Small town, BIG fun
AT FLORIDA’S DELRAY BEACH, THERE’ S SO MUCH TO SOAK IN
It's the shoreline that first draws you to Florida's Delray Beach. Sparkling white sand. Deep blue (warm!) Atlantic waters that are so clear, you can snorkel right off the beach. A laid-back vibe that stretches down every mile, and more than enough room to let even busy days feel serene. It's a beach worth heading to.
But that fantastic beach is just the icing on the cake. Beyond it, you'll find neighborhoods filled with cultural, culinary, shopping and shoreline activities. There's live music and theater, art and architecture. A visit to Delray Beach is a chance to do it all, and in a relaxed and beautiful locale.
There's a reason Delray Beach was named the Most Fun Small Town in America by Rand McNally. Just 30 minutes from Palm Beach airport and 45 minutes from Fort Lauderdale airport, all that fun is easily accessible.
Let's start with the neighborhoods. Of course Atlantic Avenue — the longest Main Street in South Florida, deserves first mention. By day it is all about boutiques and galleries, and the shopping and browsing experiences unique to that
street. It's not unusual to find the artist or clothing designer on hand in many shops. At night, you'll find dining and entertainment galore, and nary a chain restaurant in sight. Delray, and Atlantic Avenue, is all about one-of-a-kind dining — chefs who may have spread their wings to train, but came back to create their own trademark offerings.
Although seafood is an obvious choice (you can dig into incredible locally sourced fare at spots such as Mussel Beach and City Oyster, to name just two), there's a global vibe that takes locally sourced items and weaves them into creative worldwide cuisine. Asian, Italian, Latin and more, it can all be found on Atlantic Avenue.
Want to learn and sample it all? Culinary tours are popular now. For a Delray tour, check out savor ourcity.com and craft foodtours.com.
While Atlantic Avenue
may be the best known, there are other neighborhoods to experience. Pineapple Grove, perhaps the second-best-known neighborhood, is a vibrant art district worth spending a good amount of time in. The Set, in the western part of the city, is the newest district, where diversity marries innovation and visitors can find food, art and more. The Set is also home to three great museums, as well as the famed Delray Beach Tennis Center, host to more than a few Davis Cups and Fed Cups.
To explore a different “waterfront” in Delray Beach, a tour aboard the Delray Yacht Cruises (delray beachcruises.com/index.php) will take you along the Intracoastal Waterway and bring you up close to some of the most breathtaking homes in the area.
The live music scene in Delray Beach is not only alive, but also growing. From free concerts at the Pavilion to concerts at the Delray Center for the Arts to live music in bars and restaurants all over (Boston’s on the Beach is a favorite), you can find the music you love or sample other styles. The musical variety mirrors the culinary offerings in their diversity. Combine that with the theater scene, and many say the lineup and quality match that of New York City.
Delray Beach has an awesome breadth of accommodation choices as well. From good basic hotel options to special spots with a tinge of history, such as the John and Elizabeth Shaw Sundy House (sundyhouse.com), where you can stay in a historical building and dine at a top restaurant, to spots like the Delray Sands and the Marriott, there’s something for everyone. There are tiki-hut-type picks as well as posh spots, such as the Seagate Hotel & Spa (theseagatehotel.com), a top choice for celebrities.
Of course, everything echoes back to that beach. You can ride bikes along the waterfront; enjoy all kinds of water sports, from Jet Skis to paddleboards, sailboats and more; and just soak in the beauty of that beach.
White sand. Warm, blue, clear ocean water. Worldclass cuisine. Shopping that’s as unique as the destination itself. Theater, music and history. Delray Beach has it all, just beyond its perfect sandy shore.