Parks & Attractions

Redesigned in the early 1980s by Isamu Noguchi, Bayfront Park is a 32-acre site located in the epicenter of downtown Miami on Biscayne Bay. It is bounded on the north by Bayside Marketplace, an open-air festival style mall that attracts 23 million people per year, on the south by InterContinental Hotel, and on the west by Biscayne Boulevard, which is downtown Miami’s “main street”. 

The park recently underwent a renovation of its baywalk. The baywalk runs along the edge of Biscayne Bay, throughout the park, and continues to Bayside Marketplace. The renovations were intended to soften the edges of the park and create a more pedestrian friendly environment. 

“Oaks and palms by the dozen have been planted along the full length of the 32-acre park’s edge on Biscayne Bay, bringing instant shade to its broad baywalk and completing a gradual makeover designed to make it a far more inviting place.” – The Miami Herald

Address: 301 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132
☎ +1 305-358-7550
Public transit access: Bayfront Park station

For more information and to see the schedule of events, visit the website.

Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Here too is evidence of 10,000 years of human history, from pirates and shipwrecks to pineapple farmers and presidents. Outdoors enthusiasts can boat, snorkel, camp, watch wildlife…or simply relax in a rocking chair gazing out over the bay.

Operating Hours & Seasons

Address: Biscayne National Park, 9700 SW 328th Street, Homestead, FL 33033
☎ 305 230 1144

For more information, visit the website.

Jungle Island is an interactive zoological park where you can meet some of nature's most amazing creatures.

Are you an animal lover? Now you can explore Jungle Island in a way you have only imagined in your wildest dreams... Immerse yourself in a world of adventure where the animals are closer than ever before. Our unique animal interactions allow you to interact with the animal kingdom in a way few people have ever experienced.

Shows
Jungle Island’s three entertaining shows feature some of the wildest animals from around the globe. From the world’s most lethal bird-Cassowary to some of the most amazing animals you will have to see to believe.

Hours: 
Monday- Sunday: 10am to 5pm

Address: 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami, FL 33132
☎ (305) 400-7000 

For more information, visit the website.

Animal Encounters
Miami Seaquarium® offers a wealth of interactive and educational activities in South Florida! Learn about the ocean's most loved marine animals through our variety of family activities in Miami.

Shows
Don't miss our four fun shows! Laugh, dance, and be inspired by the marine mammals behaviors. In each show you will learn more about each mammal's lifestyle and what you can do to help out, for example, protecting our waters from trash and recycling when possible.

Exhibits
We are home to some of the top attractions in Miami for kids where education and inspiration take place. From discovering sea turtles, meeting the newest creatures, and learning about our conservation efforts, there is something for everyone.

Animal Info
Whether swimming deep beneath the surface or leaping high above the water, the sea life of Miami Seaquarium will delight and astound. Miami Seaquarium® offers educational tidbits throughout the park, as well as interactive opportunities with the animals.

Hours: 
Everyday 10am - 6pm

Address: 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149
☎ 305 361 5705

For more information, visit the website.

Resized photo from Pietro.

The house
Vizcaya, the winter residence of James Deering (1859–1925), was built between 1914 and 1922 in the Coconut Grove area of Miami. The estate was entirely surrounded by subtropical forest—the Main House and the formal gardens appeared as a dreamlike vision in the midst of the jungle on the shores of Biscayne Bay. Today, Vizcaya is an oasis of silence and green, miraculously preserved just south of Miami’s modern skyline.

The garden
Vizcaya’s European-inspired gardens are among the most elaborate in the United States. Reminiscent of gardens created in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Italy and France, the overall landscape design is conceived as a series of rooms.
The central space is dominated by low hedges, or parterres, in a geometric arrangement. Beyond that are the evocative Secret Garden, the intimate Theater Garden, the playful Maze Garden and the once-watery domain of the Fountain Garden. On either side of this designed landscape, James Deering preserved the native forest.

The collection
Vizcaya’s Main House and gardens are furnished with a collection that represents many cultures and periods of art—ancient Roman sculptures, Renaissance tapestries and architectural elements, seventeenth- and eighteenth-century statues and garden decorations, Chinese ceramics, Rococo and Neoclassical furniture and early twentieth-century sculptures and paintings.

Hours:
Open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm 
Except Tuesdays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

Address: 3251 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129
☎ 305 250 9133

For more information, visit the website.

First photo taken by Marc Averette.