Jupiter

Straddling Jupiter Inlet, where the Indian River Lagoon returns to the Atlantic Ocean, Jupiter has been a South Florida landmark longer than Miami, thanks in modern times to its distinctive lighthouse first built in 1860. For more than 5,000 years, these shores attracted nomads and sailors, with archeological finds speaking to ancient villages along the Loxahatchee River. Along the river in 1838, Federal troops attempted to remove Seminole Indians from the region during the last two standing battles of the Second Seminole War. Light, soft sand and aquamarine surf meet along the beach, a favorite destination for sun seekers. North of the ...

Straddling Jupiter Inlet, where the Indian River Lagoon returns to the Atlantic Ocean, Jupiter has been a South Florida landmark longer than Miami, thanks in modern times to its distinctive lighthouse first built in 1860. For more than 5,000 years, these shores attracted nomads and sailors, with archeological finds speaking to ancient villages along the Loxahatchee River. Along the river in 1838, Federal troops attempted to remove Seminole Indians from the region during the last two standing battles of the Second Seminole War. Light, soft sand and aquamarine surf meet along the beach, a favorite destination for sun seekers. North of the inlet, Florida’s rockiest shoreline sports sea caves and sea arches in miniature along the shore of Jupiter Island. Jupiter is also known as the home of Burt Reynolds, who grew up in nearby Riviera Beach and later settled here, opening a dinner theater that morphed into an acting school and is now a museum. Bisected by I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike, this is the northernmost city in Palm Beach County, its corridor of natural lands a significant destination for seeking rare birds, including the Florida scrub-jay and Everglades snail kite.

About the Expert

Sandra Friend has written 12 books about Florida, including the Explorer's Guide (Countryman Press) series to Florida.