South Beach
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Good Place to Drink,
Good Place to Eat,
Good Place to Relax,
Popular with Locals,
Beach,
Neighborhood
South Beach is everything the hype has lead you to believe. Its 10 miles/16 kilometers of beaches filled with a buzzing, carnival-like atmosphere, while hosting myriad characters, from celebrities and club kids to eccentric locals and curious visitors. And just as stunning as the beautiful people that flock here are the pastel-hued structures in the Art Deco District, where stands the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world.
With a trendy Caribbean-chic café culture and an impossibly hip and sexy nightlife scene, South Beach is a nonstop people-watching mecca, especially on Ocean Drive. Head to lovely Lincoln Road to shop, stroll the Art Deco canyons on Collins Avenue, or wander the beach Promenade between 5th and 15th streets.
Lummus Park Beach is the popular stretch of sand running along Ocean Drive from about 6th St to 14th St. This section of the beach is all about people-watching and getting some serious sun. You may even spot a photoshoot taking place here!
If you want to get out of the sun and away from the crowds, step inside the provocative World Erotic Art Museum or visit the polar opposite Bass Museum of Art for a peek at 16th-century religious art. By then, mojitos and people-watching will carry you into the evening.
Latest Reviews
Review by Jennifer W, May 2013
Doing what: South Beach Cultural Food and Walking Tour
What an awesome experience! The restaurant choices were wonderful, the food was a mixture from everywhere and big portions for a tasting. We had latin food, Cuban food, pasta, bread, seafood, drinks, desserts. The variety was wonderful. Our guide, Ricky, was amazing. He was funny, interesting, told us so many neat facts and tidbits, he remembered everyone's name, he stopped us at interesting stops for pics (like Dash and Miami Ink). The places he took us were so good that we went back to two of them the next day! Jerry's deli was our fave. We bought extra treats on the tour and went back the next day for more treats. And my husband had to go back to the gelato place. Everything was tasty though. Now my husband wants to mix his beer with cream soda thanks to Bolivar!
Review by Denise A, April 2013
Doing what: Miami Hop-On Hop-Off Tour with Optional Biscayne Bay Cruise
Great way to learn Miami Beach. You can go to the beach, shop, visit museums and much more. Alex was a great tour guide of the beach route. He knows what movies were filmed where. Some of the other guides were lazy. The Bay Cruise was great. You should reserve your cruise at the boat's kiosk, because it fills up. Don't wait too long to get into the boarding line or you may not get on the boat or be stuck in a bad seat. If you start out on the bus tour at the Bayside Shops, you have to turn your voucher into a ticket before going on the bus. The boat tour is in the marina on the other side of Bayside and not by the bus stop. The buses stop too early for you to do everything in one day. This was my second time using the Hop-On and will use it again. It's cheaper than taking a taxi to all the places.
Review by Liang H, USA, April 2013
Doing what: South Beach Cultural Food and Walking Tour
Great tour! Enjoyed different cuisines and local history.
Practical Info
Across the MacArthur Causeway from downtown Miami, South Beach stretches north from South Pointe Park all the way to 23rd Street. Between 1st and 15th streets is the quietly hip ‘hood that acts like a counter-weight to the over-the top carnival the upper end of South Beach.
From 15th to 23rd street, the upper end includes the pedestrian thoroughfare of Lincoln Road and its associated shopping, eating and nightlife, plus clusters of Art Deco buildings.
