Top 5 strolls in Miami & Miami Beach not to miss
The cities of Miami and Miami Beach in Florida, have developed throughout the years and continue to grow. The combination of contemporary architecture and natural landscape – tropical weather, white sandy beaches, light blue sea, numerous waterfronts, flora and fauna, makes these cities wonderful destinations to wander and enjoy beautiful views.
The friendly and chatty locals who speak with different accents, both in English and Spanish, as well as the diversity of music and food add some spice to the experience.
Top 5 strolls recommended for photography enthusiasts, aesthetics & nature lovers and those who like to leisurely walk and enjoy the views
1. Southernmost part of Miami Beach
This stroll is easy, straight, on a paved pedestrian road, not crowded and with constant views of the waterfront. This walk should take less than an hour.
At the arrival of McArthur Causeway in Miami Beach, on 5th St., there is a pedestrian road that goes along the water towards the south until it reaches the South Pointe pier and the beach. The beginning of this stroll goes along the Miami Beach Marina with views of beautiful boats of all sizes.
Along the way, you will find a couple of restaurants and even a mini market. As you continue further south and leave the marina behind, you will see the private Fisher Island across the water. This private island is only accessible by private boat, helicopter or ferry and is rumoured to be the richest postcode in the USA. Cruise ships that leave the Port of Miami and navigate to the sea pass between this pedestrian road and Fisher Island. If you are lucky, you might see one or more!
As you approach the pier and the beach, you will see to your left South Pointe Park, where people have picnics, families relax in the shade and sometimes yoga classes take place. Go all the way to the end of the pier and feel the wind in your hair and enjoy the view.
2. Miami Beach pedestrian beach walk
The paved pedestrian road (pedestrians and bicycles,) is a beautiful place to go for a leisurely walk. However, do it in stretches and not all at the same time. It’s very long and can be exhausting to do in one day.
The City of Miami Beach started a pedestrian road project many years ago. The aim is to link all the beaches with a road for people to move freely on foot between the beach and the back of the condos, hotels and private properties.
The road starts at South Pointe and goes all the way to 79th St.
In my experience, the southern stretch tends to be busier with tourists and bicycles. The stretch between 17th to 45th St. is beautiful, and although crowded in high season, it has beautiful hotels to look at and wonderful beaches. The stretch between 45th and 79th St. is less crowded because there are fewer hotels and more condos. This is your chance to see more locals if you are interested.
3. Collins Avenue waterfront and marina in Miami Beach
A walk on Collins Avenue along the canal between 45th – 53rd St. is surprisingly relaxing. You might not even notice the cars passing by. The stroll takes about half an hour and it’s worth it.
You’ll see a row of boats of all sizes docked, you can hear the relaxing sound of fish jumping up in the water and can contemplate beautiful mansions across the canal, many of which have boats docked in their private piers.
From this side of Collins Avenue, you can admire the architecture of the tall buildings with sea views across the street.
4. A stroll around the man-made island – Brickell Key in Downtown Miami
This beautiful walk is easy to do, just follow the paved path next to the water and go straight. A relaxed stroll should take about an hour. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is a good guide to defining the start and finish.
Brickell Key is a triangular man-made island in Downtown Miami. It is linked to Brickell Avenue, Miami’s Financial District, by a bridge. Brickell Key is a residential area with a few shops and restaurants, as well as a luxury hotel.
Cross the bridge on SE 8th St. to Brickell Key and turn right or left. Either way, walk along the water and continue straight. The views are spectacular and diverse. You’ll see beautiful Biscayne Bay, the Rickenbacker Causeway that goes to the island of Key Biscayne, the Brickell Avenue and Downtown Miami skyline and the Miami River.
Brickell Key is not a big tourist destination therefore, you’ll see mainly island residents walking their beautiful dogs or jogging. There are benches to relax in if you need to take a break and enjoy wonderful views.
5. From Downtown Miami to Brickell Financial District along the water
This is another wonderful stroll to go on. It’s an easy walk on a paved pedestrian road. You’ll see cars when you walk across the bridge on 8th St. and then it will be pedestrian. This stroll will take about an hour and it’s pure bliss.
This walk is a great alternative to a walk on Brickell Avenue with its high-rise buildings, traffic and corporate atmosphere.
Cross the Brickell Avenue Bridge from Downtown Miami toward Brickell Avenue and make a left on the W Miami Hotel. Walk towards the water as if going under the bridge and go along the waterfront to the right. You’ll see Downtown Miami and Brickell Key across the water. Continue straight until you reach the 8th St. bridge, walk across it to the marina and continue straight. From here on, it should all be a pedestrian path with beautiful and relaxing scenery.
Expect some curves along the way. The path will end on Brickell Ave. and 15th St. If you need to take a break, you’ll find benches where to sit and relax. This is a very quiet area with mostly residents jogging or walking their dogs.
How to get around without driving?
If you don’t want to worry about driving, finding parking, aggressive drivers, and missing your exit in the highway, there is an array of transportation options to give you freedom and peace of mind.
- The Miami Trolley and Miami Beach Trolley are great options to move around the cities for free.
- You may also take the Metrorail in Miami; an elevated rail system that is fast and inexpensive.
- The bus system works very well, especially in Miami Beach. There are many buses that go along Collins Avenue. The fare is payable with exact change or you may buy an EASY Card for $2 and top it up with money for easy transportation payment. There are some shops that sell and top-up EASY Cards (cash only) or you may buy it online. If you have a contactless credit card, you ma y use it for payment.
- Uber and Lyft; the ride-sharing system works well. Keep in mind that you are in a friendly and chatty culture therefore, don’t be surprised if your driver is quite communicative.
I hope you go on more than one of the top 5 strolls. You’ll love them. Have a wonderful time in sunny Miami and enjoy the walks!
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