Walking Tours in Miami
Bike Tours in Miami
Miami is known for beautiful weather year-round and also for its many outdoor activities, that’s why Miami Beach is the ideal cycling destination. Getting to know a city on a bike provides you with a ‘locals only’ perspective.
This post will help you explore Miami's South Beach along bike paths visiting the best sights and top landmarks along the way. You will have the option of exploring on your own on a rental bike or with a guided bike tour of South Beach.
South Beach, which is the southern part of Miami Beach between the tip of the island to 23rd Street, has many bike paths and you can easily bike along Ocean Drive, the South Beach Boardwalk known as the Miami Beachwalk, the Art Deco District, South Pointe Park & Pier, Flamingo Park and the Islands on Biscayne Bay.
The guided bicycle tours are designed for riders of all ages, abilities and interests. The highly experienced bike tour guides at Unlimited Biking know the least trafficked cycling routes and also the most beautiful stops along the way. The guides are well-versed with all the local roads, trails and hidden gems. Explore Miami by bike and enjoy the views, adventure, city culture, scenic beaches, wildlife, hidden gems, historic sites and more. See landmarks, take photos, and learn some history about Miami.
Join the Miami Beach Highlights Bike Tour offered by Unlimited Biking and explore Miami the best way possible, by bike! Ride through all three historical districts and see the best that Miami has to offer in this 2-hour guided bike tour. In this beautiful-friendly city, you can feel the ambiance of Ocean Drive and Espanola Way district which define the rich culture and history of South Beach. The experience includes a licensed tour guide, bike rental, helmet, water bottle and a bike bag.
Miami Beach has bike rentals all around so it’s really easy to get a bike but it’s not easy to get a bike that is comfortable, fitted to your height and weight and kept in good working condition. That’s why we recommend renting bikes from Unlimited Biking. All their bikes are Cannondale and they have a wide selection of state-of-the-art comfort hybrid bikes for men, women and children, they also have electric bikes, aluminum road bikes and carbon road bikes to fit your every need and style.
You can pick up from one convenient location and return at any of their other locations for easy one-way biking. Helmets, locks, bike bag and illustrated maps are included with every rental for free. They’ve got free assistance if you run into any issues during your ride. All you need to do is contact Unlimited Biking and a team member will help you. Rental is only $20 for 2 hours and you get a 20% discount by using promo code SOBEACH20 at checkout.
The Miami Beach Boardwalk runs the entire length of Miami Beach, about 8 miles fully paved from South Pointe Park to Surfside. With beach and ocean views and with access to hotels, restaurants, shops and parks, the Boardwalk makes for an easy and scenic recreational bicycle ride.
The entire Boardwalk is fully bikeable. During peak tourist season, it can get crowded with bikers, walkers, joggers, skaters and dog walkers. Watch for beachgoers crossing over at beach entries.
The lifeguard towers feature different colors and shapes up and down the beach. One of the most architecturally iconic sections is the Art Deco Historic District, located along the Boardwalk beginning at South Pointe Park.
From South Pointe Park, the Boardwalk also connects to the Miami Bayway, a 1-mile trail running from the MacArthur Causeway to the Miami Beach Marina, a short but scenic side trip.
View biking route map here.
The Miami Beach Boardwalk starts at 17-acre South Pointe Park which has parking, picnic areas, beach access, walking and biking paths, restaurants, a playground, great water views, a pier and it’s a popular spot to watch the sunset. The Boadwalsk runs along the beach with great views. In this section are Nikki Beach, famous restaurant and beach club, Marjory Stoneman Park, condos and hotels.
The pier marks the beginning of Miami Beach and the Miami Beach Boardwalk. The Baywalk past Miami Beach Marina between the MacArthur Causeway and South Pointe Park add another mile. Watch leisure cruise ships and cargo ships as they pass through the bay from the Port of Miami to the ocean.
The colorful lifeguard towers are a fun feature along the beach stretching from South Pointe Park to 86th Street. After Hurricane Andrew in 1992 destroyed the originals, they were rebuilt in a variety of styles and designs. The towers have since become icon symbols of Miami Beach.
On dreamy Ocean Drive, iconic beach views, cafe-style dining and Art Deco architecture form the backdrop for your fun-filled time in Miami Beach. Ocean Drive runs from 1st to 15th Street.
Ocean Drive is by far the most famous street of South Beach. One of the first images that comes to mind is colorful Ocean Drive and South Beach’s famous Art Deco Historic District. Lined with stylish, pastel-hued hotels, restaurants that spill out onto the sidewalk, and boutique beach shops, this street facing Lummus Park and the beach is the place to go for some excellent people-watching.
It’s no surprise that such a beautiful destination has served as the setting for some of Hollywood’s most iconic films and TV shows, including The Birdcage and Miami Vice.
To really feel the South Beach atmosphere, spend some time in Ocean Drive cafés and bars. If it’s morning it may be quiet, afternoons and evenings are the busiest time here on South Beach.
You'll get an up-close look at the Art Deco architectural gems from the 1920s that put Ocean Drive on the National Register of Historic Places. The Art Deco Welcome Center, which sits right on Ocean Drive, offers self-guided audio tours that tell you everything you want to know about Miami Beach’s Art Deco past.
For the LGBTQ+ scene, head to the beach at 11th/12th Street and Ocean Drive (across the street from Palace Bar & Restaurant and its ever-popular drag brunch).
At night you can combine the beach and club scene at Nikki Beach. For something quintessentially Miami, try Salsa dancing at Mango’s Tropical Cafe.
It doesn’t get more “Miami Beach” than Lummus Park, a ten-block South Beach stretch bisected by the winding Beachwalk and bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and iconic Ocean Drive on the other.
The action at this urban oasis stretching along Ocean Drive from 5th Street to 14th Place starts early as runners, walkers and cyclists gather to catch the sunrise. Cross over to the beach and climb the steps of one of the lifeguard towers for bird’s-eye views of the beach and uninterrupted sunrise selfies. Active types meet on the sand for heart-pumping volleyball games before it gets too hot.
For the fitness-minded, Lummus Park features two outdoor gym areas. On “Muscle Beach” at 9th Street, you can perfect your L-Sits, muscle ups and handstand push-ups on an assortment of bars and rings.
At 10th Street, you’ll find the Art Deco Welcome Center, which is the tourist office where you can get free brochures and tourist information. The Art Deco Museum and gift shop are also at this location and it's the best gift shop on the island.
Lummus Park also hosts a weekend artisan market on Saturdays and Sundays from 10AM to 6PM, and marquee annual events, including Art Basel Miami Beach, Miami Design Preservation League’s Art Deco Weekend, the Hyundai Air & Sea Show and the South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Grand Tasting Village.
Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road is one of the most unique shopping districts in the world. The broad street with public art and native plants enhances the experience. Over 200 boutiques and restaurants line both sides of the street, where you can shop at international brands like All Saints, Mango, Ted Baker, Scotch & Soda, Zara, H&M, and popular brands like Adidas, Nike, Anthropologie, Lululemon and much more.
You can sample a little bit of everything at the Lincoln Eatery, a food hall with everything from ceviche to pizza or the ever popular, The Cheesecake Factory.
Sundays welcome a weekly farmer’s market, where you can stroll Lincoln Road enjoying fresh smoothies and sampling a wide variety of local vendors. On Sundays from October through May you can search for rare finds at the Lincoln Road Antiques & Collectibles Market. Lincoln Road offers days’ worth of things to do, and if you want some ideas on where to get started, check out our guide to how to explore Lincoln Road like a local.
Tucked away on a palm tree-lined pedestrian-only street with string lights twinkling overhead, Española Way is a charming historic throwback in the heart of South Beach. Conceived as a “historic Spanish village”, the two-block corridor between Washington and Pennsylvania Avenues was designed to resemble the romantic Mediterranean villages of Spain and France.
Here, buildings are made of chalky pink stucco with Spanish tile roofs where sidewalk cafes are shaded by striped awnings. It’s a prime area to escape from the hustle and bustle of Washington Avenue, get some shade, go shopping and enjoy lunch or dinner and a cocktail or espresso at anyone of more than 10 restaurants and lounges.
Located in the heart of South Beach, Flamingo Park is South Beach "Central Park". The park is a haven with great lawns, picnic areas, bicycle paths, 17 tennis courts, a baseball stadium, handball and racquetball courts, a softball field, basketball court, football field, soccer field, running track, playground, walking trails and a bark park – all surrounded by lush tropical landscaping.
Ride across six beautiful islands and enjoy one of the most scenic roadways in America. Built in 1913, the Venetian Islands are home to grand residences in picturesque settings. The bike-friendly road connects Miami Beach with the mainland and offers spectacular views of Biscayne Bay. The Venetian Causeway is a popular spot for jogging, biking, and boating.
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of South Beach to enjoy the beauty of stunning orchids, the tranquility of the Japanese Garden and the beautiful koi pond.
Miami Beach Botanical Garden has several distinct garden areas to explore. Highlights include spotting orchids in the trees and along the ground, marveling at the garden’s largest and oldest palms in its northeast corner, 100 palm species, and native plants such as the corky stem, which attracts Florida’s state butterfly. Meander through the gardens and enjoy a tropical escape in the heart of Miami Beach.
The Bass Museum of Art is Miami Beach's art museum. The museum specializes in art from around the world from the Renaissance to modern art. The Bass Museum was founded in 1963 by the City of Miami Beach from a private donation by art collectors John and Johanna Bass, and occupies the 1930s Miami Beach Public Library and Art Center. It is regarded as one of Miami's best museums for ancient art alongside the Lowe Art Museum and the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum.
You don’t even have to step inside the building to get a taste of its eye candy; Ugo Rondinone’s Miami Mountain, a towering, brightly colored, 42-foot sculpture that stands in Collins Park just outside the museum. There’s also a brightly colored chess table by artist Jim Drain that the museum encourages people to play with (the front desk will happily loan you some chess or checker pieces).