OUTDOOR ADVENTURES AND GREAT ESCAPES IN MIAMILAND
Miamiland has helped rebrand Greater Miami as a destination beyond beaches and nightlife. There’s a whole world of adventure for all levels beyond the city limits. The concept is simple. By rebranding the Greater Miami as an outdoor theme park of sorts, GMCVB is highlighting the other side of Miami that visitors so often forget.
There are higher adrenaline activities to explore in Miami, but reconnecting with nature doesn’t need a lot of speed or thrill. From biking to hiking, boating, or kayaking, camping or glamping, Miamiland offers nature splendor for everyone. How does exploring wild and untamed mangrove forests sound? Greater Miami’s diverse outdoor activities offer deep dives into an ocean adventure, paddle boarding in calm waterways and peaceful nature walks at historical sites and heritage neighborhoods.
Miamiland is composed of different “attractions,” including, but not limited to, some of our favorites below.
Everglades National Park
Just a 1.5 hour drive from the glittering city, one of the most spectacular attractions in Miami awaits. Everglades National Park is the third largest in the lower 48 states of the U.S. National Parks system. Made up of sawgrass prairies, mangrove swamps, subtropical jungle and the warm waters of Florida Bay, this UNESCO World Heritage Site and its seemingly endless grassy waters are home to a rare community of plants and endangered animals.
Biking is a great way to see the park as well, with the best opportunities taking place along the Snake Bight Trail near Flamingo to the south and the Shark Valley entrance to the north. Shark Valley offers guided tram tours for those who want to sit it out, while a 15-mile bicycle route gives guests a good chance of spotting an alligator or rare bird.
Biscayne National Park
Biscayne National Park teems with sea life and plants, the park encompasses the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay, the longest stretch of mangrove forest left on Florida’s east coast, living coral reefs and 40 of the northernmost Florida Keys. Manatees, dolphins and five species of sea turtles call the waters of Biscayne Bay home, as do moray eels, stingrays, squid, starfish, and hundreds of varieties of fish. The visitor center’s beautiful museum offers a virtual journey through the park’s four ecosystems using dioramas, audio, and video, while the auditorium features several films about the park.
The Redland and Homestead
The Redland and Homestead offers an agricultural paradise where visitors can spend an entire day sampling fresh-from-the-farm produce and savoring the exotic fruits and vegetables that have become the inspiration for many of Miami’s celebrity chefs. Exploring the back roads by bicycle, locals and tourists line up at Burr’s Berry Farm for delicious strawberry shakes or at quaint Knaus Berry Farm for their sticky-sweet cinnamon rolls. All roads lead to Robert is Here, a popular pit stop for visitors en route to Everglades National Park.
Wreck Diving
Closer to what is consistently ranked among America’s top urban beaches, divers can enjoy the bounty of one of the largest artificial-reef programs in the world. With its proximity to the Bahamas and the Gulf Stream, Miami enjoys beautiful diving conditions year-round. Miami’s wide variety of wreck diving opportunities close to a major city has earned it the reputation as the unofficial “Wreckreational Capital” of the Americas. Fish flock to the more than 75 ships, combat tanks, concrete, limestone, and other structures have been sunk over the past few decades off Miami’s coast, as far south as Florida City and north to Sunny Isles Beach.
Oleta River State Park
Located in Sunny Isles is Florida’s largest urban park with 1,000 acres of land and truly an oasis away from the city’s hustle and bustle life. Renowned for its 15 miles of mountain biking trails from novice to expert, it’s also a popular spot for kayaking and canoeing where you might spot manatees and other native wildlife. They also have nature trails overlooking the shoreline perfect for an afternoon hike.
Historic Virginia Key Beach Park (VKBP)
Once Miami’s only “Colored Beach” dating back to the 1940’s, this park has a long cultural history. VKBP was the only beach during that time allowing African American, Blacks and dark-skinned Hispanics to recreate and swim. Now a restored gem where everyone is welcomed, the park is an environmental space with families and cyclists in mind. The mountain trails are situated on the north end of the key and were built to allow all levels of cyclists to enjoy the thrills of mountain biking while being surrounded by nature and water.
Leave a Reply