Hugging the northern coast of Broward County, Deerfield Beach is the quintessential beach community. Visitors can enjoy a day at the beach, nosh on delicious food, drink locally brewed beers, and even travel back in time to the Renaissance era. However long you plan to stay in Deerfield Beach, there’s plenty to see and do.
For outdoors enthusiasts, Deerfield Beach offers the ultimate beach day. Lay out a beach chair to catch some rays and read a good book, or dive right into the ocean for some snorkeling and scuba diving. Greater Fort Lauderdale offers an array of dive sites, and just off Deerfield Beach are Separated Rocks, Crab Cove, Hillsboro Ledge, Ant Beds and other must-see underwater sites.
A major landmark in the city of Deerfield Beach is its 976-foot-long International Fishing Pier, which offers a prime spot for sightseeing and reeling in tonight’s dinner. Visitors can rent fishing rods and purchase fresh and frozen bait, tackle, accessories, ice and other necessities from the concession. When you’re not enjoying a day on the water, you can tune into Deerfield Beach’s underwater, pier and beach cameras on Youtube for exciting animal sightings.
During sea turtle season, the shores of Deerfield Beach serve as a nesting ground for loggerhead leatherback and green sea turtles. That means from March through October, you may see nests cordoned off to ensure that they’re undisturbed until hatchlings make their way back to the ocean.
Other exciting outdoor adventures take place at Quiet Waters Park, a 427-acre county park in Deerfield Beach with basketball courts, seven miles of mountain bike trails, campgrounds, the Woofing Waters Dog Park & Marina, fishing, and horseshoes. What makes this park so unique is that it offers cable water skiing at Ski Rixen USA, and families can enjoy the Splash Adventure water park. Each February and March, Quiet Waters is transformed into Camelot with the arrival of the Florida Renaissance Festival. Each weekend has a different theme, but you’ll always be treated to jousting tournaments, fairies, jesters, games, and plenty of turkey legs and steins of ale.
Did you work up an appetite? Just steps away from the pier is JB’s on the Beach, a mainstay in Deerfield Beach since 2002. Here, guests can enjoy lunch or dinner alfresco to watch the sun sink into the Atlantic Ocean. Some top eats: oysters on the half shell, Bahamian conch fritters, lobster flatbread, whole snapper, and a rotation of cheesecake flavors.
Another hub of activity in Deerfield Beach is The Cove, a bustling shopping strip that continues to grow. The city’s first brewery, Cove Brewery, opened in 2023 with coastal-inspired brews like Heat Wave, Tan Man, Refraction Swell, Paddle Out PILS, and Tide ‘n Seek.
Also in the Cove is the award-winning The Modern Rose, a cozy tea and coffee shop with Victorian decor and a menu of freshly-made pastries, salads, desserts, and dozens of teas that can be served with tea service. The experience is so good. In fact, that it has been recognized by Coffee Awards, Yelp, Lux Life Awards, TripAdvisor, and others. If you find yourself in Deerfield Beach during an upcoming boat day, be sure to also stop at Dock and Dine. Tie off your boat and enjoy a meal with friends, or get food to-go to enjoy on the water.
Deerfield Beach is a place for everyone under the sun, from weekend warriors taking on scuba sites and rugged mountain biking to foodies in search of their new favorite dish from local eateries. One thing’s for sure, you’ll need more than one day to take in all there is to do in Deerfield Beach!