The Sabal Palm House Bed and Breakfast is located close to many examples of Florida's natural beauty and wild life. Our home overlooks the Snook Islands Natural Arearestoration project completed in 2005 which consists of 11 acres of mangroves, 2.2 acres of oyster reefs, 3.8 acres of Spartina grass, and over 60 acres of potential seagrass habitat. The Snook Island project has effectively added 100 acres of good quality wetland habitat to the central part of Lake Worth Lagoon and is improving the poor water quality in this area. Seagrasses are already recruiting in the shallow-water habitat, birds are utilizing the open areas of shoreline and mud flats, and fishermen have reported catching numerous large snook, redfish, snapper, jacks and flounder. We are very excited about the grand opening of the Snook Islands Natural Area Fishing Pier and Boardwalk on February 29, 2012 which will include:
A 545-foot boardwalk winding around the southernmost island. A covered observation platform with benches is planned at the end of the boardwalk, creating a spot to watch birds and fish foraging around the mangroves and sea grasses.
A 580-foot fishing pier on the north side of the Lake Avenue bridge.
A dock that will handle up to eight boats for day use and serve as a water-taxi stop.
A floating kayak launch with a drop-off area for loading and unloading canoes and kayaks.
Lake Worth is also proud to have Palm Beach County's first "living building" called "Viva Verde." The new office building, EcoCentre, the Living Building, is not just a "green building." It is actually a "living building" that incorporates natural ”living” systems and “green” technologies designed to save energy, reduce CO2 emissions, water consumption and create an overall healthier environment. The project is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council and will seek Gold L.E.E.D. certification, a procedure demonstrating that the project has been planned, designed, and completed with a primary goal of environmental enhancement.
Lake Worth Beach and Fishing Pier: The City of Lake Worth, with the help of FEMA, has re-opened our greatly improved fishing pier. Regular pier hours: 7am-9pm seven days a week. Pier Admission: $3 adults; $1.50 youths; $1 spectators. Pier facilities include a bait shop, restrooms, two shade structures, benches, and bait-cutting stations. You can enjoy watching the sunrise from the pier and Lake Worth's beautiful, wide beach. Enjoy looking out upon the beautiful Caribbean blue Gulfstream waters. You can look down from the pier and see large schools of fish swim past or grab a snorkel and mask to swim with them. If you like to scuba dive, you can visit Horseshoe Reef just off Lake Worth's shores.
Also nearby are the following:
Grassy Waters Preserve Non-profit is dedicated to the promotion of environmental education and recreation programs at the 20-square mile wetland nature preserve and water supply for the City of West Palm Beach.
Managed by the City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department, Grassy Waters Preserve (GWP) provides fresh drinking water to more than 130,000 people in West Palm Beach, the Town of Palm Beach, and the Town of South Palm Beach. The preserve includes nature center pavilions, meandering boardwalk trails, hiking, biking, canoeing, programs, entertainment, and more! Distance from the Sabal Palm House: 18.5 miles - about 33 mins Google MAP
Green Cay Nature Center is the county's newest nature center that overlooks 100 acres of constructed wetland and provides educational opportunities about this unique habitat.
The wetland features 1.5 miles of elevated boardwalk featuring interpretive signs about the habitat.
The Nature Center includes a lecture hall, gift shop, and live animals in an extensive
exhibit room that highlights wetland attributes. Come for a visit and find that
there's something for everyone at this fantastic new facility! Distance from the Sabal Palm House: 15.8 mi – about 30 minsGoogle MAP
A unique mixture of coastal and tropical hammock and mangrove forest, this barrier island provides a haven for several rare or endangered native tropical and coastal plant species. The park's Nature Center shows visitors why the park is a biological treasure. Visitors can swim, picnic, and surf at the beach; scuba diving and snorkeling are also popular activities. Birdwatchers can see herons, brown pelicans, terns, sandpipers, and gulls. Anglers can fish in the lagoon by wading, kayaking, or canoeing. They can also fish from non-swimming areas of the beach. Located in northern Palm Beach County, 2.8 miles south of the intersection of U.S. 1 and PGA Boulevard on A1A. Distance from the Sabal Palm House: 22.2 mi – about 33 mins.Google MAP
This unique eighty acre tropical park is situated in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Lake Worth Inlet in close proximity to Phil Foster Park, the City of Riviera Beach, and the Port of Palm Beach.
The park is a favorite destination for boaters and provides numerous recreational opportunities for visitors. Fishing and snorkeling are popular activities in the beautiful clear waters that surround the island. Guarded and Unguarded Swimming Beaches provide the perfect access for bathers of all ages to enjoy the sun and fun. For visitors looking for an overnight experience, a twenty-site Campground is available for tent campers by reservation as well as limited Natural Areas Beach Camping in designated areas. No visit to Peanut Island is complete without taking a casual stroll on the paver pathways which wind around the perimeter of the Island. A truly unique place, Peanut Island Park has something to offer everyone! Distance from the Sabal Palm House: 18-mile or 25-minute car ride to boat over to Peanut IslandGoogle Map
Wakodahatchee Wetlands: The name, Wakodahatchee, has an interesting history. It is derived from the Seminole Indian Language and translates as "created waters." The created waters at Wakodahatchee Wetlands are an example of people giving something back to nature. Fifty acres of unused utilities land have been transformed into a wetlands ecosystem.
A three-quarter mile boardwalk winds through three of the wetland's ponds, allowing visitors the opportunity to read interpretive signs and learn about water purification, wetlands ecology, natural history, and the interdependence of people and their environment. Distance from the Sabal Palm House: 16 mi – about 30 mins.MAP
See Florida the way it used to be....from an AIR BOAT!
Take an airboat tour and see all the wonders of nature in their natural state. Glide over a "river of grass" and spot a few alligators along the way.
15490 Loxahatchee Road, Parkland, FL 33076 Distance from the Sabal Palm House: 34 mi – about 50 mins. GoogleMAP
Mention Sabal Palm House B&B for a 10% discount on all Dive Courses and Equipment Rental for local Dive Charters
at DIVE IN ADVENTURES, an ecologically-conscious dive operation based in south Florida, aware of the fragility of our coral reefs,
with a passion to educate all our customers through dive training and experience.
Lake Worth, FL. - PADI dive courses - dive travel - dive charters - dive guides - South Florida diving courses 8am - 8pm EST Daily -
Call
561.290.0303 or 888.655.6420
Supported by a donation from the FPL Group Foundation, this TurtleCam at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, Fla., provides interested onlookers the opportunity to view rescued Loggerhead, Green, Hawksbill and Kemp's Ridley turtles as they are nursed back to health in the sea turtle hospital.
The live webcam of the turtles can only be viewed during daylight hours. The lights are kept off at night for the turtles' benefit.
Look at the Lake Worth Lagoon (Intracoastal Waterway) in Riviera Beach, one of the most popular gathering spots for manatees on Florida's east coast. Each winter these endangered creatures seek refuge in the warm waters near our power plant.
Camera Safari and Excursions with Claudine Laabs
Claudine feels that wildlife does not have a voice. She would like to be the voice and remind people that we share the earth. She gives slide presentations of her photography, and leads birding and photo expeditions throughout Florida's wetlands, the Amazon and Panama. For bookings and information about expeditions, contact Claudine at 561-655-9779.
Claudine Laabs paints with light, capturing the magic of nature with her lens. She was drawn to the Everglades after being entranced by a flurry of wading birds in an Everglades pond, and her course was set--Claudine discovered that she was a naturalist at heart.
She has spent most of her career photographing prolifically in the Everglades, the Amazon, and more recently in the rainforests of Panama. Claudine's work has been published by the World Wildlife Fund and the Audubon Society, as well as in publications including Natural History and U.S. News and World Report. Her solo exhibition include Boca Raton Museum of Art and the Historical Museum of South Florida. Claudine is the past president of the Audubon Society of the Everglades, Palm Beach County Chapter.
It’s the saltwater version of the Appalachian Trail.
The Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail is a 1,600-mile sea kayaking paradise. The trail includes every Florida coastal habitat type, from barrier island dune systems to salt marsh to mangroves. Several historical sites and points of interest are accessible by kayak along with colorful fishing communities and urban centers.
The Sabal Palm House B&B is in Region G, sections 18 & 19 of the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail:
SECTION 18 Begin: Hugh Taylor Birch State Park End: Lake Worth Boat Ramp --2 blocks from the Sabal Palm House B&B Distance: 34 miles Section 18 Printer Friendly Guide
SECTION 19 Begin: Lake Worth Boat Ramp--2 blocks from the Sabal Palm House B&B End: Jonathan Dickinson State Park Distance: 29 miles Section 19 Printer Friendly Guide
The trail is a strategic long-term priority of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, being coordinated by the Office of Greenways and Trails (OGT), but it relies heavily on the involvement and cooperation of numerous other government agencies at the federal, state, regional and local levels, along with private outfitters, businesses, paddling clubs and individual volunteers.
Scouting for the circumnavigational trail began in 2004 and concluded in 2007; most of the trail is now open. A non-profit statewide support group, the Florida Paddling Trails Association www.floridapaddlingtrails.com, was launched in late 2007. If you are interested in being added to the group's e-mail list, contact John Norris at recumbentjohn@yahoo.com For questions about the trail, contact Doug Alderson at doug.alderson@dep.state.fl.us
The Sabal Palm House Bed
& Breakfast Inn 109 North Golfview Road
Lake Worth, Florida 33460
Toll Free: 1-888-SABAL PALM (1-888-722-2572)
Tel. 1-561-582-1090
Fax 1-561-582-0933
