Like a small-town Key Largo, on the mainland
Jupiter: 48-Hour Escape from Miami Beach
A red lighthouse, the best sandbars in South Florida, and the spring training home of the Cardinals and Marlins.
Jupiter: A red lighthouse, the best sandbars in South Florida, and the spring training home of the Cardinals and Marlins.
At a glance
Jupiter, Florida is a 1 hr 30 min drive from Miami Beach, best visited November-April. Like a small-town Key Largo, on the mainland. Top things to do: Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Blowing Rocks Preserve, Loxahatchee River kayak. Where to eat: Guanabanas, Food Shack, Jetty's Waterfront. Stay at Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa or Jupiter Waterfront Inn.
58
of 100
Escape score
Best paired with a second town
A good day and a half, with an evening to spare.
- Drive
- 1 hr 30 min from Miami Beach
- Best window
- November-April
- Typical stay
- ~$253/night
Escape score: what there is to do and eat (40%), typical weekend lodging cost (30%), drive time (25%), rounding (5%). Computed from our own guide data, never from paid placement.
Why here
Jupiter is a town of 60,000 on the Loxahatchee River and the Atlantic, 90 minutes north of Miami. The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, built in 1860 and painted fire-engine red, is the most photographed lighthouse in Florida. The town is the spring training home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Miami Marlins. The Loxahatchee River is one of only two federally-designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in Florida, and the sandbars at low tide are a local ritual, boats anchor in 2 feet of water and picnic.
Jupiter is the closest true small-town escape north of Miami, and it earns it with geography. The Loxahatchee, one of only two federally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in Florida, flows through cypress swamp to the inlet, and the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, 1860, anchors a historic district that includes the DuBois Pioneer home and the reef-line of Blowing Rocks Preserve. Spring training, February and March, brings the Cardinals and Marlins, and the town books up months ahead. The sandbars at low tide, where boats anchor in ankle-deep water to picnic, are the local ritual.
A weekend in Jupiter is a water-and-lighthouse weekend. Climb the 108 steps of the lighthouse, kayak the Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee, walk Blowing Rocks Preserve where waves blow through limestone up to 50 feet in the air, and watch the sunset from a tiki bar on the Intracoastal. Come November through April for the best weather. Two nights lets you add Juno Beach, 10 minutes south, for the pier and the turtle nesting beach.
The plan
48 hours in Jupiter
Same town, two different weekends. Pick the arrival that matches your Friday.
Friday, on arrival
Check inJupiter Beach Resort & Spa
From ~$300/night
Oceanfront resort. 168 rooms, a great restaurant, and 1,000 feet of private beach. The only luxury oceanfront stay in Jupiter.
Leave Miami Beach after work: the 1 hr 30 min drive lands you here in the evening.
Friday night
Dinner, then the main streetGuanabanas
Tiki bar on the Intracoastal, under a thatched roof. The coconut shrimp, the fish tacos, and the tropical cocktails are the moves. Dock your boat or d...
Eat first and walk it off after. Most small-town kitchens stop seating by 9.
Saturday morning
First stopJupiter Inlet Lighthouse
$20. 108 steps to the top of a 105-foot 1860 lighthouse. The view spans the inlet, the ocean, and the Intracoastal. 45-minute tour. Closed Monday. Res...
Saturday midday
LunchFood Shack
New American in a converted house. The miso-glazed fish, the chopped salad, and the seasonal specials are the orders. No reservations, expect a line.
Saturday afternoon
Second stopBlowing Rocks Preserve
Free. 73 acres of limestone Anastasia formations, the largest on Florida's east coast. At high tide, waves blow through the cracks up to 50 feet. 1 mi...
Saturday night
DinnerJetty's Waterfront
On the inlet. The local grouper, the oysters, and the sunset view are the moves. Walk-in friendly, the deck is the spot.
Sunday morning
Last stop, then homeLoxahatchee River kayak
$40 rental. Paddle the Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee, cypress trees, otters, and a 1880s trapper's cabin. Jupiter Outdoor Center rents boats and runs sh...
1 hr 30 min back to Miami Beach still leaves you the afternoon.
Timings are a suggestion, not a schedule. Shift the whole plan by how late you leave.
The Basecamp
Where to stay in Jupiter
Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa
Oceanfront resort. 168 rooms, a great restaurant, and 1,000 feet of private beach. The only luxury oceanfront stay in Jupiter.
Jupiter Waterfront Inn
Boutique inn on the Intracoastal. 30 rooms, balconies with a water view, and loaner kayaks. Walk to dining and the marina.
The Inn at Harbourside Place
A boutique hotel at the Harbourside dining-and-shopping district, walkable to the riverfront and a short drive to the beach.
What to do
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
$20. 108 steps to the top of a 105-foot 1860 lighthouse. The view spans the inlet, the ocean, and the Intracoastal. 45-minute tour. Closed Monday. Reserve ahead.
Learn more ↗
Blowing Rocks Preserve
Free. 73 acres of limestone Anastasia formations, the largest on Florida's east coast. At high tide, waves blow through the cracks up to 50 feet. 1 mile trail.
Learn more ↗Loxahatchee River kayak
$40 rental. Paddle the Wild and Scenic Loxahatchee, cypress trees, otters, and a 1880s trapper's cabin. Jupiter Outdoor Center rents boats and runs shuttles.
Learn more ↗Pack for Jupiter
Beach & coast kit
Curated for sand, surf, and slow tide-pool afternoons in Jupiter.
Portable beach umbrella
Real shade that survives a Gulf breeze.
See price on Amazon →Low-sand beach chairs
The four-leg kind that do not slowly sink out from under you.
See price on Amazon →Waterproof dry bag
Keeps phones and keys dry from the car to the sand and back.
See price on Amazon →Reef-safe sunscreen
Mineral-based, reef-friendly, and reef-town appropriate.
See price on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate, book2escape earns from qualifying purchases.
Where to eat
Guanabanas
Tiki bar on the Intracoastal, under a thatched roof. The coconut shrimp, the fish tacos, and the tropical cocktails are the moves. Dock your boat or drive.
Food Shack
New American in a converted house. The miso-glazed fish, the chopped salad, and the seasonal specials are the orders. No reservations, expect a line.
Jetty's Waterfront
On the inlet. The local grouper, the oysters, and the sunset view are the moves. Walk-in friendly, the deck is the spot.
Most reviewed on Yelp
The most-reviewed restaurants in Jupiter. A solid indicator of where locals actually eat.
1000 NORTH
American
Duffy's Sports Grill
Sports Bars
Miller's Ale House
Sports Bars, American
Review counts and ratings are curated from Yelp and may change over time.
Go even deeper
Side trips near Jupiter
Once you've settled into Jupiter, these nearby towns are close enough to fold into the same weekend without moving your basecamp.
10 min from Jupiter
Juno Beach
10 minutes south, the loggerhead turtle nesting beach and the Juno Beach Pier, a quieter sand stretch than Jupiter proper.
5 min from Jupiter
Tequesta
5 minutes north across the Loxahatchee, the small village with the riverfront Jonathan Dickinson State Park entrance and a walkable corridor of shops.
Getting there
Drive logistics
From Miami, take I-95 North to Exit 87. ~90 miles, about 90 minutes. I-95 can crawl on Friday afternoons, leave by 2pm. Spring training (Feb-March) books up hotels 3+ months ahead.
Drive time
1 hr 30 min
Best time
November-April
Questions & Answers
Jupiter weekend FAQ
Jupiter is about 90 miles north of Miami, roughly 90 minutes via I-95 North.
A 105-foot lighthouse built in 1860, painted red, the most photographed lighthouse in Florida. 108 steps to the top, 45-minute tour, reserve ahead.
October through December is the best stretch of the year. The first cool fronts arrive, the sandbars are still warm enough for a low-tide afternoon, and rates sit below spring-training and midwinter prices.
Yes. Sunset at the Guanabanas tiki bar, dinner at Jetty's on the inlet, and a stay at the Jupiter Beach Resort or the Inn at Harbourside Place make it one of the easiest couples' escapes from Miami.
Yes. At 1.5 hours, Jupiter is the closest true small-town escape north of Miami, with a lighthouse, the Loxahatchee River, and a restored inlet village, all in an easy 2-night trip.
Juno Beach Park and the Juno Beach Pier, 10 minutes south, for a wide sand stretch and pier fishing. Jupiter Beach Park at the inlet is calmer and good for families.
The Dispatch
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