Nixon Beach (Sandbar) is a popular boating destination spot which is situated approximately a…read morequarter mile south west of Key Biscayne. It's a great place to anchor up for the afternoon and enjoy the weather, scenery and the people you happen to be with. At low tide the water is about waist deep and it's clear blue. It can be a little breezy at times which can cause the boat to rock a bit, but if your use to that then you won't have any problems. You can snorkel and paddle board here and the waters are usually very calm. On the weekends if the weather is nice, it will be packed with day trip boaters, so get here early to secure a nice spot. Now the historical footnote. The sandbar is named after Richard Nixon, the thirty seventh President of The United States. I do vaguely remember him as the President, so I'm aging myself here He vacationed frequently in Key Biscayne during the 1960s and had many political benefactors in the Miami area. Back then, Key Biscayne was more or less a sleepy area with one luxury hotel and a lot of small old Florida style single homes. In 1969, shortly after Nixon became President, he purchased three of these homes on Bay Lane, at well below market prices from Florida Senator George Smathers. The houses were in a compound that had a private beach. The Secret Service & US military had to construct a helipad to accommodate Marine One. The cost of the helipad and security upgrades to the residences was estimated at about 400k. Nixon made fifty trips there during the course of his Presidency (no, there wasn't an audio taping system in the place). Now here is the kicker, after resigning in 1974 he sold the properties, which included the helipad, at a huge profit (no, not a crook ) and was accused of benefiting from taxpayers expense. For you movie buffs Scarface was also filmed on Key Biscayne. The residences were torn down in '04 when a local real estate bought them and built a modern mansion. In addition to taking in the beautiful natural views, you can also admire the multi multi million dollar mansions that are now on Key Biscayne. Mr. Nixon probably should have held on to those properties a little bit longer.

If you haven't pulled up in your boat here during the peak summer months blasting your music then…read morewho are you? This is a major spot for boaters searching for a nearby spot to enjoy shallow waters amongst one of the most populated and lively water spots in miami. You can't swim over here so obviously a boat is required but be prepared for a plentiful bunch of party people. With a loaded cooler and plenty of music, you'll fit in just too. It's not for the faint of heart and unless it's on a weekday, I wouldn't label it kid-friendly on most summer weekends. It's not a far drive so arriving here doesn't take much fuel if you're coming from a nearby marina. Don't forget your sunscreen because it's crucial for those days where there's not a cloud in sight.

Crandon Park is popular for its beautiful beach, rich coastal environment, unique fossilized…read moremangrove reef, protected wetlands, birding sites and extensive range of sports and outdoor activities. Crandon Park is home to various ecosystems, from dunes and mangroves to coastal hammock and seagrass beds and rare plants like the Biscayne prickly ash and beach peanut. Underwater, fossilized reefs and colorful sea life give divers and snorkelers plenty to explore. Crandon Park comprises the northern portion of Key Biscayne (almost 7 miles southeast of Miami). The key began as a coconut plantation, before being donated with the stipulation that Miami-Dade County uses the land as a public park. With its golf and tennis facilities, unique eco-adventures and breathtaking beach, Crandon Park offers something for everyone Parking: Weekdays $7 and Weekends $10

I was here as a child when it was a zoo. I'm happy to see it remains a park with beach access…read more More importantly, the beach often hosts some endangered migratory birds, Piping Plovers. These birds are adorable, but they are threatened by habitat loss. There is a volunteer who regularly checks for Piping Plovers during migration, and she looks for bands that reveal the path of the bird's migratory flight. It's important that we have places for these birds to forage, and I hope the city continues to protect this beach for that use. The bathrooms were a welcome amenity. I had problems paying the parking fee, it was a complicated process. There were about 10 peafowl (peacocks) that roamed the park, a remaining vestige of when this was a zoo. There were many wild birds throughout the park.

Crandon Beach is beautiful, with soft white sand and not a whole lot of people. We couldn't…read morebelieve how lucky we were when we stumbled across this place :-) Tip: Pay attention to the signs here - we didn't see the one saying we needed to feed the parking meters, and ended up with a huge ticket :-( Over and above the parking ticket, it cost us almost fifty bucks to rent beach chairs... All told this beach is totally worth checking out, but even if you do things right, it's gonna cost you ;-)

This beach is sooo BEAUTIFUL. I got some really amazing photos & videos, plus I loved the vibe. I…read morewoke up bright & early to take pictures because I've learned that going to the beach from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm usually results in a crowd & I don't want to deal with that many people when I'm trying to relax. My only con to this beach was that it was pretty dirty. The sand wasn't very clean & I saw trash everywhere. Sadly for me, I also got eaten alive by bugs so my whole body was covered in what I think were noseeum bites that itched for over a week. This was the last beach that I visited during my trip & I didn't have that problem when I went to miami beach. I've also gone to other beaches in the early morning before so I really think this beach just has a lot of bugs or something. Be careful if you're sensitive to bug bites like I am. Overall I still recommend this beach if you get here at a slower time because the views are immaculate & I have pictures/videos to last a lifetime. The bite scars are still there but it was worth it.

Nice beach to escape the craziness in Miami. Totally free with a lot of parking however on the…read moreweekends the parking still fills really fast. Nice views of port of Miami and Miami skyline if you choose to walk up the causeway. There are restrooms and food trucks

Beautiful beach to enjoy an outdoorsy day with your doggie. For the most part it's clean,…read morewell-maintained, and the water is not too deep in case your doggie likes to get in. The only thing I don't like is that there's no gate in case a dog runs towards the street or parking lot. That being said, you need to keep an eye on your dog. And beautiful place to see the sunrise or the sunset.

Great service. Nico was great at explaining the routes and giving advise on how to navigate the…read morewaters. Will come again.

I had an amazing experience with PADL. They were super helpful over the phone and during the…read moreexperience making everything easier and extremely fun! Thank you so much for an amazing weekend during this quarantine!

What a fun place to visit. We went for a Teacher Appreciation promotion. We rented single kayaks…read more It was super easy to do. We showed up, there was plenty of parking. We checked in, left an ID, signed their waiver, and then we were off to get life vests and paddles/kayaks. They also rent bikes and paddle boards. (We stuck with kayaking for the day.) the weather was gorgeous and the water and scenery beautiful once we got out. I would recommend taking lunch and picnicking on their many tables or surrounding grass area. Another tip, show your reservation for kayaking to the guard/park entrance official that you booked a trip with VKOC and they will waive the $8 park fee. And then enjoy the beaches and scenery.

This is a great activity to do it with your family, partner or by yourself. Service from Virginia…read moreKey Outdoor Center is amazing, the experience is safe and fantastic and if you are lucky, you will see manatees. Also, you can go to the beach and it feels like you are alone in an island. It is just great. It was my 3rd time there and now I'm ready to buy my paddle board and go every weekend that I can. Tip: make your reservation online.

TKS rented me my first SUP boards a few months back when I wanted to get in to stand up…read morepaddleboarding. The guys at their Purdy location are super cool and friendly. You just need to call to reserve a board and can either pick it up or have them drop it off. Can't wait to get back out on the water!!!

Everything you need for kiting and SUP. They also organize paddle excursions and paddle yoga…read moreclasses. I had an unlikely issue with a product a few months ago and TKS went out of their way to help me. I can't recommend this shop enough. 5 star equipment and 5 star staff!

Outstanding experience. Great location and easy to get to. Good for beginners or experienced…read morepaddlers. Service was friendly and helpful. Beautiful view of the ocean and the skyline. We saw tons of marine life including rays and manatees. Would definitely come back!

they have a location in Virginia Keys (3602 Rickenbacker Cswy, Miami, FL 33149). we drop in today…read moreand rented a standup paddle board. the rental process is quick and easy. they will need an ID, sign a waiver and your credit card, of course. the location is perfect, it's just after crossing the bridge. they also rent out bikes, just ask, just in case it's not on display. i requested a bigger board so my baby can join. am also posting their calling card so y'all can call ahead. ill be early next time so we have more time

We love the Yacht Club!…read more We have friends that take us here and we absolutely always have a great time. We grab pizza, carpaccio and lomo saltado from the restaurant that's enclosed. The service is always so pleasant. Granted the last time we were there it was pretty empty and we didn't know who our server was so it was hard to track someone down to order but thankfully the bartender was available! Even with that little hiccup we still had a great time! Can't wait to go back.

Holidays in a yacht club ?! Seems like a Hallmark movie in the making set in the beautiful city of…read moreMiami. Key Biscayne Yacht Club gave the perfect atmosphere to be cozy with your family and/or friends for Christmas. I went here for a work Christmas party. I enjoyed a pour of the Faust Cabernet before and during my meal. For appetizers, I ordered their ceviche - the saltiness of the fish with the sour lime was accompanied well with the mangoes. I ordered off the menu and got the special of that evening. It was a miso glazed Halibut set on a bed of lo mein. I love how the fish was very soft and tender and basically melted in my mouth. For dessert, I ordered their seasonal sorbet to cleanse the palette. Our server was also very attentive. I believe when you are with a big group, there is a minimum of $100 to spend per person. Overall, you are paying for the experience and for the good food.

Overall fun experience. I booked a tour through viator which included hotel pickup. The pickup was…read moreon time and the driver narrated some fun facts about the everglades on the short ride there. We visited on a Saturday so it was busy as expected. There is no shade on the grounds so much of the time was spent standing in the hot sun. Waiting to get into an airboat was a bit chaotic and tiresome. There were shade canopies along the queue but they were not deployed for some reason. Staff seemed a bit disorganized, groups were confused on where to go and given mixed directions from staff members. The experience on the boat was nice and we saw a variety of wildlife. The captain was knowledgeable and spotted alligators quickly. The gator show was fun but short. The host Paul was funny and engaging, the entire audience was captivated. All the staff we encountered were friendly and helpful. Our highlight was getting to hold a baby alligator and knowing that our money was going to one of the only no kill gator rescues!

This is a pretty good way to see and learn about our local Everglades!…read moreOur tour was at 12:30pm on a Saturday. We saw about 6 gators in the wild. Our airboat captain Tori was excellent! She gave us some history of the Everglades and was great about finding us gators. The airboats only cover a very small circle portion of the Everglades, which was the only disappointing part. I was hoping there would be more open canals to float/drive down to get more of the airboat experience. The time on the water is about 45 minutes. We also got to stick around to catch the alligator show hosted by the Gator Boys. Our package also came with a pic with a baby alligator which was cool to hold. It did feel a bit like an assembly line, even though it was just our group taking the pics, where we didn't have time to hold the baby gator or ask too many questions about it. Def stop in the back to see the albino gators and other wildlife.