Head to Key Biscayne to See Where Miami Locals Have Their Perfect Beach Day

There’s nothing wrong with beelining to the sands of South Beach. But when Miamians want to spend some quality time with the ocean, they go to Key Biscayne. This beautiful barrier island feels a world away from the city, even though it’s less than a 20-minute drive from downtown. 

The Key Biscayne day we’ve plotted out takes you away from the hustle and bustle, and lets you appreciate the enclave’s natural coastal landscape (or just eat a sandwich on the beach). You’ll start by grabbing some breakfast and picnic supplies. Then, it’s off to hit a trail or find the perfect beach to suit your mood. After that, you’ll head to a waterfront bar to toast a successful day with a frozen piña colada and postcard views of Biscayne Bay.

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Throw Together Some Picnic Provisions

A day of walking in the sun (or just napping in it) will make you hungry. Luckily, both of these Key Biscayne grub options are conveniently found right as you enter the town, offering handheld, easy-to-grab foods that will give you a temporary break from shellfish and fit neatly into your beach bag.

Flour & Weirdoughs

The cinnamon roll at the bakery Flour & Weirdoughs is a sensation—in size and deliciousness.

This bakery is where you should have your first meal of the day—and leave with supplies for your second. The croissants are excellent (get the one stuffed with brisket), and the cinnamon roll, while big enough to double as a flotation device, is still warm and fluffy inside.

The Golden Hog

Right next door to Flour & Weirdoughs, you’ll find this market that’s always buzzing with locals. There’s a robust selection of cheeses if you want to assemble a charcuterie situation. But we really like the deli sandwiches, especially the one with ham, provolone and butter, which you can order ahead online for an easy pickup.

The Beaches and Trails to Hit

Key Biscayne’s greatest strength is its nature. There are multiple parks offering a mix of hiking trails, beaches, kayak rentals and lots more, and it’s easy to bounce around to a few of them by car or bike. (There are three Citi Bike stations by the mouth of the Rickenbacker Causeway, if you’ve got the stamina to make it over a very tall bridge, and bike rentals are available within Crandon Park.)

Bear Cut Nature Trail

Head to Crandon Park Marina for public parking and easy access to this trail, whose entrance is right across the street. It’s a very manageable walk (a mile or so) that cuts through swampy mangroves, eventually leading to a viewing platform where you can see a fossilized reef that’s over 5,000 years old, as well as a gorgeous view of the Miami skyline.

Osprey Beach Trail

For roughly a mile, this trail, which is accessible via the Bear Cut hike, runs parallel to the beach along wispy dunes that sway in the ocean breeze. It’s a sandy but flat walk where you might actually see an osprey swoop overhead, and when you’ve completed the circuit, you can treat yourself to the sandwich that’s been coquettishly peeking out of your bag all morning.

Crandon Park

Explore Crandon Park’s 800 acres of urban shoreline or rent a chair for a midday nap in the sun. (Photo by Ivana Cajina)

The beach you’ve been daydreaming of since you booked the flight is somewhere inside this 800-acre park, which makes up the eastern chunk of Key Biscayne’s shoreline. Intense hiking isn’t really a thing here—Crandon is all about the coast. But if you want to do more than just look at the ocean, kayaks are available to rent at the north concession stand. And if you just want to lounge around, you can rent chairs and umbrellas, and also get a solid beachside paella at Openseas Cafe. Expect a parking fee of $7 to $10.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

There are hiking trails, pavilions perfect for a picnic, kayaking opportunities and a roughly mile-long stretch of natural beach beneath a historic lighthouse at this state park, which takes up the whole southern tip of Key Biscayne. But try to arrive early. Entry is first come, first served, and during the busy season, particularly on weekends, the park sometimes reaches capacity and stops letting visitors in. There’s also an $8 vehicle fee if you’re driving.

Wrap Up With Sunset Views and Frozen Drinks

Maybe it’s because it shares part of its name with Key West, but Key Biscayne is the closest Miami gets to embodying its spiritual cousin three-ish hours to the south. As such, you should end your day here at a casual waterfront bar nursing something sweet and frozen, and possibly gnawing on coconut shrimp (Gramps Getaway makes our favorite ones in the city).

The Cleat

It’s always 5 o’clock at The Cleat: Grab a mojito and some smoked fish dip, stat.

Parked at the western end of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, this fully outdoor bar has the greatest waterfront view in all of Miami—we said it. End the day here with a sunset beer while someone strums away on an acoustic guitar, and you’ll suddenly understand yacht rock on a much deeper level.

Wetlab

You’ll feel like you’re trespassing as you search for this tiny bar, which is inside the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric & Earth Science campus. But it’s completely open to the public Wednesday through Friday, and the outdoor patio overlooks a particularly gorgeous slice of Biscayne Bay.

Gramps Getaway

Gramps is an institution—and the perfect place to end your day with a piña colada, a burger and a slice of key lime pie.

Beneath the generous shade of this tiki hut, you can slurp oysters, eat cheeseburgers and sip on one of the best piña coladas in town. There’s usually some sort of live music act performing on the weekends, and you’ll always find laid-back locals relaxing while appreciating the view (and the reasonably priced drinks).

Vinya

The restaurant and liquor store Vinya doesn’t have water views—but it does have an impressively juicy ribeye and a comprehensive wine list.

For something a bit more formal than a driftwood deck where everyone’s wearing flip-flops, stop by this wine bar and restaurant, which serves a broad but tasty mix of Latin American dishes. It’s landlocked, so there are no views of the water, but the wine selection is expansive (it’s part liquor store, too), and there’s also a full cocktail list in case you’re in more of a sea salt caipirinha mood. The food menu is also pretty ambitious; think hamachi crudo, rigatoni all’amatriciana and a rib eye cooked to perfection.

Piononos

If there’s room for dessert, stop by this strip-mall bakery, which cranks out a huge selection of (mostly) Peruvian sweets. But there’s one specialty worth prioritizing: the strawberry Pavlova. Crunchy and refreshing, it’s a mainstay at Miami birthday parties, and so good you won’t mind inhaling it in the parking lot (because the tiny storefront is takeout-only). It tends to sell out around closing time, which is 5 p.m. daily, so place an order in advance online if you can.

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