Highland Beach, Florida, is a Palm Beach County town on the Jupiter-to-Key West coast. This guide covers 12 beaches, parks and attractions, 12 places to eat and 12 upcoming events, kept current from official sources. Top picks: Downtown Delray Restaurant Month and Labor Day Live Music at The Cove. 3 of the activities are free. Nearest towns: Boca Raton (3.0 mi) and Delray Beach (4.3 mi).

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

Highland Beach is three miles of oceanfront homes and condos between Delray and Boca with almost no commercial strip, which makes it the quietest stretch of A1A in the county. Come for the beach access points and the bike ride, then eat in Delray.

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

Beaches & Parks in Highland 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. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Gumbo Limbo Nature Center & Red Reef Park (Boca Raton) — Sea turtle rehab tanks and hammock boardwalk; park free at Gumbo Limbo and walk across A1A to snorkel Red Reef. Price: Donation · Dogs: no. (in nearby Boca Raton, 3.0 mi)
  • Quiet Waters Park (Deerfield Beach) — 430 acres, paved loop, MTB trails, Ski Rixen cable park, Woofing Waters dog park. Price: $1.50 weekends · Dogs: yes. (in nearby Deerfield Beach, 6.0 mi)
  • 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. (in nearby Boca Raton, 3.0 mi)
  • Red Reef Park (Boca Raton) — Artificial reef 20–50 yd out in 2–12 ft — the easiest beginner snorkel. Park free at Gumbo Limbo. Dogs: no. (in nearby Boca Raton, 3.0 mi)
  • Boca Inlet & Deerfield Pier (Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach) — Deerfield is the Broward standard and where the free lessons happen. (in nearby Boca Raton, 3.0 mi)
  • Surf lessons (Deerfield Beach and others) — Island Water Sports runs FREE group lessons every Saturday 7–9 am at Deerfield Pier (register online, gear included). Also Ocean Magic and Blueline (Jupiter), EZride and Living Water (Broward), South Beach Surf Lessons (Miami). Price: Private ~$75–120. (in nearby Deerfield Beach, 6.0 mi)
  • Surf forecasts (Online) — Fall is the season: Sept–Oct tropical systems send groundswell; November's first cold fronts bring 2–4 days of NE windswell each. Surfline cams at Juno Pier, Reef Road, Deerfield and South Beach; NOAA buoy 41114 (Fort Pierce) for incoming swell; the National Hurricane Center for swell-producing storms. (in nearby Deerfield Beach, 6.0 mi)

Attractions & Activities in Highland Beach

  • Cable wake parks (Deerfield / Hialeah / WPB) — Ski Rixen (Quiet Waters Park, Deerfield — the original US cable park, Wibit aqua park), Miami Watersports Complex (Amelia Earhart Park), Shark Wake Park (Okeeheelee, WPB). Price: $50–60/2 hr. (in nearby Deerfield Beach, 6.0 mi)
  • Fishing — mullet run and sailfish season (Jupiter to Miami) — Sept–Oct mullet run: snook, tarpon and sharks blitzing bait off every pier and inlet (Anglin's, Juno, Deerfield, Pompano, Dania piers, $5–7; Juno Pier allows leashed dogs). November: sailfish season opens with the first fronts — Jupiter/Palm Beach is 'Sailfish Alley.' Drift boats (Sailfish Marina, Lady Pamela II, Kelley/Reward Fleet); private half-day ~$700–1,000. Price: Drift boats ~$60–80/person. (in nearby Deerfield Beach, 6.0 mi)
  • Delray Yacht Cruises (Delray Beach) — 2-hr Intracoastal sightseeing and sunset cruises. Price: ~$35–45. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens (Delray Beach) — 16 acres of gardens, Cornell Café, Saturday tea ceremonies; Lantern Festival mid-Oct. Price: $18 · Dogs: no. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)

Free things to do in Highland 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. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Red Reef Park — Artificial reef 20–50 yd out in 2–12 ft — the easiest beginner snorkel. (in nearby Boca Raton, 3.0 mi)
  • Boca Inlet & Deerfield Pier — Deerfield is the Broward standard and where the free lessons happen. (in nearby Boca Raton, 3.0 mi)

Where to eat in Highland Beach

Waterfront

  • Deck 84 (Delray Beach) — Intracoastal patio. Sunday brunch watching the bridge open. $$ · dog-friendly patio. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Waterstone (Boca Landing) (Boca Raton) — Resort deck. Sunset over Lake Boca. $$$. (in nearby Boca Raton, 3.0 mi)
  • Boston's on the Beach (Delray Beach) — Oceanfront bar. On the guide's dog-friendly waterfront list. $$ · dog-friendly patio. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)

Casual & Family

  • Dada (Delray Beach) — Eclectic in a 1924 house, backyard tables, live music. $$. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • El Camino (Delray Beach) — Tequila tacos on Atlantic. $$. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Death or Glory (Delray Beach) — Historic-house cocktail bar with food better than it needs to be. $$. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • The Grove (Delray Beach) — Intimate chef-driven. $$$. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Brulé Bistro (Pineapple Grove, Delray Beach) — Bistro. $$$. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Rocco's Tacos (Delray Beach) — Tableside guac. $$. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)

Bars & Nightlife

  • Rosewater Rooftop (The Ray, Delray Beach) — Global small plates, pool scene. $$$. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Elevate Skye Bar (Opal Grand, Delray) — Ceviche and tacos over the ocean. $$. (in nearby Delray Beach, 4.3 mi)
  • Second Story (The Boca Raton) — Sophisticated lounge and tapas — the Boca rooftop. $$$. (in nearby Boca Raton, 3.0 mi)

What's on in Highland Beach

The next 10 events on the Highland 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.
  • Labor Day Live Music at The Cove — Mon, Sep 7 · The Cove · Concerts & Live Music. Enjoy live music over Labor Day weekend at The Cove. Price: Free
  • 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.
  • Wildflower in Bloom: Bootcamp — Wed, Sep 9, 10:00 AM · Wildflower Park · Community. Join our bootcamp to stay fit and enjoy the outdoors. Price: Free
  • 3D Printing A-CAD-emy — Thu, Sep 10, 5:45 PM · Children's Science Explorium · Community. A hands-on workshop introducing kids to 3D printing. Price: Free
  • 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.
  • Bright & Smart Robotics: Tiny Innovators (Parent & Me) — Fri, Sep 11, 12:15 PM · Sugar Sand Park Community Center · Community. Engaging science and technology class for toddlers. Price: Free
  • 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.
  • FAU Owls football vs Navy — Sat, Sep 12 · FAU Stadium · Sports. 7:30 pm Cheap, easy, 30 min away.
  • Family Gardening - The Garden as an Ecosystem — Sat, Sep 12, 11:00 AM · Children's Science Explorium · Community. Explore gardening's role in our ecosystem. Price: Free

See the full list, refreshed daily: Highland Beach.

Getting there and planning your day

Highland Beach sits at 26.399, -80.066 in Palm Beach County. Parking rules, beach access and permits are on the Town of Highland Beach 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 John D. MacArthur Beach State Park 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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