If manicured lawns and golf courses aren’t your idea of communing with nature, then head to Gumbo Limbo. Named for an indigenous tree, the 20-acre complex protects one of the few surviving coastal hammocks (subtropical hardwood forests), in South Florida. Nature trails feature lush canopies and a butterfly garden. Walk through the hammock on a half-mile-long boardwalk that ends at a 40-foot observation tower, from which you can see the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, and much of Boca Raton. From mid-April to September, sea turtles come ashore here to lay eggs. In fact, Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Biological Sciences keeps an active research lab here that’s open to the public, where you can gawk at the adorable sea turtle hatchlings in the summer and fall months. Another big attraction here are the aquariums, featuring native fish and organisms, and naturalistic habitats representing the coastal mangrove community, a nearshore reef, tropical coral reef, and artificial reef/shipwreck, whose resident rescued sea turtle, Morgan, seems to love hamming it up for visitors. The small indoor nature center has all sorts of slithery creatures as well as a sea turtle garden and educational tidbits.
Boca Raton
Travel Guide
Boca Raton› Attraction
Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex
1801 N. Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton, FL, USA
EPORourke / Shutterstock
Our Rating
Neighborhood
On Fla. A1A between Spanish River Blvd and Palmetto Park Rd
Hours
Tues–Sun 9am–4pm; Mon noon–4pm. Nature trails daily 7am-sunset
Phone
561/544-8605
Prices
Free admission ($5 donation suggested)
Web site
Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex
Map
1801 N. Ocean Blvd Boca Raton FL USA Boca RatonNote: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.