DEPARTURES

ESCAPE THE WINTER BLUES

This winter, Palm Beach comes into its own, and Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach offers a refined oceanfront retreat at the heart of the island’s most vibrant season of equestrian sport, polo, and high style.

KATHERINE GANNON

This winter, Palm Beach feels sharper, brighter, and irresistibly alive. While much of the country settles into heavy coats and short days, the island leans into its most glamorous rhythm. The light is crystalline, the Atlantic glows cobalt blue, and the social calendar unfurls with purpose. Winter is when Palm Beach does what it does best, blending sport, society, and sun-drenched ease into a lifestyle that feels both polished and playful.

Just inland, the Winter Equestrian Festival anchors the season. Wellington becomes a global hub for showjumping and dressage, drawing Olympic riders, European aristocracy, and impeccably dressed spectators who know that the real competition often happens after the last jump. Days are spent ringside under cloudless skies, evenings unfold over champagne fueled dinners and private gatherings where riding boots give way to silk and linen. It is athleticism wrapped in elegance, a hallmark of Palm Beach winter life.

Closer to the coast, the National Polo Center sets the tone for weekends. Polo here is as much a social ritual as it is a sport. Sunday matches are defined by flowing dresses, polished loafers, and glasses of champagne catching the sun as spectators line the field. The thunder of hooves, the crack of mallets, and the hum of conversation create a scene that feels timeless, distinctly Palm Beach, and unapologetically glamorous.

Adding a modern counterpoint to these storied traditions is TGL, Tiger Woods’ technology driven golf league now in its second year nearby in Palm Beach Gardens. With arena style competition, immersive visuals, and a roster of golf’s biggest names, TGL injects a contemporary energy into the season. It is sleek, high impact, and emblematic of how Palm Beach continues to evolve without losing its sense of refinement.

At the center of it all is Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, the island’s only two Michelin Key resort and a sanctuary of calm just moments from Worth Avenue. The Four Seasons does not compete with the season’s buzz. It refines it. Arrival feels immediate and soothing, with ocean views unfolding from the lobby and the sound of waves setting the pace. Service is intuitive rather than performative, the kind that anticipates without intruding.

Guest rooms and suites are designed as private retreats, with airy interiors, soft coastal palettes, and expansive terraces that frame the Atlantic. Mornings begin with sunlight streaming in and coffee enjoyed barefoot, the sea stretching endlessly beyond. Days drift easily between the palm lined pool and the beach, where attendants seem to appear exactly when you need a chilled towel or a perfectly timed lunch. The spa offers treatments focused on restoration and balance, ideal after long afternoons at the polo grounds or ringside at the equestrian fields.

Dining at the resort mirrors the Palm Beach lifestyle itself. Fresh seafood, seasonal produce, and refined yet relaxed presentations make meals feel celebratory without excess. Evenings are best spent lingering, whether over candlelit dinners, quiet cocktails, or a slow walk along the shoreline as the sky fades from gold to indigo.

Palm Beach in winter is not simply an escape from the cold. It is an immersion into a season that understands tempo, where world class sport, social ritual, and coastal serenity coexist effortlessly. And at the Four Seasons Palm Beach, that season unfolds with rare grace, offering a front row seat to the island at its most vibrant, all while wrapped in the comfort and discretion of one of its most distinguished addresses.