With year-round sun, Miami Beach has much to offer health and fitness enthusiasts. Thirty-five miles of beachfront provide numerous water-sports activities, and for those who prefer dry land, city parks offer a respite from the heat, as well as playgrounds and recreational sports facilities. Get to know the city by taking a walking or biking tour of Miami's famous neighborhoods, and before packing the picnic basket for your day out, investigate the city's farmers' markets.
Beaches and Water Sports
Miami Beach's white-sand public beaches are well-maintained and offer bathroom facilities, lifeguard protection and concession stands. Beyond sunbathing and splashing in the waves, boat-rental agencies allow those aged 21and older to cruise the shoreline by powerboat, catamaran or sailboat.
If you prefer to Jet ski, the Miami Beach Marina is a good place to look for rentals and Jet ski tours. Scuba and snorkeling are also popular, and outfitters offer organized dives around the artificial reefs as well as to areas near the numerous shipwrecks just off the Miami coast.
Farmers' Markets
The well-known Lincoln Road Farmers' Market is open every Sunday year-round. This South Beach institution offers fresh fruits and vegetables, cut flowers and fresh bread, as well as an organic market.
The Normandy Village Marketplace, open on Saturdays, has been operating in the North Beach section of the city since 1998. Fresh fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants are all sold at this family friendly market just a few blocks from the beachfront.
Parks
Trade sand for the grassy tree-lined parks of Miami Beach. Flamingo Park in South Beach is a popular spot, with a swimming pool and water playground, tennis and basketball courts and baseball, football and soccer fields.
South Pointe Park is located at the southern-most point of Miami Beach, and with its barbecue facilities and pavilions, makes a perfect spot for a picnic before hitting the waves. The park also features natural sand dunes, a children's playground and motion-activated water sprays.
Recreational Sports
Biking is a great way to see the city, which has more than 130 miles of paved paths. If you need a bicycle, head to one of the big-beach hotels, which provide rentals.
There are more than 50 golf courses in the Miami area; two popular spots in Miami Beach are the newly renovated Miami Beach Golf Club in South Beach and the course at Haulover Beach Park.
In-line skating is another popular way to get around Miami Beach. Outfitters will provide rentals, free lessons and help you map a course to best see the sites.
Walking and Biking Tours
The Miami Design Preservation League offers guided and self-guided walking and biking tours of Miami Beach's historical areas.
Historians and architects will show you the famous Art Deco district, as well as examples of the area's Mediterranean Revival style, popular in Miami Beach. Other bike tour operators provide tours through the Art Deco district, continuing along the oceanfront to the Venetian Causeway.
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