Another big holiday weekend, another big floating cocktail party at Peanut Island, that 80-acre blob stuck at the west end of the Palm Beach (Lake Worth) Inlet like a cork in a wine bottle.
At its best, a visit to the get-there-only-by-boat county park can feel like a brief Bahamian vacation as the Gulfstream flows in through the inlet to bathe the palm-fringed island in warm, crystalline water.
But on holiday weekends, “Peanut” and the shallow waters around it become the scene of a peculiarly South Florida party phenomenon: the aquatic cocktail party. Long strings of boats raft up while hundreds of people socialize in the shallow off-shore water.
At Peanut Island, boaters raft together for an aquatic cocktail party. (Post photo/Rich Graulich)
While drinking is prohibited on the island, except in the campground, hard-partying boaters have become a law enforcement headache in recent years, resulting in fights and arrests.
This weekend, expect increased presence of officers on land and in patrol boats attempting to curb underage drinking.
This is how you get the family dogs from the boat to the beach. (Post photo/Thomas Cordy)
However, you can get away from the craziness for a family-friendly good time by following a few tips:
–Check the tide tables. Head for the east and south sides of the island when tides are high since the rowdier boating crowd congregates at low tide on the north side of Peanut Island.
(Low tides at the Lake Worth Inlet (also called the Palm Beach Inlet) range from roughly 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday through Monday. High tides range from about 2:30 to 5 the same days. Peak high and low tides are slightly more than an hour later from one day to the next.)
The sandbar north of the island is a family-and-dog-friendly spot, but it emerges only at low tide. It’s accessible by boat but may require a swim to get there from Peanut Island.
–Stake your claim to a spot on the quieter east, south or west sides of the island.
–Go early. The use of picnic tables, grills and shelters are first-come, first-served.
– No Boat? Arrive on one of the water taxis that operate from Riviera Beach and Singer Island.
Water taxi info:
The Peanut Island Water Taxi leaves from slip 522 at the Riviera Beach Marina, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekends during the summer. A round-trip fare is $10. Email captjoe@peanutislandwatertaxi.com or call 561-844-7969 for a reservation. Drop-ins may have to wait for a seat on busy weekends.
The Palm Beach Water Taxi leaves from the Sailfish Marina on Singer Island, $12 per person round trip, call 561-844-1724 X4. Trips are every two hours beginning at 9:45 a.m.; last pick-up from Peanut Island is 5:30 p.m.
What to take:
Chairs, coolers, beach towels, hats, sunscreen, beach umbrellas, floats and snorkel gear. A few snacks are for sale at the former Coast Guard station on the south tip of the island, but most people take food and drinks. (Alcohol is prohibited except in the campground.)
A bomb shelter built on Peanut Island in 1962 to protect Pres. Kennedy is open for tours Thursday -Sunday.) (Post file photo)
Things to do:
Snorkel: There are two snorkeling spots — a small reef and a larger lagoon — on the east side of the island, where the incoming tide sweeps in an ever-changing variety of sea critters. Cushion starfish as well as reef dwellers such as parrotfish and angelfish are common visitors. Visibility is superb but be wary of strong currents.
Visit the JFK Bunker which was built in Cold War secrecy in 1961 by Seabees while President John F. Kennedy visited his family’s Palm Beach house. In the event of a nuclear attack, the blast-hardened bunker was designed to house the president until he could be plucked from the island by a submarine or helicopter.
Operated by the Maritime Museum, the bunker and old Coast Guard station are open for tours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday to Sunday. VIP tours are $25, admission for adults is $14, $12 for seniors, $8 for children; kids under 5 are free.
Tie up at the boat docks: free slips are available at the less-crowded west side boat docks and at the far-busier east side docks on a first-come, first served basis. Boaters can also anchor boats offshore away from the main swimming beaches.
Walk: A 1.25-mile paved trail circles the entire island. From it, you have access to a boardwalk through the mangroves on the west side. On the east side, a boardwalk spans the reef area.
See: birds and sea life from the observation deck on the island’s south side and two boardwalks.
Paddle to the island on a kayak or paddleboard.
Adventure Times Kayaks at the Riviera Beach Marina rents kayaks for $25 to $60; stand-up paddleboards are $30 to $40. Snorkel gear rental is $20. Riviera Beach Marina, 200 E. 13th St., Riviera Beach; 561-881-7218 for reservations.
Paddleboarding Palm Beach, also at the Riviera Beach Marina, rents SUP for $25 to $75; 561-313-6011. Reservations recommended.
Things to know:
-Alcohol is prohibited on Peanut Island, except in the campground. Law enforcement presence is likely to be heavy this weekend.
-Watch little ones in the current, which can be swift on incoming and outgoing tides.
-The snorkeling lagoon has a lifeguard, as do certain sections of the beach. Other areas are unguarded.
-Bathrooms and water fountains are available. Snacks and drinks are available at the Coast Guard station; many visitors bring their own.
Related: read more about JFK’s Peanut Island bomb shelter
