By: Kara Franker
From moonrises over the ocean to sunsets on the Everglades, romantic settings in Greater Miami & Miami Beach unfold in the heat of a tropical moment. If you aren't in the mood for love before the following experiences, you will be afterwards.
Enjoy relaxing strolls along Miami Beach's miles of coastline
Beach Walks
There's a reason long walks on the beach are a romantic cliché. Soft breezes, breaking surf, even the call of seagulls create a sense of peace and well-being. Can romance be far behind? Beaches in Greater Miami & Miami Beach are loved for their white sands and gentle waves that don't drown out intimate conversations. Bring a picnic and make a day of it at places like Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on Key Biscayne, where you can climb to the top of the historic lighthouse. Or take an impromptu après-dinner beach stroll on South Beach. The beaches, and romance, are waiting.
Explore all the beautiful beaches Greater Miami & Miami Beach has to offer.
Stroll through the grounds of beautiful gardens, like Vizcaya
Gorgeous Gardens
With parks and green spaces all over Greater Miami & Miami Beach, it's easy to escape—hand-in-hand—into the lush tropical landscape. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, for one, offers nearly three miles of pathways that meander past rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, fruit trees, vines and brilliant flowers. Nature hikes and butterfly walks are offered at the Deering Estate, or the romance of the Renaissance may inspire passion on a stroll through 10 acres of formal gardens at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, a bayfront mansion filled with decorative treasures from Old Europe. Moonlight tours of Vizcaya are especially romantic. Recently opened Pride Park at the Miami Beach Convention Center offers beautiful views and open spaces and is adjacent to the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, where admission is free.
Explore more of Miami’s parks and natural areas.
Explore Miami's many restaurants, like Fontana at The Biltmore Hotel
Divine Dining
With cuisine from every corner of the globe, restaurants in Greater Miami literally bring you the world on a plate. But when romance is on the menu, an intimate atmosphere and unobtrusive service can help you concentrate on each other. Set within a Mediterranean-style beach house that opens onto an outdoor garden terrace, Casa Tua in South Beach offers an exquisite setting matched only by its celebrated menu of innovative Italian creations. In Coral Gables, intimate evenings are a specialty of Fontana at the historic Biltmore Hotel, while incredible dining is paired with unparalleled views of the Downtown Miami skyline at La Mar by Gastón Acurio, located in the dazzling Mandarin Oriental, Miami hotel on Brickell Key.
Explore more romantic Miami dining experiences.
Get a bird's eye view of Miami from a rooftop restaurant or bar, like Area 31
Rooftop Romance
Miami is even more magical when viewed from above, and there's no better place to take in a 360-degree panorama of Miami than at one of many rooftop lounges. At Area 31 at The Kimpton EPIC Hotel, you can enjoy dinner or cocktails al fresco on the 16th floor pool terrace with breathtaking views of Biscayne Bay, the Miami River and Downtown Miami high rises.
Learn more about Miami’s rooftop lounges.
Miami on a Citi Bike
The Gentle Cycle
You may not get a bicycle-built-for-two, but there are plenty of places in Greater Miami & Miami Beach where you can rent bikes or scooters and coast along some scenic pathways. On the county's northern end, Aventura has some great waterfront bikeways. On Virginia Key, which boasts 12 miles of paved bike trails, try the Viriginia Key Outdoor Center for rentals. Citi Bike on South Beach will have you cruising the trails of Lummus Park and South Pointe Park in no time.
Read more about biking in Miami.
Starry-Eyed
Check the calendar at Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, for amazing Friday night laser light shows in their Planetarium along with special opportunities to visit their rooftop observatory for earth-bound mortals to gaze through powerful Meade telescopes at the planets in our solar system as well as deep-space objects such as galaxies, nebulas and double stars. It's a reminder that the universe, like love, is eternal.
Immerse yourself in nature by camping in Everglades National Park
Into the Wild
If you're looking for the ultimate in seclusion, try Miami's own “River of Grass,” Everglades National Park, where it will just be the two of you and thousands of birds, not to mention alligators. Boat and tram tours, narrated by trained naturalists, take you into the heart of the park, or you can opt for solo canoe and kayak excursions. Stay for a spectacular sunset over this subtropical wilderness. For those more adventurous, you can spend the night on a house boat or cabin.
Explore more tours and excursions.
Explore the story of lost love at Coral Castle
Labor of Love
Coral Castle in South Dade was constructed between 1923 and 1951 by Latvian immigrant Ed Leedskalnin, who weighed all of 100 pounds, but was still able to move and sculpt 1,100 tons of coral rock. What was he building? A coral “garden” of massive structures, including half-ton chairs, perfectly balanced to rock gently back and forth. Why? Because his fiancée had broken their engagement back in Latvia, so a broken-hearted Ed came to America. The only unanswered question is, how? The intensely private man worked mostly at night and if he sensed someone watching, he'd stop till they went away. Maybe you and your beloved will discover Ed's secret when you visit this monument to lost love.
Find more quirky and unusual things to do in Miami.
Sail into the sunset on a cruise out of PortMiami
The Love Boat
Seriously, is there anything more romantic than a moonlit seat on the deck of a ship? Surrounded by water, Greater Miami & Miami Beach is a natural destination for cruises of all kinds, and you can sail into the sunset (or sunrise) with one of many cruise lines that call at PortMiami. Some offer romantic extras, such as private balconies and champagne on arrival, while for many couples, the emotional rush of pulling away from the dock and seeing the Miami skyline slide by is thrill enough. If your nautical adventure will be closer to home, Miami marinas are the launch point for a variety of sightseeing and dinner cruises. Many depart from Bayside Marketplace, which is itself a romantic locale, thanks to a waterfront setting, plentiful restaurants and bars, and open-air walkways.
Learn more about cruising from Miami.