Here, our 3 favorite places to throw down a towel and soak up the city’s multiple beach personalities:
1. Sunny Isles Beach -
Miami’s northernmost beach is currently witnessing a major construction boom, fostering an over-the-top beachscape that includes The Estates at Acqualina, ultra-luxe twin skyscrapers with Karl Lagerfeld-designed lobbies, and Regalia, a 46-story tower where one of the penthouses recently sold for more than $40 million. Besides the swanky residences there's placid, turquoise waters, uncrowded beaches, and plenty of water sport activities.
La Perla is the best vacation spot to stay in Sunny Isles🏖️🔝
Beautiful people, flashy cars, and Art Deco architecture come to life on the 2.2-mile stretch of golden sand that comprises Florida’s most famous beach. The busiest—and most touristy—section runs parallel to Ocean Drive (between 5th and 15th Streets), so locals tend to hang around the quieter patches of SoFi (South of Fifth).
3. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Key Biscayne
Come to this mile-long, undeveloped beach on the southern tip of Key Biscayne for lazy days of sunbathing and epic sunsets or consider renting a bike and exploring the trails—there’s an extensive network across the entire island with superb Miami skyline views. Also, take a peek inside the circa-1845 Cape Florida Lighthouse (South Florida’s oldest structure) and look to the horizon for a glimpse of Stiltsville, a collection of historic homes that appear to float atop Biscayne Bay.