Beach sights in Miami
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A
Promenade
The beach promenade is a wavy ribbon sandwiched between the beach and Ocean Dr, extending from 5th St to 15th St. A popular location for photo shoots, especially during crowd-free early mornings, it’s also a breezy, palm tree–lined conduit for in-line skaters, cyclists, volleyball players (there’s a net at 11th St), dog walkers, yahoos, locals and tourists. The beach that it edges, called Lummus Park, sports six floridly colored lifeguard stands. There’s a public bathroom at 11th St; heads up, the sinks are a popular place for homeless bathing.
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B
Ocean Drive
Yar, here be the belly of the South Beach Beast. It’s just a road, right? No, it’s America’s great cruising strip, an endless parade of classic cars, testosterone-sweating young men, peacock-y young women, street performers, vendors, those guys who yell unintelligible crap at everyone, celebrities pretending to be tourists, tourists who want to play celebrity, beautiful people, ugly people, people people and the best ribbon of deco preservation on the beach. Say ‘Miami.’ That image in your head? Probably the Drive.
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C
Crandon Park
The 2-mile beach here is one of the city’s best, all sand and seagrass beds concealing shrimp, crabs and a coastal marine ecosystem. Within the 1200-acre park you’ll find the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center and Bear Cut Preserve. The latter is a nature study area with a mangrove boardwalk that leads to a fossilized reef overlook. Guided tram tours are available, as are daily cabana rentals with showers on a first-come, first-serve basis ($37.50); no overnight stays allowed.
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D
Haulover Beach Park
Where are all those tanned men in gold chains and speedos going? That would be the clothing-optional beach in this 40-acre park hidden from condos, highway and prying eyes by vegetation. There’s more to do here than get in the buff though; most of the beach is ‘normal’ and is one of the nicer spots for sand in the area (also note the colorful deco-ish shower ‘cones’).
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E
A1A
Beachfront Avenue! Driving this causeway between Miami and Miami Beach, over the glittering turquoise of Biscayne Bay, with a setting sun behind you, enormous cruise ships to the side, the palms swaying in the ocean breeze and, let’s just say ‘Your Love’ by the Outfield on the radio, is basically the essence of Miami. Just try it, and trust us.
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F
