City Life

The Insider’s Guide To The Best Beaches In Miami

Palm trees, white sandy beaches and crystal clear water. There’s no doubt that Miami is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. No beach in Miami is quite the same. Each one has its own unique quirks and qualities. Usually, when people think about Miami, they associate it with the fast-paced and trendy South Beach and Ocean Drive. While South Beach will remain a tourist destination for spring breakers and bachelor parties alike, let’s not forget about all the other dreamy beaches that Miami has to offer. Grab yourself a piña colada, sit back and relax. Here’s the insider’s guide to the best beaches in Miami.

1. South Pointe Park Beach

A newly renovated boardwalk and fishing pier. A 17-acre park that separates sand from city. A fun water park for the kiddos. Breath-taking views of Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami. How much better can it get? Whether you’re coming for a picnic at the park with your favorite people (or pups!), to walk along the paved pathways, or hang out on the sand with your girls, South Pointe Park is definitely a one of kind place you won’t forget. This is a place for anyone who loves sunshine and being outside when the weather is nothing short of perfect. Tourists and locals are always hanging out here together, so you won’t feel out of place!

2. Lummus Park Beach

Art Deco buildings, fancy vintage cars, street cafes and the Versace Mansion. Ring a bell? Lummus Park Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Miami that brings tourists from all over the world. This is the Miami Beach as seen on TV. This stretch of South Beach is the place to go if you don’t mind the crowds and the hustle and bustle of Ocean Drive. While this beach brings mostly tourists, it’s still a spot everyone should go to at least once in their life for the unique experience that South Beach gives visitors with its lively atmosphere. It’s one of the best beaches in Miami for beach volleyball, people watching and tanning.

3. Surfside Beach

Nestled in the quaint little oceanfront community of Surfside, this beach is a local gem that brings locals to the sand every day of the week. Whether it’s for a morning run or a relaxing evening with friends and a bottle of wine on the beach, it’s the perfect beach to set your towel down for a while and take a break from the fast-paced Miami lifestyle. At Surfside Beach you can mingle with the locals and have a chill afternoon listening to music and the sound of crashing waves.

4. Haulover Beach

Miami’s Haulover Beach is one of a kind and has quite interesting…views. If you’re looking for the best beaches in Miami that are still family friendly, you may need to turn back now. Along this stretch of sand, you’ll find a nude beach between the two northernmost parkings lots, a gay nude beach north of the lifeguard tower, and the friendliest dog beach/park between the second and third lifeguard towers. This beach is located just between Sunny Isles and Bal Harbor, and has some of the most scenic landscape views that you don’t want to miss out on. People travel from all over the country to this clothing optional beach to even out their tan lines and take in the dreamy shoreline views.

5. Crandon Park Beach

Palm trees, picnics, soft white sand, and a day well spent with family and friends. Most locals have probably attended some kind of event at Crandon Park Beach. Because well, it’s the perfect place for it. It’s the kind of beach you find on postcards, and gives off all the family-friendly vibes. If you’re looking for a fun but relaxing beach to have a family cookout, this is where you want to do it!

See Also

6. Sunny Isles Beach

A beach surrounded by city life and luxury high-rises. Just north of Haulover, sits this gorgeous gem of a beach that brings locals and tourists around the clock. Just a few years ago, you’d find the older crowds and more middle class-friendly condos. In every effort to change its reputation, it’s now become a booming spot for high-class beachfront condos and hotels. It has become every local’s and tourist’s guilty pleasure. You probably want to get there in the early morning. As with all of the best beaches in Miami that are even a little well known, it’s important to get there early to avoid traffic and limited parking!

7. Hollywood Beach

The perfect spot for a family day or a rum runner on the boardwalk while you people watch. Popularly known for it’s wide walkable boardwalk, Hollywood Beach is the perfect spot to get away from the congestion of Miami Beach. While it still gets crowded and parking is $5 an hour, you can’t go wrong spending a few hours here. You’ll find a lot of tourists here too, mostly because it’s the home of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort. It’s one of the best beaches in Miami for locals to act like a tourist for the day without as crazy of a crowd as Miami Beach.

Which of our best beaches in Miami is your favorite? Are we missing any? Let us know in the comments below!

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Rachel Tellez

Recent Barry University graduate and Florida girl living in Dallas. If I'm not up writing or editing at 3AM, then I'm probably still up binge-watching Grey's Anatomy, again.

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