Boca Raton Attractions & Activities - The Best Holiday Destinations for 2020
Boca Raton is a city on the east coast of Florida between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. The name is Spanish for "Mouse Mouth" (although the tries to give less plausible alternative explanations of the meaning), which presumably comes from the shape of an inlet when the town was founded.
Boca, as it's known by locals, started growing in earnest in the 1920s, with the help of fanciful nouveau-riche architect Addison Mizner, who also helped design Palm Beach, 30 some miles north. Much of downtown was (and is being) built in "Addison Mizner-style" architecture, using distinctive bright orange and more subdued pinks in its Old Spanish theme with a touch of Venice.
Boca's long history of catering to the well-to-do has given it a snobbish reputation, but it has many features that can be enjoyed by visitors even if they are on a much less lavish budget. The city enjoys a much higher standard of living than many of its neighbors, giving it a well manicured appearance with many amenities. Visitors can enjoy the limited nightlife and much more extensive beaches, great at any time of day, any time of year.
By air
- Fort Lauderdale International Airport , FLL, large airport 20 miles south of Boca in Fort Lauderdale. This is the more preferred airport over Miami and is accessible by any of the transportations. Shuttles are usually available from airports and taxis are common.
- Palm Beach International Airport , PBI, large airport 20 miles north of Boca.
- Private Jet (OneSky Jets)- this airport only caters to certain customers and is very exclusive.
- Miami International Airport , MIA, Miami. (About 45 miles / 55 minutes non-rush hour.)
By car
- Interstate 95 - four exits to Boca Raton are Palmetto Park Drive, Glades Road, Yamato Road and Congress Avenue.
- - toll road with lighter traffic and an exit at Glades Road.
- Palm Tran- public transportation ( )
By rail
- Amtrak, 1300 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach, 1-877-632-3788, ].
TriRail goes to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach Airports.
By water from the Atlantic Ocean
- via in Fort Lauderdale. This is a port of entry for cruise ships and other commercial vessels.
- via Boca Raton Inlet. Vessels can enter Boca Raton through its inlet that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW). Local knowledge is required, as shoaling outside the inlet can limit access at low tide and swift moving currents cause pretty decent swells where the outflow meets the ocean.
- via Hillsboro Inlet, south of Boca Raton, between the communities of Hillsboro Beach and Pompano Beach. This inlet was much improved recently by widening the channel outside the jetties. The widening was extensive, and allows safer approaches into the inlet from more bearings. The inlet is well marked, and has a dredge on site actively keeping the channel clear by dredging the sand that drifts into all East Coast inlets from the North. Local knowledge is suggested, as there are reefs to the south and jetties and lots of boat traffic.
- via the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW), which stretches along the East Coast from Maine to Texas. The ICW flows through Boca Raton, and has no fixed bridges across it, just 3 draw bridges that open on schedule and/or on demand. The bridges across the ICW from North to South are at Spanish River Boulevard, Palmetto Park Road, and Camino Real Drive.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Boca Raton
