Top Things to Do in South Beach

South Beach, aka SoBe, is a picture-perfect 4-mile strip of coastline and is one of the most famous beaches in the world, and it’s free. If you are new to South Beach and want to see all the action, it’s best to start on Ocean Drive between South Pointe Drive and 15^th Street. Tip: South Pointe Beach at the southernmost part of the island is our favorite beach! While there, stroll around South Pointe Park & Pier.

While at the beach, check out the vibrant, artfully-designed lifeguard towers that are counted among the most beloved icons of South Florida. With their eye-catching color schemes, unique shapes, and unmistakably Art Deco-inspired aesthetic, the lifeguard towers of Miami Beach and South Beach represent the melding of art and architecture.

Ocean Drive is the heart of South Beach. This famous street is lined with quaint, pastel-hued Art Deco buildings and hotels, restaurants that spill out onto the streets, rollerbladers zooming down the beachside pathways, and muscled men working out on the beachfront outdoor gym. Check out the impressive feats of athleticism at Muscle Beach on Ocean Drive & 9th Street.

This oceanfront street is the place to go for a cup of coffee, an oversized margarita and some excellent people-watching. It only makes sense that this beautiful street has served as the backdrop for some of Hollywood’s most iconic films and TV shows like Scarface, The Birdcage, Miami Vice, There’s Something About Mary, and many more.

Ocean Drive runs parallel to the ocean between 1st and 15th Streets. Check out Café Americano by the Hotel Victor at 1144 Ocean Drive for excellent coffee, all day dining, and people watching!

South Beach is an Art Deco paradise. In fact, South Beach has the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world.

Most of these structures were built between 1934 and 1941. However, South Beach wasn’t always this glamorous. It once was riddled with high crime and vacant buildings. It wasn’t until the late 1980s and 1990s when TV series Miami Vice revived the city and popularized the Art Deco district.

Take a walking tour of the Art Deco Historic District and learn all about Miami Beach's fascinating history and architecture with SoBeach Tours. SoBeach Tours focuses on small groups and exclusive access to top sights and hidden gems. You will visit the interior of Art Deco hotels, get access to rooftops, bars, diners, museums, and many other landmark spots throughout South Beach. Let the expert guides show you the glitz, glamour, vice and secrets South Beach is famous for.

Choose from the Miami Art Deco Gems & Jewels Walking Tour or the Best of South Beach Top Sights & Hidden Gems Walking Tour.

Use promo or discount code SOBE15 for a 15% discount on tickets. Also check out their popular Miami Free Walking Tour. 

World-famous Ocean Drive is one of the most photographed stretches of Miami Beach. Here we find, nestled among low-rise Art Deco hotels, Villa Casa Casuarina – better known as the Versace Mansion, the former Miami Beach home of fashion designer Gianni Versace. The Versace mansion is the third most photographed house in the United States behind Elvis’ Graceland and the White House.

The Mediterranean Revival style palace, lined with the designer’s signature Greek mythology Medusa logo in gold bas relief, has been the subject of fascination for locals and tourists alike on Ocean Drive ever since Gianni Versace’s untimely murder on its front steps in 1997 at age 50.

What many tourists don’t realize is that the former home of late fashion designer Gianni Versace is not a museum or private home but a boutique hotel. It’s a hotel where guests can sleep in what was Versace’s bedroom or in the bedroom of his sister Donatella. 

Today, Casa Casuarina has 10 luxurious suites plus a restaurant and bar. Access to Versace’s sumptuous world can be gained by booking a room or by booking a table at the restaurant Gianni’s for lunch or dinner in the courtyard by the pool or in the dining room served on Versace-designed Rosenthal china.

The restaurant Gianni's offers a three-course lunch special everyday from 11AM-3:30PM for $38/person! Take a tour of the Versace mansion here.

South Pointe Park is at the southernmost point of South Beach and offers up a more relaxed and quiet waterfront area compared to the more hectic Lummus Park on Ocean Drive.

Have a picnic at the park, watch the yachts and other watercraft enter and leave the Port of Miami and the marina. There’s even a playground which includes a water fountain. Take a walk across the 450-foot-long pier, it offers the best views of the South Beach shoreline, the marina, downtown Miami skyline, Fisher Island, the magnificent cruise ships docked at the port including the Icon of the Seas, and it’s one of the best places to watch the sunset. 

Rent a bike and ride the scenic Miami Beach Boardwalk 7-mile path from South Pointe Park to Surfside. Unlimited Biking is cheaper and has better bikes than the public Citi Bikes. They have a large selection of adult and kids comfort hybrid bikes and electric bikes also burley trailers and tag-a-longs.

Use promo or discount code SOBEACH20 for a 20% discount on bike rentals and tours. Book online at Unlimited Biking. 

Explore Miami on a guided bike tour! Soak in the sun with a bike ride through Miami Beach and South Beach. Ride through all three historical districts and see the best that Miami has to offer with the Miami Beach Highlights Bike Tour. In this beautiful bike-friendly city, you can feel the ambience of Ocean Drive and Espanola Way district, which define the rich culture and history that make up South Beach.

This tour will take you through the Botanical Garden, Holocaust Memorial, and then down the beautiful bike path that leads to South Pointe Pier. Get insight into Miami and South Beach’s culture – including visiting the Versace Mansion, which is nestled amid the famous Art Deco hotels of Miami. Learn about Versace’s influence on the city and take beautiful photos with the pastel Art Deco buildings that date back to the early 1900’s. This leisurely bike tour is the best way to explore the city- like a local!

Or you can take a self-guided bike tour with a bike rental. 

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.

Get a 20% discount on both, Bike Tours and Bike Rentals, by using promo code SOBEACH20 at checkout. Book online at Unlimited Biking.

Check out our recommendation for the best biking routes and sightseeing spots on a self-guided bike tour of Miami Beach HERE.

Go shopping on Lincoln Road Mall, a mile-long pedestrian lined street just a few blocks from the Art Deco District. It’s a grand shopping boulevard lined up with stores, boutiques, restaurants and cafes.

This is Miami Beach’s most popular pedestrian outdoor shopping spanning 10 blocks and located between 16th and 17th streets from Washington Avenue to Alton Road.

Grab a bite at Lincoln Eatery, a food hall with everything from sushi and pizza to fried chicken and Peruvian food. Sundays welcome a weekly farmer’s market, where you can stroll Lincoln Road enjoying fresh smoothies and sampling a wide variety of local vendors. And every other Sunday from October through May, you can search for rare finds at the Lincoln Road Antiques and Collectibles Market.

Find a slice of old-world Europe right in the middle of South Beach. Española Way is a charming, pedestrian-only strip lined with shops, art galleries, al fresco dining, sidewalk cafes, live music and people watching. The street functions as an elegant, picturesque cousin to nearby Lincoln Road.

This quaint Spanish-inspired street is located between 14th and 15th Street in Miami Beach, stretching from Washington Avenue to Jefferson Avenue. 

Find excellent dining on Espanola Way such as Di Mauro’s, Moshi Moshi, Oh Mexico, Havana 1957, Hosteria Romana and Mercato della Pescheria.

You can’t leave Miami without experiencing the exotic live Latin shows at Mango’s Tropical Café. Since 1991, Mango’s has been one of the world’s most famous Latin clubs and it's visited regularly by celebrities such as George Clooney, Robert De Niro, Tiger Woods, Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony and Andy Garcia.

This is the quintessential South Beach experience! Live entertainment ranges from Brazilian samba, hip hop, salsa, Cuban conga and tributes to Michael Jackson and Celia Cruz. 

Shows are 7 days a week. Get there before 9PM for no cover charge (recommended arrival is 7PM. It gets busy!). Dinner and show are every day at 8PM and salsa lessons start at 7:30PM. You don't need to have dinner or a table reservation to enjoy the show. Just show up and ask to sit at the bar!

Established in 1913, two years before Miami Beach would even become incorporated, Joe’s has withstood the test of time. Fast-forward more than 100 years and Joe's has held its place as the leader in stone crabs, fresh seafood and outstanding steaks.

If stone crabs are not your thing, try one of the many seafood options, steaks or the award-winning fried chicken, which is a bargain at $8.85 for half a chicken! Lighter fare includes salads, soups (the clam chowder soup is to die for!) and appetizers. Remember to save room for their famous key lime pie.

Piece of advice, skip the restaurant’s long line and go next door to Joe’s Takeaway. That’s their more casual dining room where you can also dine inside and it's open daily 11:30AM to 9PM. No reservations needed.

For those looking for a more laid-back experience, Monty's is a great option for watching the sunset in the South Pointe Park area. Monty's is a mostly outdoor seafood restaurant with one of the best views in South Beach. There's even a pool in the center. 

At this poolside hangout, patrons can kick back with a pitcher of beer, wings, and peel-and-eat-shrimp while taking in unobstructed views of the Miami Beach Marina. It's a solid choice for some frozen drinks and fried seafood. And that view is just fantastic! Go for the Sunset Happy Hour Monday-Friday, 5-8PM. Live music Fri, Sat & Sun 6-9PM.

Montys' most famous drink is the Monty's Famous Pain Remover consisting of a blend of gold rum, cream of coconut, pineapple and orange juice served on the rocks. You have your choice of a number 1, 2, or 3 depending on how much pain you are in. Be careful!

Travel around Miami Beach for free with the Miami Beach Free Trolley. Download the Miami Beach Trolley Tracker app to track stops and trolleys in real time on the Android App and Apple App. The free trolleys have different routes that go to South Beach, Mid Beach, North Beach and the Collins Express route.

The citywide trolley service operates every 20 minutes from 8AM to 11PM, 7 days a week. All trolley vehicles are even bicycle friendly with 2 racks available for storage. It's a great way to explore the whole length of the island for free!

Tired from too much walking? Too far to walk? Or just want to do some sightseeing around the island on a fun comfortable ride? Catch a free golf cart ride! Call or text Michael at Free Golf Cart Rydes at 305-986-7669.

Rides run everyday from 10AM to 10PM (Wednesdays 2PM-10PM) in Miami Beach and have a maximum capacity of 5-6 people. Michael is born and bred in Miami Beach and knows the island like the palm of his hand so if you don't know where you want to go, just ask him to show you around! 

The rides are completely free and there's no obligation, however, Michael welcomes tips if you wish to do so. Don't forget to tell him that Paola sent you!

There is nothing more iconic Miami than the neon lights of the Art Deco District at sunset. Stroll along the many bars and restaurants that line up famous Ocean Drive.

Stop by the Betsy Hotel on 1440 Ocean Drive and enjoy a free live jazz concert in the lobby bar every night starting at 6PM. Check out the calendar of events here.