Key Biscayne

The key to Florida’s natural world

Noteworthy for: For a quirky photo opportunity head to Stiltsville, an aquatic community of 12 brightly colored houses on stilts built by fishermen in the 1940s to avoid property taxes.
Word to the wise: For the animal-lovers amongst you, jump aboard a canoe for a naturalist-guided tour of Key Biscayne’s mangrove forests, home to many reptiles and birds.

Holidaymakers began flocking to ‘the Key’ after former US President Richard Nixon bought a home here in the 1970s. The island, just seven miles long, has unrivaled views of the Miami skyline and is lined with small public beaches and scenic picnic spots. Although not part of Miami city, it is in the Miami-Dade County.
You access the island over the impressive Rickenbacker Causeway, which turns into the Key's main drag, Crandon Boulevard, running all the way to the Cape Florida Lighthouse. Though hundreds of condos now crowd the coast, the main attraction here is nature. There’s not much nightlife or shopping, and that’s just fine with locals.

From playing tennis sets at Crandon Park on the same courts as pro tennis players to enjoying a round of golf, sports are a year-round activity. Bill Braggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area on the southern tip of Key Biscayne offers a multitude of water sports, including kayaking, windsurfing, and fishing.