogs: yes.
  • Fall dog events (Various) — Fairchild Dog Dates (monthly), Riverwalk 'Mutts & Martinis' / Hound Halloween (Oct), LOOP Pooch Parade, Delray Howl-O-Ween (late Oct), Wynwood Halloween dog costume contest, Humane Society of Broward Walk for the Animals (typically Nov). Check goriverwalk.com, bringfido.com/event and Eventbrite as dates post. Dogs: yes.
  • Dog-friendly weekend-away hotels (Various) — Kimpton Shorebreak & Goodland (FTL; no fee, no size limit), The Ben and Canopy (WPB), Brazilian Court (Palm Beach), The Seagate and The Ray (Delray), Hard Rock Guitar Hotel and Margaritaville (Hollywood), Kimpton EPIC / Surfcomber and 1 Hotel (Miami Beach), Biltmore (Coral Gables), Mayfair House (Coconut Grove). Dogs: yes.

Attractions & Activities in Delray Beach

  • Delray Yacht Cruises (Delray Beach) — 2-hr Intracoastal sightseeing and sunset cruises. Price: ~$35–45.
  • Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens (Delray Beach) — 16 acres of gardens, Cornell Café, Saturday tea ceremonies; Lantern Festival mid-Oct. Price: $18 · Dogs: no.
  • Cultural tours (Miami / FTL / Delray / Boca / WPB) — MDPL Art Deco walking tour (daily 10:30 am, ~$35), HistoryMiami walking/boat tours (Little Havana, MiMo, cemeteries; $30–60), Miami Culinary Tours (Little Havana, Wynwood; $65–90), Craft Food Tours (FTL, Delray, Boca, WPB; ~$65–75), Wynwood golf-cart graffiti tours (~$35–50, often dog-friendly).

Shopping & Markets in Delray Beach

  • Delray Beach GreenMarket (Old School Square) — Saturdays 9–2, opens Oct (TBC). Then stroll Atlantic Ave Outdoors and dog-friendly on a leash unless noted. Dogs: leashed.
  • Farmers market season note (Region-wide) — Nearly all markets are outdoors and dog-friendly on a leash. Several pause for summer and reopen in October (WPB GreenMarket Oct 3, Delray GreenMarket TBC, Lincoln Road Antique Market 2nd & 4th Sundays from Oct).
  • Atlantic Avenue & Pineapple Grove (Delray Beach) — Boutiques, galleries, the best strolling main street in the region. Dogs: yes (patios).

At Night in Delray Beach

  • Thrills and rainy-day options (Various) — Helicopter tours from FTL Executive ($150–350), hot-air balloons over Wellington ($250–300, season resumes Oct–Nov), Skydive Miami, iFLY Davie, Xtreme Action Park & K1 Speed (FTL), Topgolf, PopStroke Delray (dog-friendly outdoors), escape rooms, axe throwing, Publix Aprons and Sur La Table cooking classes, salsa lessons at Ball & Chain or Salsa Craze (FTL).
  • Cinema (Various) — Savor Cinema / Cinema Paradiso (FLIFF — Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival typically Nov), O Cinema South Beach, Coral Gables Art Cinema, iPic Boca/Delray dine-in, Swap Shop drive-in.

Free things to do in Delray Beach

Nothing here charges admission (parking may).

  • Wakodahatchee & Green Cay Wetlands — Elevated boardwalks over wetlands — the region's best easy birding, excellent at fall migration.

Where to eat in Delray Beach

Waterfront

  • Deck 84 (Delray Beach) — Intracoastal patio. Sunday brunch watching the bridge open. $$ · dog-friendly patio.
  • Boston's on the Beach (Delray Beach) — Oceanfront bar. On the guide's dog-friendly waterfront list. $$ · dog-friendly patio.

Casual & Family

  • Dada (Delray Beach) — Eclectic in a 1924 house, backyard tables, live music. $$.
  • El Camino (Delray Beach) — Tequila tacos on Atlantic. $$.
  • Death or Glory (Delray Beach) — Historic-house cocktail bar with food better than it needs to be. $$.
  • The Grove (Delray Beach) — Intimate chef-driven. $$$.
  • Brulé Bistro (Pineapple Grove, Delray Beach) — Bistro. $$$.
  • Rocco's Tacos (Delray Beach) — Tableside guac. $$.
  • Salt7 (Delray Beach) — Steak and scene. $$$$.

Bars & Nightlife

  • Rosewater Rooftop (The Ray, Delray Beach) — Global small plates, pool scene. $$$.
  • Elevate Skye Bar (Opal Grand, Delray) — Ceviche and tacos over the ocean. $$.
  • Saltwater Brewery (Delray Beach) — Brewery. Large outdoor space; adoption days. $ · dog-friendly patio.

What's on in Delray Beach

The next 10 events on the Delray Beach calendar (dates are America/New_York; confirm with the organizer before you go):

  • Downtown Delray Restaurant Month — Tue, Sep 1 – Wed, Sep 30 · Downtown Delray Beach · Festivals & Markets. Enjoy a month-long celebration of delicious dining options in Downtown Delray Beach.
  • Threads of Silver & Gold — Tue, Sep 8 – Sun, Sep 13, 10:00 AM · Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens · Festivals & Markets. Experience the beauty of Threads of Silver & Gold.
  • The Rumbletones Roots of Rock N Roll — Fri, Sep 11, 8:00 PM · Arts Garage · Concerts & Live Music. Enjoy a live performance from The Rumbletones, celebrating rock n roll.
  • Umoja McNeish – Violins reimagined: A night of music that pulls the soul — Sat, Sep 12, 8:00 PM · Arts Garage · Concerts & Live Music. Experience a soul-stirring performance by Umoja McNeish.
  • Family Fun Day: Dragonfly Clip — Sat, Sep 12, 12:00 PM · Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens · Community. An exciting day of fun activities for the whole family.
  • Morikami Lantern Festival — Sat, Oct 17 (~Oct 17 (TBC)) · Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens · Festivals & Markets. Mid-Oct, 3–8 pm; ~$20. Sells out in advance — watch morikami.org in early October. No dogs.
  • Delray Howl-O-Ween dog costume event — Sat, Oct 24 · Festivals & Markets. Late October; check bringfido.com/event as dates post.
  • Trick-or-Treating on the Avenue — Sat, Oct 24, 11:00 AM · Community. Enjoy trick-or-treating along the Avenue with local businesses.
  • Delray Beach Turkey Trot 5K (40th annual) — Sat, Nov 21 · Anchor Park, A1A oceanfront · Races & Runs. 5K 40th-anniversary shirt and medal.
  • Shop Small: Holiday Rewards Pass — Sun, Nov 29 – Thu, Dec 31 · Downtown Delray Beach · Festivals & Markets. Support local businesses during the holiday season with special rewards.

See the full list, refreshed daily: Delray Beach.

Getting there and planning your day

Delray Beach sits at 26.462, -80.073 in Palm Beach County. Parking rules, beach access and permits are on the Downtown Delray Beach (DDA) events & guide site; the Discover The Palm Beaches (official tourism board) calendar lists county-wide festivals; check the National Weather Service Miami – South Florida forecast before a beach or boat day (summer storms build after 2 pm); snorkelers and anglers should read the NOAA tides: Lake Worth Pier; Brightline (West Palm Beach–Boca–Fort Lauderdale–Aventura–Miami) is the car-free way in; the official Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge page has hours and entry fees.

Nearby towns

Each has its own page in this guide:

Official sources and further reading

We link to primary sources so you can verify hours, fees and dates:

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