Miami's Great Kayaking & Canoeing

With its natural beauty, calm, clear waters and plentiful marine life, Greater Miami & Miami Beach checks all the boxes for paddlers. Enjoy scenic excursions through mangrove forests, cruising on the calm, turquoise Atlantic Ocean, moonlight paddles and even backcountry kayaking or canoeing. Explore the destination’s best places to kayak or canoe then set off on your adventure.

Before you go, check each rental or tour company for their rules and age limits.

Explore South Beach by Water

There’s nothing like seeing beautiful South Beach from the water. Bou Yah Water Sports offers canoe and kayak and paddle board rentals at several beachfront locations, including Lummus Park, Loews Miami Beach Hotel and the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. Glide through the ocean while searching for sea turtles and other marine life. 

Paddle Through Paradise at Oleta River State Park

Florida’s largest urban park, Oleta River State Park in North Miami Beach is a paddler’s dream with its beautiful setting along the Oleta River and Biscayne Bay. Start your paddling adventure at the Oleta River Outdoor Center, where you can rent single or tandem kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. 

Enjoy a serene paddle through the mangroves, where fish jump and birds wade, or cruise through the bay to the park’s private beach. 

Oleta River Outdoor Center also offers guided eco tours, sunset tours, and full- and half-moon kayak tours after dark. 

Park admission is $6 per vehicle with two to eight people, $4 for a single motorist and $2 if you enter by foot or bike.

Explore the Untamed Beauty of Everglades National Park

If paddling a world wonder is on your to-do list, Everglades National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and subtropical wilderness offering outstanding kayaking and canoeing. An authentic backcountry adventure for all skill levels, you can glide through freshwater marsh, mangrove forests and the open waters of Florida Bay. 

Bring your own kayak or canoe or rent from Flamingo Adventures in Homestead. Beginners can paddle the Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail, a marked 5.2-mile loop trail where you may spot alligators and birds, or navigate the tight twists and turns of the 11-mile Hell’s Bay Trail, which winds through mangroves, creeks and ponds.

Take A Clear Kayak Tour in East Greynolds Park

East Greynolds Park in North Miami Beach is a great spot to launch kayaks and paddleboards. You can rent either from PADL's self-service location by using an app on your smartphone. Get Up & Go Kayaking and Miami On The Water offer 2.5-hour tours in clear kayaks. 

You’ll glide through mangrove tunnels and search the shallow waters for manatees, birds and marine life, like fish and rays.

Paddle Through Mangroves At Matheson Hammock Park

In Coral Gables, Matheson Hammock Park is another kayaking gem with mangroves, forests, rare birds and easy access to Biscayne Bay. Located inside the park, Adventure Sports rents kayaks and standup paddleboards. Its Matheson Paddle Pass offers six hours of kayaking or standup paddleboarding a week for a monthly fee.

Adventure And Nature Await At Crandon Park 

Leave the mainland behind and make a beeline for Crandon Park on tranquil Key Biscayne. While many enjoying simply swimming in the waters of Biscayne Bay and sunning on the beach, adventurers can rent kiteboards and kayaks at the north concession stand. 

If you want to learn about this stunning area, naturalists from Miami EcoAdventures take kayakers on a guided three-mile tour over seagrass beds and sand flats (you might even see a ray glide beneath you), through peaceful mangroves and to an ancient fossilized reef teeming with fish.

Explore A Paddling Mecca in Biscayne National Park

Shallow and calm, Biscayne National Park is an aquatic wonderland that offers an incredible chance to connect with nature. Those with a kayak, canoe or standup paddleboard can launch from the designated area near the parking lot. Paddle through the narrow passageway of Hurricane Creek for mangrove-fringed shorelines and incredible snorkeling. Experienced kayakers can cross the seven-mile expanse of Biscayne Bay to Elliott Key or Boca Chita Key. 

The most popular thing to do in Biscayne National Park is a guided tour to Jones Lagoon, where shallow waters provide an up-close look at the mangrove and seagrass habitats. You might spot baby sharks, rays, upside-down jellyfish, turtles and more.

Canoe to Biscayne National Park from Black Point 

Black Point Park & Marina in Homestead is a great jumping off point for water adventures and a gateway to Biscayne National Park. For those who desire a leisurely cruise through the area’s serene waters, there are several canoe routes along the mangrove shoreline.

When you’re done, reward yourself with a waterfront meal and drinks at Black Point Ocean Grill.

Paddle Into Adventure at Deering Estate

There’s more to the Deering Estate in Palmetto Bay than an historic home and beautiful grounds. It’s also a great launch spot for an array of kayaking activities. On select days, you can embark on a clear kayak adventure, historic kayak tours and moonlight kayak tours. 

If you want to explore Biscayne Bay on your own, self-service kayak and paddleboard rentals are available at nearby PADL in Deering Point Park.