This 79-acre Island in Florida Feels Like the Caribbean -- Just a Short Boat Ride From Palm Beach

Peanut Island—known locally as “the Nut”—is a 79-acre getaway in Palm Beach County that visitors say feels Caribbean despite being in Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway. The island sits about 75 miles north of Miami and just a short boat ride from Palm Beach, with no cars, hotels, or restaurants, and only 17 campsites available. Historically, it was Inlet Island, later renamed Peanut Island after a failed 1946 plan for peanut oil shipping, and it also held a secret JFK Cold War bunker during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Renovated in 2005 with human-made reefs, a pier, and rocky areas, it’s now popular for snorkeling, kayaking, and a 1.3-mile walking path. Ferries run daily from the area, taking about 10 minutes across the inlet.