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The best beaches in Miami, from the glamorous to the uncrowded

It’s hard to think of Miami without visions of South Beach swirling in one’s head - 2015
It’s hard to think of Miami without visions of South Beach swirling in one’s head - 2015

With the Atlantic Ocean kissing miles of Miami's shoreline, as well as the barrier islands of Key Biscayne floating just off the coast, a day at the beach is de rigueur here. You'll never go wrong in South Beach where you'll find a lively stretch covered in blankets, lounge chairs and daybeds. For a more adventurous afternoon in the sun, discover the beaches of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park or Matheson Hammock where you can hike nature trails and even scale a historic lighthouse.

Miami Beach

South Beach

It’s hard to think of Miami without visions of South Beach swirling in one’s head. This legendary stretch of beach runs from the southern tip of the island to 23rd Street. Turquoise-blue ocean laps against white sand, luxury hotels flank the coast, and the beach itself is a patchwork of lounge chairs and umbrellas. The tourist centre and raucous heart of the beach runs from 5th to 15th Street along Ocean Drive. You’ll find a more subdued, residential atmosphere to the north and south. Down at 1st Street, you'll spy surfers if conditions are right.

Address: Oceanfront between 1st and 23rd Streets

South Beach, Miami - Credit: no_limit_pictures/no_limit_pictures
South Beach is a legendary stretch of sand that runs all the way from the southern tip of the island to 23rd Street Credit: no_limit_pictures/no_limit_pictures

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Haulover Beach

Just north of Bal Harbour, Haulover Beach is the only nudist beach in Miami. While topless sunbathing is common throughout Miami Beach, this is where to go if you want to bare all. The tranquil white-sand strand attracts other types of visitors too. It’s a prime spot for surfers when conditions are right because of the current at the Haulover Inlet, and the adjacent oceanfront park is a popular place for families to fly kites and to have a picnic – there are tables and outdoor grills. There's also a marina full of fishing and diving charters facing the Intracoastal Waterway.

Address: Oceanfront from the Haulover Inlet to just south of Bayview Drive
Contact: 00 1 305 947 3525; hauloverbeach.org

Haulover Beach, Miami - Credit: Copyright 2003 Ross Cobb/Copyright www.FloridaPhoto.com 305.235.7051
Haulover Beach is a prime spot for surfers when conditions are right because of the current at the Haulover Inlet Credit: Copyright 2003 Ross Cobb/Copyright www.FloridaPhoto.com 305.235.7051

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Sunny Isles Beach

This clean and uncrowded two-mile stretch of sand at the northernmost reaches of Miami Beach is lined with towering residential condominiums. It is ideal for families looking for a day at the beach without the hubbub of South Beach. Park at the lot at 174th Street and make your way here through Samson Oceanfront Park – with a lifeguard tower and volleyball nets nearby, it’s a gorgeous stretch of beach. At 165th Street, Newport Fishing Pier juts over 600 feet into the ocean, and is a good place for a scenic stroll.

Address: Oceanfront from Haulover Beach Park to Terracina Avenue, Miami Beach

Sunny Isles Beach, Miami - Credit: ©2018 Roberto Moiola/Roberto Moiola / Sysaworld
Sunny Isles is ideal for families looking for a day at the beach without the hubbub of South Beach Credit: ©2018 Roberto Moiola/Roberto Moiola / Sysaworld

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Key Biscayne

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, at the tip of Key Biscayne, is a treasure. With rugged sand dunes leading to an uncrowded beach and unlimited ocean views as far as the eye can see, it's a piece of unspoiled and natural old Florida. The water is typically tranquil here, thanks to a barrier reef located six miles offshore. You can visit the lighthouse built in the 1820s, and follow nature trails that wind through the park. For refreshments, Boater’s Grill and the Lighthouse Café offer authentic Cuban fare in rustic settings. There are also shaded picnic pavilions if you bring your own food.

Address: 1200 Crandon Boulevard
Contact: 00 1 305 361 5811; floridastateparks.org
Opening times: 8am-sunset
Price: $8 (£6) entrance fee, per vehicle

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, Miami - Credit: Alexcrab/Alexcrab
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, with its rugged sand dunes leading to an uncrowded beach, is a piece of unspoiled and natural old Florida Credit: Alexcrab/Alexcrab

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Crandon Park

Crandon Park on Key Biscayne is the place to go to be active. Vendors offer lessons and rentals for kiteboarding, stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking, and there are also trails across a mangrove boardwalk to a fossilized coral reef, and naturalist-led tours provided by the Nature Center. The beach itself is a two-mile-long sandy, tranquil stretch along the barrier island with a famous sandbar that constantly changes thanks to the wind and tides. Back on the beach there are picnic tables, cabanas and volleyball nets, and within the park there is a marina, golf course and tennis centre.

Address: 6747 Crandon Boulevard
Contact: 00 1 305 361 5421; miamidade.gov
Price: $7 (£5) parking fee on weekends (no charge on weekdays)

Crandon Park, Miami - Credit: Raul Rodriguez/Rauluminate
Crandon Park is the place to go to be active: vendors offer lessons and rentals for kiteboarding, stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking Credit: Raul Rodriguez/Rauluminate

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Coral Gables

Matheson Hammock Park

The 630-acre Matheson Hammock Park, just south of Coral Gables, opened in 1930 as a gift to the county from conservationist William J Matheson “to preserve the wild and natural beauty” of Miami. Wondering what a hammock is? In Miami, it refers to a unique ecosystem featuring a dense stand of broad-leafed trees set only a few inches above sea level surrounded by tropical wetlands. At the park, you can hike along trails through the hammock, rent kayaks and canoes at the shore, and swim in the tranquil, protected waters of a man-made atoll pool surrounded by a sandy beach.

Address: 9610 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables
Contact: 00 1 305 665 5475; miamidade.gov
Price: $5 (£4) on weekdays; $7 (£5) on weekends and holidays, per vehicle

Matheson Hammock Park, Miami - Credit: Siegfried Schnepf
At Matheson Hammock Park, you can swim in the tranquil, protected waters of a man-made atoll pool Credit: Siegfried Schnepf