Swim with Dolphins Near West Palm Beach

Are you planning a much-needed South Florida vacation and looking for an unforgettable activity? If you are searching for swimming with dolphins near Fort Lauderdale or wondering where you can swim with dolphins near West Palm Beach, you have several excellent choices within driving distance.

Located along Florida’s Atlantic Coast, West Palm Beach offers visitors a wonderful combination of beautiful beaches, waterfront scenery, shopping, dining, entertainment, and family-friendly attractions. You can spend the morning relaxing on the sand, exploring the Intracoastal Waterway, or enjoying some of the area’s shops and restaurants.

West Palm Beach also has plenty to do away from the beach. Visitors can enjoy cultural attractions, live entertainment, museums, nightlife, Palm Beach Outlets, and activities for families traveling with children.

When you are ready to add something truly special to your Florida vacation, you can make a day trip to enjoy an interactive dolphin experience. While there is not currently a full dolphin swim program directly in West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale, you have great choices both south toward the Upper Florida Keys and north toward Orlando.

From West Palm Beach, you can choose from three main dolphin destinations: Key Largo, Islamorada, or Orlando. Each offers a different experience, so the best choice depends on how far you want to travel, the type of dolphin interaction you want, and what else you would like to include in your Florida adventure.

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3 Choices to Swim With Dolphins From West Palm Beach

If you are staying in West Palm Beach and want to add a dolphin experience to your vacation, you have three strong options. You can travel south toward the Upper Florida Keys or head north toward Orlando. Each choice offers a different type of day trip and dolphin experience.

Choice 1: Key Largo Dolphin Experience

Key Largo is one of the closest Florida Keys options for visitors traveling south from West Palm Beach. The drive takes you through Fort Lauderdale and Miami before entering the Upper Florida Keys.

This can be a great choice for families who want a more focused dolphin experience without driving farther into the Keys. Key Largo Dolphin Swim also gives you the opportunity to enjoy the island atmosphere, waterfront restaurants, and other Florida Keys activities before heading back to West Palm Beach.

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Choice 2: Islamorada Dolphin Swim

Continue a little farther south and you will reach Islamorada, one of the most popular destinations in the Upper Florida Keys dolphin swim experiences. This option works well for families who want to turn their dolphin program into a larger Florida Keys day trip.

In addition to your dolphin interaction, you can enjoy the relaxed island atmosphere, beautiful water views, restaurants, shops, and other marine-life attractions in the area. For many visitors searching for swimming with dolphins near Fort Lauderdale or West Palm Beach, Islamorada is worth the extra drive because it offers both a dolphin experience and a true Florida Keys vacation day.

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Choice 3: Orlando Dolphin Swim

Your third option is to travel north from West Palm Beach toward Orlando. This is a completely different type of trip and can be especially attractive if you are already planning to visit Central Florida.

Orlando dolphin swim experiences that can be combined with theme parks, resorts, restaurants, and other family attractions. Because Orlando seems much farther away, many families choose to make it an overnight trip or include the dolphin experience as part of a larger Orlando vacation. But the Orlando Dolphin program, you can definitely make it a day trip too!

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Whether you choose Key Largo, Islamorada, or Orlando, each destination gives you the chance to make swimming with dolphins one of the most memorable parts of your Florida vacation.

The best choice depends on your schedule, how far you want to drive, the ages of your family members, and whether you want a Florida Keys road trip or a Central Florida adventure.

Transportation Options for the Swim with Dolphins near West Palm Beach

Driving From West Palm Beach to Your Dolphin Experience

To reach any of these three dolphin locations from West Palm Beach, you will need a car. You can use your own vehicle or rent a car for the day. It is also a good idea to have a SunPass or confirm that your rental car includes a toll-payment option before you begin your trip.

Driving North or South Is Easy From West Palm Beach

Getting to Orlando, Key Largo, or Islamorada is relatively easy from West Palm Beach. In most cases, you simply connect with the Florida’s Turnpike and begin heading north or south toward your destination.

If you are traveling north, the Orlando dolphin facility is approximately a 2 1/2-hour drive from West Palm Beach. If you are heading south, the Key Largo dolphin facility is about a 2-hour drive, while Islamorada is approximately a 2 1/2-hour drive.

Rental cars are widely available throughout South Florida and are often reasonably priced, making a dolphin day trip easy to plan even if you did not drive to Florida.

Once you are on the road, make the drive part of the adventure. Put on some good music, enjoy some great conversation, and take in the Florida scenery along the way. Before you know it, you will arrive at your dolphin experience and be ready to enjoy one of the most memorable parts of your vacation.

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Top Accommodations in West Palm Beach: Comfort and Style

Whether your vacation is as fun-filled and perfect as you hoped has much to do with where you stay. We travel a lot around Florida and know the absolute best accommodations for families, couples, and large groups. Here are our top three recommendations:

Hilton West Palm Beach

600 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Located smack-dab in the middle of the city, the Hilton West Palm Beach puts you close to all of the best shopping, dining and entertainment destinations. You can walk to Clematis Street, which is where some of the best nightlife is located; walk to CityPlace for shopping and dining, and have easy access to the convention center. Plus, the hotel is only 3 short miles from the airport – because who wants to be stuck in a taxi for an hour after they’ve just been stuck in a plane for even longer!

The hotel is large and impressive. With over 24,000 sq. ft. of space, you will never feel cramped, that’s for sure. There is a wonderful restaurant right on site called Manor, which specializes in classic recipes with bold flavors. Manor is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and we personally recommend the Manor burger. You’re welcome!

When it comes time to burn off all of that delicious food, head outside to the resort-style pool. Just be sure to wait an hour so you don’t get a dreaded cramp. When you’re done doing laps, relax in one of the many impressive pool cabanas for the rest of the afternoon.

And, when you stay at the Hilton West Palm beach, you are incredibly close to the beach, so you can also spend the day swimming, working on your tan, or reading the latest spy novel.

You can’t go wrong with this hotel so if you’re interested, start planning now so you can find the best nightly deals.

West Palm Hilton Garden Inn

1611 Worthington Rd, West Palm Beach, FL 33409

Another hotel that is located just miles from the West Palm Beach airport, the Hilton Garden Inn combines comfort and convenience, making it a great choice for families. Having gone through a recent renovation, the hotel offers clean, bright and spacious rooms as well as thoughtfully-decorated common areas.

There is a complimentary shuttle service that will bring you back and forth to the biggest downtown attractions, like the theater, restaurants, the Performing Arts center and the exclusive Worth Avenue.

The Hilton Garden Inn has its own luxury pool surrounded by tropical landscaping. There is also a complimentary fitness center and 24-hour business center. And the Garden Grille & Bar is an on-site restaurant and full-service bar. And yes, they have room service – one of the best things about going on vacation is room service!

Guestrooms include the latest technology, which includes flatscreen TVs and free WiFi access. There is also secure remote printing through PrinterOn at the spacious work desk with ergonomic chair.

Rooms also include microwaves and mini fridges, so when your little ones get hungry, you can fix them a quick snack. And after a busy day of sightseeing and swimming with dolphins, you get some much-needed rest on the adjustable Garden Sleep System bed, providing the perfect balance between comfort and support. We’ve slept on these and we can tell you firsthand, you’ll want to take the bed home with you. Good luck fitting it into your suitcase though. To see rates…

Embassy Suites

1601 Belvedere Rd, West Palm Beach, FL 33406

Our final hotel we think is worth considering for your West Palm beach vacation is Embassy Suites. This hotel is the closest to the airport, being only a little over a mile away. The hotel has a complimentary shuttle that will pick you up from the airport.

Embassy Suites is also very close to CityPlace, the well-appointed shopping and entertainment district in downtown. This puts you within walking distance to some of the top restaurants, bars and other nightlife in the city.

The hotel offers one- and two-bedroom suites that feature a sofa bed, dining/work table, microwave, mini-fridge, two flat-screen TVs, and WiFi. The suites are very comfortable for families who require extra space when they travel.

The on-site restaurant offers a complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast each morning and, in the evenings, the hotel offers cocktails and snacks at the complimentary Evening Reception. We think this is a really nice touch and a great way to meet other travelers from around the country and world. When you’re ready for dinner, you have the option of heading into the restaurant for some very tasty American cuisine and at reasonable prices.

Not to be outdone by other hotels in the area, and because, this is Florida after all, the Embassy Suites offers a fantastic pool and spacious sundeck. There is also a whirlpool and sauna in which to relax your tired muscles. A 24-hour fitness center will help you burn off the extra calories you’ve been eating, and the business center will help you stay in touch with clients and colleagues. To see the best rates here…

Must-Do Activities in West Palm Beach: Explore and Experience

While we think the absolute best thing you can do on your vacation is swim with dolphins (hint hint), we would be remiss if we didn’t mention some of the fantastic activities there are to do right in the West Palm Beach area.

Clematis Street & Downtown West Palm Beach

We chose the hotels we did because they are in close proximity to the downtown area and all of its amenities. Clematis is the historical heart of downtown and is home to the many colorful boutiques, nightclubs, live music, restaurants and historical landmarks.

If you happen to be in town on a Thursday night, you’ve got to head downtown for the Clematis by Night event, which features live music by the area’s best bands between 6 and 9pm. There are also food and drink specials. It’s just a great people-watching experience.

CityPlace

700 S Rosemary Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

This isn’t your typical shopping and dining destination. You can enjoy Old World architecture, beautiful fountains and lovely landscaping along with charming sidewalk cafes. The striking atmosphere is reminiscent of a quaint European town center.

Norton Museum of Art

1450 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

What better time to experience a bit of history and culture than while on vacation? If you have time, check out the Norton Museum of Art. Internationally-renowned for its distinguished collection, the museum boasts masterpieces of 19th- and 20th-century paintings and sculptures by European and American artists, as well as Chinese jade and bronze artifacts that are considered among the best in the world. Not too shabby.

Antique Row Art & Design District

If you love antiques, head to the antique row where you’ll find more than 50 antique and specialty shops on one single street. Even if you don’t care one way or another about antiques, it’s still a nice way to spend an afternoon, strolling through the lovely shops.

Essential Local Information for West Palm Beach: Plan Your Visit

Weather

Weather is always a concern when going on vacation. Well you’re in luck, because West Palm Beach has great weather pretty much all year-round. Of course, the summers do tend to get a bit hot and sometimes muggy, but the winters are very comfortable. Typical temperatures throughout the year range from 60 degrees to 88 degrees. Generally speaking though, the best time to visit West Palm Beach is from late October to early May.

Festivals

There’s always something fun going on in West Palm Beach. From state fairs to national golf tournaments, there’s something for everyone. Take a look and see what’s going on when you’ll be there.

Helpful Travel Links

https://www.thepalmbeaches.com/free-visitors-guide

https://www.palmbeachchamber.com/

All vacations are special, but when you head to South Florida, you can have the time of your life. If you go, don’t forget to make a day trip to swim with dolphins near West Palm Beach. Talk about memorable!

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