JUPITER ISLAND BICYCLE TOUR
2/14/2023
(Photos/Bill DiPaolo)
Towering banyan trees, beaches overlooking turquoise waters, cool breezes, lush landscaping — a bicycle ride on A1A through Jupiter Island is a fantastic adventure on the 10-mile-long barrier island of about 950 residents.
JUPITER OUTDOOR CENTER will deliver your bicycles to nearby Sawfish Bay Park or other nearby location. Tandem, single, wide-tired, JOC has ’em all.
When you finish your 20-mile round-trip ride to Hobe Sound and back, JOC will meet you to pick up the bicycles.
All you do is have fun!
Mangrove Wonderland
Your tour starts at the beautiful Jupiter Inlet, near the historic lighthouse.
Right before the Intracoastal Waterway on the north side of Beach Road, we’ll stop at a meandering walkway leads to the Intracoastal Waterway, surrounded by mangrove, pine, sea grape and palm trees.
Keep your eyes peeled for manatees, raccoons, ospreys, eagles and other wildlife when you reach the wooden gazebo on the ICW.
Stop & enjoy the best Intracoastal Waterway views in town
We’ll stop on Cato’s Bridge overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. And the Hobe Sound Bridge on Jupiter Island.
Wave to the kayakers, boaters and paddle boarders drifting by.
Look close — there’s lots of manatees, sea turtles and tropical fish.
BE CAREFUL
A1A through Jupiter Island is narrow.
Ride single file.
Obey street signs.
Cool off at Coral Cove
Coral Cove Park is a favorite spot for surfers, kayakers, shell collectors and swimmers.
Located just before the Martin County line, is an easy spot to pull over, stick your toes in the sand and relax on the beach.
Bicycle racks are next to the lifeguard stand.
High tide is the best time at Blowing Rocks Preserve
The craggy limestone will make you think you are in Maine or Hawaii.
Salt water spurts out of the limestone, sometimes 50 feet in the air.
And the best part — being a bike rider, you don’t have to worry about getting one of the few parking spots in the Blowing Rocks small parking lot.
Gorgeous landscaping
Need some ideas for prettying up your property?
You’ll be amazed at the variety, height, aromas, precision and colors as you pedal past the beautiful homes on your things to do in Jupiter tour.
Some houses have names
Sea Shanty, Boomerang, East Wind, Sunset Cafe, Eagle’s Rise, Odyssey’s End — those are a few of the names on signs in front of the homes on Jupiter Island.
Naming homes is a growing trend, according to a recent story in The Wall Street Journal.
In fact, the newspaper says giving a mansion a moniker can increase its value.
Say “hi” to Bruce Allen
Bruce, a retired corrections officer from New York, volunteers regularly to pick up litter and keep Hobe Sound Beach clean at the park at Bridge Road.
You’ll see him in his bright green T-shirt that reads “Lucky to Live in Hobe Sound.”
“I’ve heard people say what a nice, clean Hobe Sound Beach it is. I want to keep it that way,” says the 75-year-old with a smile.
Ahhhhh…The air conditioned part of A1A
Wide, tall and shady, the “tunnel of trees” lining Bridge Road bring welcome relief to bike riders on a warm day.
Banyan trees are native to India. The first one was planted in Florida in Fort Myers in 1925 by the inventor Thomas Edison.
With gangly branches and thick foliage, banyan trees can grow 100 feet tall.
Over the Hobe Sound Bridge
Take a break and stop on the Hobe Sound Bridge, check out the view of the lush mangroves that line the shore on both sides of the Intracoastal Waterway.
A snack – then pedal back
Food and beverages await just west of the railroad tracks on the south side of Bridge Road.
Taste restaurant has indoor and outdoor patio seating. (The crab cakes are incredible!)
There’s shopping at the Hobe Sound Art Village.
The Juno Boutique has clothing and more.
And now it’s time to pedal back to finish your things to do in Jupiter adventure.
Read JOC’s blog: More Things To Do in Jupiter.
