Boca Raton South Beach Pavilion

Even nicer than Red Reef park.
Love to spend a day at the beach here. (Or even a few hours in the morning before it gets crowded.)
Lovely.

This lovely public beach is at the end of palmetto park road. It’s a great spot to just breath and take in the amazing views. It’s located right next to south beach park, so if you are a Boca resident with a parking decal you can park there for free. There are always free parallel spots along palmetto as well as metered spots closer to the pavilion.
They have a small playground just to the south of the pavilion and some public bathrooms. Not a far run/​walk/​bike to the inlet on Camino, red reef park or Spanish river park. There isn’t much as far as beach bites or bars in the area but considering 90% of a1a is a tourist trap Boca beaches are a great escape from that.

Absolutely gorgeous beach and just like any beach, it’s mood is determined by the weather. Luckily, Boca Raton has been beautiful and welcoming to beach go-​ers. If the weather is nice, expect the turnout to be nice– it’s usually packed but surely if you walk a quarter mile or less to either side you will find less dense areas for privacy if you wish.
For the ultimate experience bring beach blankets, towels, sunscreen, a cooler filled with beverages and snacks, a music speaker and some great people; your experience will definitely be noteworthy. And of course, don’t forget to get in the water! Its very refreshing and somewhat causes an ego death, knowing that you must be a tiny little speck in comparison to the Atlantic.
My ultimate regret: not taking full advantage of the beautiful beaches we have. So if the weather is right, don’t make my mistake, take advantage of the daylight.

What a beautiful view. Love comming here with my husband. Might actually go tonight again and just relax listening to the ocean.

Fui hace poco a pasar el día ahí porque me dijeron era muy lindo y si tal cual, la playa es angosta pero esta muy bonita, lo único malo quizás fue la atención en el parqueo de alado, como era la primera vez que iba no sabia como funciona y me respondió re mal así que parquee en otro lado, pero respecto a la playa, seguro volveré otra vez

I will want to come back to this beach every single time I am in the area.
I parked far, and walked up to the beach along the trail. Lots to look at, include LOTS of HUGE golden silk spiders (not my favorite!!!) and dragons flies.
The beach is gorgeous. Makes it worth the entry fee which was between 15 ad 18 dollars depending on where you parked.
It’s clean, and the water is lovely! Everyone is friendly, I just fell in love with this area completely! definitely a beach worth visiting!

I love this beach. There is a nice, roomy pavilion with a small parking lot, but that’s not what this is really about.
We were here today, as we’re trying to check out the area beaches that we haven’t seen. The weather was a bit on the grumpy side, overcast and just a bit dark. There was a lovely breeze, blowing some of the mugginess out to sea.
The beach was nearly totally empty. There are condos along the area, but no commercial businesses. The beach was flanked by sea grapes, softening the appearance of the line of buildings. I prefer it this way as it cuts down on the litter. The sand was pristine, with no trash to be found. There were even some nice shells that hadn’t been collected.
I think this is the only local beach that we’ve seen where there were actually people surfing. The waves weren’t Hawaii size, but there were still a couple of dozen people having a great time.
I’ll definitely be coming back when I’m in Boca for some more quiet walks in a lovely setting.

One of the finest beaches in the world. Period. Where else can you park your car and be a minute from the beach No lines. Clean. gorgeous sand and view. Paradise on earth.

Welcome to my gym! Yes, this place rocks! The view, the vibe, the people, the limited free parking all that makes it my favorite spot to run, to bike, to hang at the beach. They also have parking at the park, but then we are talking about $ 17 fee for the day.
Location is the key to the success for this area. The pavilion has enough space for zumba classes, yoga classes, etc… They also have a nice restroom close by with showers and water fountain to keep you hydrated during your visit. Down on Palmetto you will find some restaurants and shops that will make your visit even more interesting.
The sunrise and the sunset are priceless gifts to carry with you…
Stop by to relax and enjoy Boca! You will not regret it!

The Boca Beach is a nice area to spend a few hours and relax. I’ve never been here when it is extremely crowded, but it’s also never empty. Basically, their is always a place to setup your chairs and towels. The beach isn’t very big by any means, and it can get a bit steep going downhill at one point. When you first pull up into the parking area, it is kind of like a cul-​de-​sac, and it is very nice. The parking is an interesting situation as there are only a limited amount of spots and a 1-​hour time limit. So you can’t really park there for too long without having to go back up and pay the machine more of your money. I’d be careful, because if you come at a high point, the lot will almost certainly be full. The pavilion has a few washing stations/​showers at the top of it, but I found that usually only one of them is working. Usually there is a sort of hot dog/​food cart at the top selling snacks to eat. The Boca Raton South Beach Pavilion is a nice area to spend a beach day, and it’s my go to spot when heading over to the beach.

This is a review of the Pavilion as well as the beach area which is north and south of it.
THE PAVILION is at AIA at the end of Palmetto Park Road. It is covered, has a non movable bench which runs around its parameter, and attracts a steady stream of folks who like to take pics, or just gaze out at the sand and water, as well as the mostly young crowd. Its a nice place for a quick break, breathe in the ocean air, and feel good about it. (If you find old pics of the Pavilion from the 1940s, it looks the same…)
There is a circular, paid parking area (less than 20 cars) near the Pavilion, and one MUST pay put $ in the electronic device, as the area is patrolled and you will be ticketed. There are outdoor showers and 2 bathrooms.
The men’s room is always dirty, the floors slimy and wet, the odor of an unclean public bathroom. With all the tax revenue collected by the Boca Raton Beach Authority, they could do a better job with upkeep and sanitation.
THE BEACH: ITS BEAUTIFUL! GREAT DUNES. FRIENDLY BIRDS. FOLKS SURFING. LOTS OF SUNBATHERS. It’s a few miles long, more in the north direction (all the way to Spanish RIver Road), and maybe a ½ mile to the south. Incredibly well maintained, cleaned daily, lifeguards on duty 7 days a week.
There is a large parking lot which one enters a few hundred feet north of Palmetto Park Road. City of Boca Raton residents with parking decals (~$ 60 a year) park with no charge, others must pay $ 16 – 17 a day, no exceptions. [The limitations and high cost of parking clearly appear to be a way for the City to limit the congestion at the beach)
During season on weekends and holidays, the parking lot is filled to capacity by noon. Frequently by locals, fair number of FAU students, seasonal tourists, and it appears to attract some folks from other South FL. communities. There are HANDICAPPED accessible ramps to gain entrance to the beach at specific locations (clearly marked).
You’re not supposed to smoke at the beach, or drink alcohol, not sure if this is actually enforced.

Simplicity. Great beach to come and chill. No hassles, never a big crowd and the water is nice and clear.

Great beach with ammenities… being a Palm Beach County resident with this jewel only minutes away is a blessing…

I was driving up A1−1 to visit a friend who lives on the beach in Boca and saw this little public area and immediately flipped a U and pulled in. Lucky to get parking as there’s hardly any, I walked around and found there are fantastic views from atop this pavilion. There are other hang out spots around and public restrooms, too. There’s a park to the north of it with a winding paved path. I walked on this a ways until I got tired and headed back. I suppose you can park there if there’s no open spots at the pavillion (which really it’s a miracle there was, as there’s only a few parking stalls there.), but I think the park is very expensive to get in to pay to park. I think someone said $ 15. Yikes! So other than the parking nightmare, this is a very nice spot! It’s supposed to be smoke-​free, but of course you see rude people ignoring this rule and smoking anyway. Too bad, as that would make the park even better!

Great local beach with free 4 hour parking on the street (not in the park)
*Tourist Note*
College and high school kids to the left. Families to the right.

As the other two reviewers mentioned… come early for a parking spot. It is a great spot to soak up the sun and get a great view of the ocean. I would say it is certainly family friendly, handicap friendly… and cmon’ it’s the beach…
I was visiting from Chicago and enjoyed the whole experience.

As the other reviewer mentioned, this is a great spot for public access to the beach. Parking is indeed limited here but there are more expansive options further down the road. The pavilion itself is a nice, shaded place to people-​watch or look out at the ocean — I happened to come here at sunrise early one morning and the gazebo made a great viewing spot.

The Pavilion is located where Palmetto Park Road meets A1A and it’s a great spot for public access to the beach. Sadly, there are only a handful of parking spaces in the actual pavilion area and another few along Palmetto Park. I found a sign saying «Free beach parking» at one of the small strip malls close to the bridge. There are a few motorcycle spaces available there too. Good luck finding a space!
Once you do manage to find a spot to leave your car, the pavilion is a great place to sit in the shade and look out at the ocean and the beach. It’s also completely handicap-​accessible, which some may find useful.