Miami's Best Beaches

From world-famous South Beach and the nature preserves of Key Biscayne to the family-friendly shores of Surfside and Sunny Isles Beach, Greater Miami & Miami Beach offers a beach experience for everyone. Here’s your guide to the very best beaches for fun days under the sun.

Explore Iconic South Beach

It’s hard to imagine Miami without thinking of South Beach. This legendary stretch of beach runs from the southern tip of Miami Beach to 23rd Street. Here, turquoise blue ocean laps against white-sand beaches, Art Deco hotels flank the coastline, and the beach itself is a colorful patchwork of lounge chairs and umbrellas. The most-popular part of South Beach runs from 5th to 15th streets along Ocean Drive, while a more-subdued, residential atmosphere can be found to the north and south.

Enjoy Family Fun in North Beach

With chilled-out beaches, historic Art Deco architecture and inviting green spaces, North Beach, from 60th Street to the town of Surfside, makes for a mellow, family-friendly beach destination. A beautiful oceanfront park with ample shade trees, North Beach Oceanside Park is an ideal spot to access the beach for a relaxing day. You’ll find shaded walking trails, a bike path, a dog park and a playground for the little ones. There are also picnic pavilions with barbecue grills if you feel like packing a feast to share with friends and family. Best of all, the white sands and aquamarine waters of the Atlantic Ocean are right there for your enjoyment.

Find Serenity in Surfside

Surfside is known as Miami’s uptown beach town. Nestled between North Beach and Bal Harbour, it has a decidedly retro small-town appeal. From sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean to sunset behind the skyline, this pristine stretch of beach attracts families and anyone looking for a tranquil day by the shore. Lush sand dunes buffet the shoreline, joggers run on the elevated dune path and standup paddleboarders glide along the calm waves. Pack a picnic and beach blanket or simply recline on a cushy lounge chair at your oceanfront resort for an idyllic day on the sand. Home to Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Surfside can also be a rather upscale destination for a beach day.

Discover a One-of-a-Kind Beach Destination

Just north of Bal Harbour, Haulover Park Beach is home to the only nude beach in Miami and is the place to go if you want to bare it all and not get a tan line. But that’s not the only thing that attracts beachgoers to Haulover. Beyond the designated nude beach area, Haulover is also a prime spot for surfers when conditions are right because of the current at Haulover Inlet. The adjacent oceanfront park is also a popular place for families to fly kites and have a picnic; there are tables and outdoor grills. There's also a marina facing the Intracoastal Waterway that’s full of fishing and diving charters.

Bask on Florida’s Riviera

Known as Florida’s Riviera, Sunny Isles Beach is a pristine, uncrowded two-mile stretch of sand at the northernmost reaches of Miami’s beachfront, lined with towering residential condominiums and resorts. It’s ideal for families looking for a quiet day at the beach. Park at the lot at 174th Street and make your way to this gorgeous stretch of beach through Samson Oceanfront Park, which has a lifeguard tower and volleyball nets nearby. At 165th Street, Newport Fishing Pier juts over 600 feet into the ocean and is perfect for a scenic stroll or a bite to eat with views.

Natural Wonders Abound at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, at the southern tip of Key Biscayne, is a treasure. With rugged sand dunes leading to an uncrowded beach and panoramic ocean views, it's a piece of unspoiled nature. The water is typically tranquil, thanks to a barrier reef located a few miles offshore. There’s also a historic lighthouse built in the 1820s, nature trails that wind through the park and a variety of casual, toes-in-the-sand-style restaurants that are perfect for lunch or sunset cocktails and dinner, including Boater’s Grill, Lighthouse Cafe and The Cleat.

Get Active at Crandon Park Beach

A former coconut plantation on Key Biscayne, 800-acre Crandon Park Beach is great for active beachgoers. Miami EcoAdventures is the exclusive vendor for kiteboarding, standup paddleboarding, and kayaking lessons and rentals. There are also trails across a mangrove boardwalk leading to a fossilized coral reef and naturalist-led tours by Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center. The beach is a two-mile sandy, tranquil stretch along the barrier island with a famous sandbar that constantly changes due to the wind and tides. You’ll also find picnic tables, cabanas and volleyball nets as well as a marina, golf course and tennis center within the park.

Journey Back in Time at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park

Located just off the Rickenbacker Causeway en route to Key Biscayne, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is located on the 82-acre barrier island of Virginia Key and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. You can learn about the park’s history during the free eco-history tours offered Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Then roll out a blanket and soak up the sun along this quiet, mile-long stretch of sand. Virginia Key is also home to an antique carousel, a playground, a miniature train, picnic tables and pavilions, a nature boardwalk, coastal hammock trails and a bike path.

Become One with Nature at Matheson Hammock Park Beach

The 630-acre Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables opened in 1930 as a gift to the county from conservationist William J. Matheson “to preserve the [area’s] wild and natural beauty.” The hammock is a unique ecosystem featuring a dense strand of broad-leafed trees set only a few inches above sea level and surrounded by tropical wetlands. You can hike along trails, rent kayaks and canoes, and swim in the tranquil, protected waters of a man-made atoll pool surrounded by a sandy beach.

Whatever you’re looking for, Miami has the perfect beach for you.