Palm Beach Itineraries: Day Charters and Multi-Day Routes

Palm Beach’s position on the Intracoastal Waterway, its proximity to the Gulf Stream, and its access to the Bahamas give it a range of charter options that suit everything from a half-day cruise to a week-long voyage. The itineraries below cover different ground and can be combined for longer adventures.

Day Charter Routes from Palm Beach

Intracoastal Cruise: Palm Beach to Jupiter

Cruise north along the Intracoastal Waterway from Palm Beach through some of Florida’s most beautiful residential waterways. Pass the waterfront estates of Manalapan and Ocean Ridge, through the Lake Worth Inlet, and continue north past Juno Beach (one of the most important sea-turtle nesting sites in the Western Hemisphere) to Jupiter Inlet, marked by the 1860 Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. Your chef prepares lunch on the flybridge as you cruise past tropical gardens, private docks and the occasional manatee gliding through the warm shallows. Pause at Blowing Rocks Preserve (a dramatic limestone shoreline where waves shoot through the rock) before returning south to Palm Beach in the late afternoon. Duration: 5–7 hours.

Gulf Stream Fishing: Sailfish Alley

Depart the inlet at first light and head east into the Gulf Stream – just 8–11 km offshore. Your captain trolls the warm blue current for sailfish (peak season November–March), mahi-mahi, wahoo and other billfish. Even on a half-day charter, you’ll have multiple opportunities for hook-ups – the proximity of the Gulf Stream to Palm Beach is unmatched on the US East Coast. After the morning’s fishing, your chef prepares a gourmet lunch on the aft deck (with your catch, if you wish), and the afternoon is yours for swimming, snorkelling or a leisurely cruise back along the coast. Duration: 6–8 hours.

Peanut Island and the Lake Worth Lagoon

A shorter cruise perfect for families. Head into the Lake Worth Lagoon and anchor off Peanut Island – a small island in the inlet with excellent snorkelling on the rock jetty, a sandy beach, and the JFK Presidential Bunker (built in 1961 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, now open for guided tours). Spend the morning swimming and snorkelling, tour the bunker, and enjoy a chef-prepared picnic on the beach. Afternoon cruising the lagoon past Palm Beach’s waterfront estates. Duration: 4–6 hours.

3-Day Palm Beach Yacht Charter Itinerary: Bimini and the Gulf Stream

Day 1: Palm Beach and the Gulf Stream

Board at Safe Harbor Rybovich or Palm Harbor Marina by mid-morning. After settling aboard, cruise east into the Gulf Stream for a morning of sportfishing – sailfish, mahi-mahi and wahoo run these waters from November through March. Your chef prepares lunch from the morning’s catch (or from the provisions, if the fish aren’t cooperating). Afternoon exploring Palm Beach ashore: Worth Avenue’s boutiques, the Flagler Museum’s Beaux-Arts splendour, and a stroll along the oceanfront. Return to the yacht for a sunset cruise along the Intracoastal, past the estates of Millionaires’ Row. Dinner on the aft deck or ashore at Café Boulud.

Day 2: Palm Beach to Bimini

Depart at first light for the crossing to Bimini – roughly 60 nautical miles, approximately three hours at cruising speed. Clear Bahamas customs and anchor in Bimini’s sheltered harbour. Afternoon on the sandbars – ankle-deep turquoise water stretching to the horizon, your crew setting up floating mats and a cooler of cold drinks. Snorkel Radio Beach’s shallow reef (nurse sharks, sea turtles, juvenile reef fish) and explore the island’s waterfront bars and fish markets. Dinner aboard: conch salad, grilled lobster tail and a Bahamian sunset.

Day 3: Bimini to Palm Beach

Morning at Bimini – bonefishing on the flats, a final swim at the sandbars, or a visit to the Sapona wreck (a concrete ship in 1.5 metres of water, encrusted with coral). Depart mid-morning for the return crossing to Palm Beach. Your chef lays out a farewell brunch on the flybridge as the Florida coast appears on the horizon. Arrive at the marina by early afternoon.

4-Day Palm Beach Yacht Charter Itinerary: South Florida Coast and Bimini

Day 1: Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale

Depart Palm Beach mid-morning and cruise south along the Intracoastal Waterway – roughly 40 nautical miles, 3–4 hours through some of Florida’s most spectacular residential waterways. Pass Delray Beach, Boca Raton and the Hillsboro Inlet lighthouse (1907) before arriving at Fort Lauderdale’s Pier Sixty-Six or Las Olas marina. Afternoon exploring the ‘Yachting Capital of the World’: the Riverwalk, Las Olas Boulevard’s restaurants and galleries, and the Intracoastal’s parade of mega-yachts. Dinner ashore or on the aft deck.

Day 2: Fort Lauderdale to Bimini

Cross the Gulf Stream from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini (roughly 55 nautical miles, about three hours). Afternoon on the sandbars and Radio Beach. Sunset on the aft deck.

Day 3: Bimini Exploration

Full day in Bimini’s extraordinary shallows. Morning at the sandbars north of the island, bonefishing on the flats, snorkelling the Sapona wreck. Your crew sets up a beach picnic on a private stretch of sand. Afternoon paddleboarding, swimming, or simply soaking in the Bahamas’ luminous turquoise water. Sundowners on the flybridge under the stars.

Day 4: Bimini to Palm Beach

Depart Bimini at sunrise for the return crossing. Arrive in Palm Beach by mid-morning. Your chef prepares a farewell brunch on the aft deck in the Lake Worth Lagoon, with Palm Beach’s elegant waterfront as the backdrop. Final shopping on Worth Avenue or a visit to The Breakers (its lobby alone is worth the stop) before disembarking by early afternoon.

Guests looking for a longer South Florida experience can combine the 3-day Palm Beach–Bimini route with a 4-day Keys route (departing south from Fort Lauderdale) for a comprehensive 7-day charter spanning Palm Beach, the Intracoastal, the Bahamas and the Florida Keys.