Top Rated Parks to Visit in South Beach

"One of the most photographed locations in Miami, Wynwood Walls is a collection of murals and paintings laid out over an open courtyard. Artist-led tours are available, but it’s free to simply explore on your own. What invariably bowls people over is the sheer exuberant colors and commanding presence of the murals, which only tend to be around for less than a year before they are painted over."

"Start your Wynwood adventure at the Wynwood Walls, home to dozens of murals by the world’s top street artists. The murals change regularly, so the next time you visit Miami, many of them will be different. It’s easy to spend an hour or more wandering through the murals and the galleries connected to the Walls."

"Located at the new W South Beach Hotel, the WALL is a chic destination, brought to the Miami night scene by KNR Group: the name behind other dining and clubbing hot spots including Solea, Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, Mokai and Mynt. Velvet ropes, bron...[Learn more]"

"Few American parks can claim to front such a lovely stretch of turquoise as Biscayne Bay, but this fantastic green space is packed full of freebies too, including a great playground for the kids. The Tina Hills Pavilion has free concerts and yoga sessions, but Bayfront Park has some interesting public art worth discovering as well. The JFK Torch of Friendship recognizes the accomplishments of US congressman Claude Pepper, while Isamu Noguchi, who redesigned much of Bayfront Park in the 1980s, has three great sculptures: the Challenger Memorial, The Light Tower, and our favorite, the Slide Mantra."

"Few American parks can claim to front such a lovely stretch of turquoise as Biscayne Bay, but Miamians are lucky like that. Noted artist and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi redesigned much of Bayfront Park in... Top ChoiceMuseum in Downtown Miami"

"When you’re dreaming of Miami, you're dreaming of Lummus Park Beach, a postcard-perfect spot surrounded by historic art deco buildings, high-end hotels, a winding beachfront walkway, and bronzed athletes playing volleyball games on the sandy courts. This beach is full of action and a favorite among tourists looking for the full Miami experience (Muscle Beach and frozen margaritas included). At the heart of Lummus Park, find Miami Beach's LGBTQ+ beach located at the intersection of 12th street, a hotspot during Miami Beach Pride and identifiable year-round by the rainbow flags at each lifeguard station."

"Because South Beach is such a broad description, and the varying beaches here go on for miles, we thought we'd narrow it down. Lummus Park, the area of the beach located along Ocean Drive from 5th to 15th Street, is the all-encompassing South Beach experience. This is the strip of sand that is always the most crowded, which makes for excellent people watching."

"It’s neither polished nor particularly pretty, but it’s a glimpse into real life in Spanish-speaking Miami and a place to watch Cuba’s old guard face off over dominos in Maximo Gomez Park; grab a 50 cent cortadito (a shot of Cuban coffee with steamed milk) from a walk-up window; and watch cigar rollers hand roll stogies at family-run factories. End your jaunt in Little Havana with a scoop (or two or three) of homemade Abuela Maria® ice cream at"

"For Little Havana’s most evocative reminder of Cuba, visit Máximo Gómez Park (known locally as Domino Park), where the sound of elderly men trash-talking over games of dominoes is harmonized with the quick clack-clack of slapping tiles. The heavy cigar smell and a sunrise-bright mural of the 1994 Summit of the Americas add to the atmosphere."

"The Barnacle Historic State Park is home to the oldest house in Miami|© William Silver / Shutterstock. Also in Coconut Grove, this fairly small park tops our list for having the oldest house in its original location in Miami. Visitors can tour the 1891 home, The Barnacle, to learn about the frontier life during the “Era of the Bay” at a time when all travel to the city was done by boat."

"At this 5-acre gem in Coconut Grove is the oldest home in its original location in Miami-Dade County (1891), which once housed Ralph Middleton Munroe, an American yacht designer. You'll also see plenty of mesmerizing Spanish moss. A post shared by @lizz_ax3 on Feb 26, 2017 at 2:42pm PST"

"3485 Main Hwy This historic Florida State Park is located in the Coconut Grove neighborhood and spans about 5 acres. Dade County’s oldest home resides on this five-acre site that overlooks the scenic Biscayne Bay. It was built by Commodore Ralph Middleton Munroe in 1891."

"5451 Washington Street A quiet facility, this passive park is known for its lighted walking trail with 10 exercise stations, interactive water feature and two playgrounds with shade structures, one wood chip, the other artificial turf, and restrooms."

"Drive past it on the way to North Beach and you may miss this off-the-beaten path park with three full basketball courts featuring perfect backboards to show off your Chef Curry skills. The park also has a lap pool for your starting five to cool off after a few pick-up games. If you can't find a spot in the lot for your car, there's plenty of street parking along the perimeter of the grounds."

"Tucked among the estates of Pine Tree Drive, this park has a community garden and lots of tranquil, undisturbed waterfront green space."

"The Little River's Manatee Bend Park, where you can spot actual manatees, (six of them are in that picture!) is a small, green space to relax, a communal outdoor living room for the surrounding neighborhood."

"Restaurants Japanese Miami. From its humble beginnings as a small college town restaurant in Gainesville, Florida, to a lofty, Japanese hotspot anchoring a major downtown Doral development, Dragonfly is a constant neighborhood favorite no matter where it pops up. The daily happy hour is a steal, featuring $1 oysters, $5 appetizers and cocktails clocking in under $10."

"Head to this Doral spot if your offspring are fans of sushi and tempura or if you're still trying to persuade them to try it. They'll get crayons to color a paper build-your-own bento box menu, which lists options such as grilled chicken thigh ($9), whitefish tempura with Japanese tartar sauce ($11), skirt steak with. koji and potato salad ($11), and chicken breast"

"Dragonfly offers a true catch-to-consumption experience featuring the freshest fish you can find in Miami. It is actually located behind a working fish market where they sell local..."

"Bars Lounges Allapattah. Watr owns its stunning view of the ocean with a Peruvian-inspired rooftop restaurant and bar decked in reclaimed wood. The soundtrack is more akin to breaking waves than the usual club bangers you hear in these parts."

"The wooden bar and Polynesian inspired rooftop make water a must-visit place to come. Enjoy great nightlife that you usually don’t get in the usual clubs because the soundtrack is fantastic. The stunning ocean view, drinks, and Zen vibes will also let you feel that you are in a spa."

"Nothing like a soft sea breeze, white, pillowy couches and some delicious Peruvian-influenced Japanese cuisine to make us feel like we’re on vacation right here at home. 2341 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-604-6580 or 1hotels.com. View this post on Instagram"

"Restaurants Japanese South Beach. In a town where everything is constantly changing and shuttering, South Beach’s first sushi restaurant remains successfully in business since 1987. Toni’s wood design is more retro than dated and its cozy sunken booths are a nice throwback to when people welcomed sitting on the floor."

"Toni’s Sushi Bar is one of the first places that comes to mind when locals here think of amazing fresh fish and Japanese food. It opened in 1987 and has been a hit with the crowds ..."

"Located a few blocks north of Miracle Mile in Coral Gables is Gusto Fino Italian Deli Café, is one of my favorite sandwich shops in the city. Serving a variety of classic Italian dishes and hot and cold sandwiches, the casual café, also offers a limited beer and wine list, as well as a breakfast menu. You’ll find delicious offerings like a classic New York Reuben sandwich or a hot pastrami sub."

"Wakefield consistently serves up some of the best craft brews in the area, direct from its Star Wars-themed brewery and tap room in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. El Jefe, a German Hefeweizen brewed with coconut flakes, is a long-time favorite here, but the special releases are gems to keep an eye out for."

"Review: Fast and friendly service, great sours, quirky and cool. Also located in Wynwood, J. Wakefield is an independently owned brewery and taproom established in 2015. They take pride in making beers outside the norm, like a coconut-infused Hefeweizen."

"If you aren't careful, you could mistake the front of the graffiti-covered J. Wakefield Brewing as just another art installation in the many creative Wynwood Walls. However, this is the tap room you are looking for, complete with Star Wars décor."

"Beginning distribution in 2014, Biscayne Bay Brewing Company didn’t open with a 3,400 square-foot taproom until 2016. Lucky for Doral drinkers, it keeps 15 rotating beers on tap, a handful of which are its own brews. Unique to its competition, this brewery has a temperature-controlled barrel-aging room that allows it to create whiskey barrel-aged beers like La Salida, El Roble and Buenas Noches."

"Breweries and children don’t tend to go hand-in-hand, but at Biscayne Bay Brewing every Saturday kids under 12 eat for free off a menu, which features a cheese pizza, grilled cheese sandwich, and chicken fingers. Available from noon to 3 p.m. View this post on Instagram"

"Bars Breweries Doral. Happy hour: Yes, Mon–Fri 3–7pm. Standout beer: La Colada"

"Located in Fort Lauderdale, 30 miles north of Miami, a trip to Riverside Market is worth every second spent in I-95 traffic. What awaits is a selection of over 650 craft beer bottles carefully displayed in self-serve coolers around the shop and 20 drafts in constant rotation. It’s a thrilling game of hops-and-seek here—you never know what owner Julian Siegel has stocked on any given day."