Key takeaways
- Miami Beach blends beach, Art Deco, dining, and water sports
- The beach and Ocean Drive are the obvious starting points
- Biscayne Bay opens up boating, sailing, and sunset cruises
- Day trips reach the Everglades, the Keys, and Wynwood
A destination with range
Miami Beach has so many different things to do that no two trips are ever quite the same, and that is exactly why so many vacationers come back. This is a barrier island made for sun, design, water and late nights. Guests of The Luxury Rental choose to meander through it at their own relaxed speed. The sand is all about the day sometimes. And some are part of architecture, food or open sea. The secret, of course, is to know what each area of the island does well.
Start with the beach
Start with the obvious, since the obvious is quite good here. The beach is the main attraction. A long ribbon of pale sand and mild Atlantic waters that runs from South Beach up to the calmer northern portions. The mornings are still and wonderful for swimming. Afternoons get filled. Beyond the city’s shoreline is the Art Deco Historic District, one of the densest collections of 1930s architecture in the world. A leisurely walk down Ocean Drive and the streets that fan out from it reveals the pastel facades, neon signage and rounded corners that comprise the city’s visual hallmark.
Walking Lincoln Road and Espanola Way
Just wander Lincoln Road, the pedestrian strip of stores, cafes and people watching that never really stops. It’s one of the most satisfying things to do in Miami Beach. A few streets away, Española Way offers a little counterbalance of Mediterranean flavor. Both reward a wandering walk more than a set itinerary. Starving? The eating scene is a mix of stone crab mainstays, Cuban classics and ambitious modern restaurants, so hunger is rarely a problem.
Out on Biscayne Bay
Then there is the water, which is half the reason to be here. Boating across Biscayne Bay, which separates the island from the mainland, is still one of the signature things to do in Miami Beach for those who want to see the skyline from its best vantage point. There are a few places around the bay to charter boats and go sailing, paddleboarding and jet skiing. The sunset light when downtown is glowing behind the lake is the sort of thing that cameras always seem to miss.
Day trips beyond the island
The area does a lot of quiet work for people who want to roam further. Day tours stretch the list of things to do in Miami Beach beyond the island’s own limits. About an hour west are the Everglades, a very distinct landscape of sawgrass and fauna. The Florida Keys begin their vast, sweeping arc a short drive away. Even a quick lift to the design areas and museums on the mainland adds to what could otherwise be a wholly coastal experience.
Building your own mix
The honest delight of this location is that the menu of things to do in Miami Beach flexes to the kind of visitor you are, whether that means architecture by day and gourmet dinners by night, or morning swimming and a boat by afternoon. The Luxury Rental settles guests into a private base that makes all of it feel close; the island unveils itself quietly, on the appropriate terms, with nothing rushed.
