The best beaches in Miami are located in the municipality of Miami Beach, separated from the “big city” by Biscayne Bay. Most of them are sandy, clean and free.
According to act-test-centers.com, Crandon Park Beach is the perfect place for parents with kids. A sand spit stretches along the entire coast, numerous attractions await young visitors, shops, cafes and convenient picnic areas await adults. Vacationing with children is also comfortable on Virginia Key Beach with its modern playgrounds.
There are almost no changing cabins on the beaches of Miami Beach, but there are showers and toilets.
The most famous place in the area is South Beach. It is located between 5th and 21st streets and is a constant attraction for local fashionistas, photographers and tourists. The most party part of South Beach is Lummus Park, equipped with several sports fields and perfect for outdoor enthusiasts. Here you can rent water sports equipment, play beach volleyball or go cycling, and in the evening you can relax in the many bars and restaurants.
Rental points for sun loungers (from 9 USD ) and umbrellas (about 12 USD ) on the coast of Miami are open until 17:00. It’s not worth going to the first one that comes across: it’s better to walk along the entire beach and compare prices.
The oldest beach in the city, founded at the beginning of the last century, is Matson Hammock. An artificial lagoon and dense mangroves form a very picturesque landscape. People come here not only to sunbathe, but also to surf: shallow water and spaciousness especially attract beginner surfers.
Holover Beach is the best nude beach in all of Florida. In the Bill Baggs Cape National Park you can go fishing, canoeing or kayaking and dine in a fashionable restaurant. The calmest beaches are on the territory of the North Shore Park, but the entrance here is paid ( 1 USD ).
Diving in Miami
The main “chips” of diving in Miami are artificial coral reefs (one of the best in the world) and many sunken ships. There are 10 artificial reef dive sites: 5 are located between Miami-Dade and Key Biscayne, and another 5 between Key Biscayne and Monroe. The best one is under 130 feet of water two miles east of Sunny Island.
Wreckage in Miami is in order. Judge for yourself: about 30 sunken ships, 3 oil platforms and a couple of sunken American tanks.
Scuba diving courses are organized at the South Beach Dive and Surf Center ( website ), upon completion of training a certificate of any level is issued. There are other major diving centers in the city: Active Divers Association ( website ), Undersea Hunter ( website ), Diga Dive Club, etc. The average cost of a dive is from 30-40 USD, equipment rental is from 5 USD, dive guide services – from 35 USD.
Experienced divers will love the unique John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park ( website ), located east of Key Largo. The land part occupies only 5% of its area, the rest is an amazing underwater world with bright corals, schools of tropical fish and a three-meter statue of Christ, sunk at a depth of 6 m.
Surfing and kiting in Miami
Today, surfing has become an integral part of the life of Miamians. And this is not surprising: absolutely all conditions for comfortable boarding are created here. The mild climate, warm water and almost never abating waves are the perfect picture for all fans of the fashionable sport. Miami has several great surfing beaches: South Beach, Lummus Park, South Point Park, Matson Hammock (beginner’s paradise), and North Shore.
The best time for surfing is the period from September to May, when the water temperature is optimal. In summer, the sea warms up to +32 ° C, so skiing promises to be too hot. Beginning wave conquerors can use the services of a private instructor, the average cost of such pleasure is about 100 USD per lesson.
You should not ride in unfamiliar places: experienced surfers will always tell you where it is safe and where there are no sharks.
Another very popular sport in Miami is kiting. Almost like windsurfing, but with an important condition: a kite is used as a driving force, flying over an athlete standing on the board. The best kiting beach is Sandy Beach, located between 23rd and 29th streets in the South Beach area. Everyone can learn kitesurfing: for example, lessons at the Miami Kiteboarding School ( website ) will cost from 75 USD per hour.
Shopping
Miami has great shopping opportunities. There are also huge malls with boutiques of famous brands, and entire shopping streets with many shops. The main one is Lincoln Road, where most of the popular American and foreign brands are represented. Here you can easily pick up men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, underwear, swimwear, cosmetics, jewelry, branded sweets and all kinds of tourist souvenirs.
For fashionable bikinis, bright slates and wide-brimmed hats – the main “uniform” in Miami – you should look at Alvin’s Island, for affordable shoes – at Steve Madden, for delicious chocolate – at Ghirardelli.
Another famous shopping street is Washington Avenue stretching along the sea. Prices here are much lower than on Lincoln Road, and most stores offer a high-quality mass market. Little Havana, on Northeast 40th Street, has trendy boutiques with affordable prices. For example, Christian Louboutin shoes or a Celine dress can be bought here much cheaper than anywhere else in Miami.
Miami’s most popular shopping mall is the Bayside Marketplace in Downtown ( website ): a huge covered street filled with shops and restaurants. On the north side of the city is Aventura Mall ( website ), the third largest mall in the United States. It will take all day to walk around 3 floors with boutiques, restaurants and a cinema. The Falls is a large open-air shopping mall in South Miami, today there are over 100 stores of famous brands. Coco Walk in Coconut Grove is a great place for shopping and entertainment: not only boutiques, but also numerous art galleries, attractions, cinemas and even nightclubs ( website ).
If you want to save money, go to outlets. The most famous are Dolphin Mall and Sawgrass Mills. Here you can find items from the past collections of Tommy Hilfiger, Gap, Ralph Lauren and other legendary brands.
In Miami, it is most profitable to buy things from American brands: Victoria’s Secret, Guess, DKNY, Converse, Lacoste, Ed Harley, etc. In other countries, they are sold with solid surcharges, but here they are at very attractive prices. Otherwise, prices are comparable to those in Moscow, with the exception of sales periods. From December to January, as elsewhere in the US, the real shopping madness begins here: discounts – up to 70%.
