• Tripadvisor named West Palm Beach, Florida, the No. 1 trending U.S. destination.
• The city has an international airport, historic towns, and a small-town feel.
• While there’s no beach, travelers can pop over to the nearby Palm Beach.

What comes to mind when you think of Florida may be beaches and theme parks, but Tripadvisor’s top trending destination in the U.S. this year has neither. Even so, there’s a lot to love about West Palm Beach—as a resident since 2012, I would know.

This city on the rise has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. For example, we finally got a long-overdue waterfront restaurant in Lamarina. It is a relatively small city with the feel and appeal of a much larger one, so Tripadvisor’s recognition comes as no surprise to me.

With a bustling downtown core surrounded by historic neighborhoods, an international airport, and ritzy Palm Beach (where, yes, there’s a beach) just across the Intracoastal Waterway, there’s a lot to do, see, and eat in West Palm Beach.

If you’re visiting for the first time, West Palm Beach Food Tours is a great way to explore local neighborhoods while indulging in our deliciously diverse food scene, and a sunset or sightseeing sail aboard the Hakuna Matata will give you the lay of the land in a fun and scenic way. I also highly recommend a meal at Tropical Smokehouse to try our unique Floribbean take on BBQ.

Of course, seeing yourself around the city works, too. Let’s say you arrive by Brightline on a Saturday morning—you’re in the perfect position to walk due east down Clematis Street toward the waterfront, where you’ll find the West Palm Beach GreenMarket, an award-winning 130-vendor market that takes place October through May.

Or maybe you want to wander south to CityPlace, a lifestyle destination with a regular docket of events plus shopping, dining, and good vibes. It’s in the midst of a total transformation; two new towers will be constructed soon and an Eataly is expected to open fall 2025.

Also set to transform the West Palm Beach scene this year is Nora, a $1 billion district aiming to exhibit adaptive reuse at its finest. From the same team that redeveloped Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, Nora spans 156,000 square feet of restaurants, retail, office space, public parks, and (rumor has it) even a private club and speakeasy.

The mixed-use district is rising from the footprint of a once-derelict stretch of railroad warehouses; shining stars will include everything from Solidcore to local chain Celis Juice Bar to Northeast favorites like H&H Bagels and Sunday Motor Company out of Madison, New Jersey.

Within a bike ride from downtown, a few longstanding attractions I love are the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum—I send all visitors here for a fascinating dive into local lore, plus it’s free—and Manatee Lagoon, especially when the blubbery sea cows congregate there during the winter months (also free!). Mounts Botanical Garden is another gem.

As for me? You may find me at any of these places on any given day, but my weekly rotation centers around lattes and vegan donuts at Composition Coffee, weekend breakfasts with friends at Howley’s, and literally anything on chef Clay Conley’s menu at Grato.