Outdoors & Beaches$
Crandon Park & Bill Baggs Cape Florida
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Calm shallow water, a historic lighthouse and picnic groves — the best beach day in Miami with small kids.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Living here
Things to do in South Florida
Where locals actually eat, shop, take the kids and spend a Saturday — from Miami-Dade to Martin County. Filter by who is coming with you, what day it is and what you feel like spending.
19 ideas
Dining$$$
The Rusty Pelican
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Waterfront seafood restaurant on the Rickenbacker Causeway with sweeping skyline views.
WeekendsEveningsAges 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Dining$$
Boater's Grill
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Casual Cuban-seafood waterfront restaurant inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Dining$$
Sunday's On The Bay
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Marina-front seafood spot popular for Sunday brunch and boat-in dining.
WeekendsEveningsAges 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Shopping$$
Key Biscayne Village Shops
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Small-town shopping strip on Crandon Boulevard with boutiques, surf shops and cafés.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 10-14Ages 15-17
Attractions$$$
Miami Seaquarium
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Marine park on Virginia Key with sea lion shows, dolphins and tropical marine exhibits.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Attractions$
Cape Florida Lighthouse
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Florida's oldest standing structure, an 1825 lighthouse with tower tours at Bill Baggs park.
WeekendsAges 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Attractions$
Crandon Park Nature Center
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Coastal hammock nature trails and exhibits on Key Biscayne's barrier island ecology.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14
Outdoors & Beaches$
Crandon Park Beach
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Two-mile family beach with calm water, picnic areas, and shaded parking near the Nature Center.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Outdoors & Beaches$
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Historic lighthouse, quiet beach and bike paths at the southern tip of Key Biscayne.
WeekdaysWeekendsSeasonalAges 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Outdoors & Beaches$
Crandon Park Marina
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Public marina with boat ramps and charter fishing access on Biscayne Bay.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 10-14Ages 15-17
Outdoors & BeachesFree
Bear Cut Preserve Boardwalk
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Wooden boardwalk through the natural shoreline preserve next to the Miami Seaquarium.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14
Outdoors & Beaches$
Cape Florida Lighthouse Beach
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Quiet sandy stretch beneath Florida's oldest standing structure, calm for wading.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14
Kids & Family$$$
Miami Seaquarium touch tanks
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Stingray and shark touch pools plus marine mammal shows on the Rickenbacker Causeway.
WeekendsAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14
Kids & Family$
Crandon Park Family Amusement Center
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Vintage carousel and small rides next to a calm, shallow family beach and nature center.
WeekendsAges 0-4Ages 5-9
Sports & Events$$$
Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Championship public course on the bay, former LPGA/Champions Tour host.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 10-14Ages 15-17
Sports & Events$
Crandon Park Tennis Center
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Former home of the Miami Open with 27 courts open to the public year-round.
WeekdaysWeekendsAges 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Sports & Events$
Key Biscayne Seafood Festival
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Waterfront seafood, craft beer and live music festival on the island each spring.
WeekendsSeasonalAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
Sports & EventsFree
Key Biscayne Holiday Boat Parade
Key Biscayne · Miami-Dade
Neighborhood lighted-boat procession around the island each December.
EveningsSeasonalAges 0-4Ages 5-9Ages 10-14Ages 15-17
How a week usually looks here
Weekdays
Beaches and parks are nearly empty before noon, museums are quiet, and restaurants that need a month's notice on Saturday will seat you at 6pm on a Tuesday. Libraries run free story times for little ones, and breweries do trivia midweek.
Weekends
Green markets and art fairs on Saturday mornings, boats out by ten, dinner on Las Olas or Atlantic Avenue, and live music downtown. Book attractions online the night before — walk-up lines are the only real hassle.
Season (November–April)
Everything doubles: polo in Wellington, the Kravis and Broward Center seasons, street art fairs, the boat show in autumn and Art Basel in early December. Traffic and reservations get tighter, so plan ahead.
Summer & rainy afternoons
Storms usually pass in an hour. Keep an indoor backup on the list — a science museum, an indoor mall, a go-kart park — and swim in the morning, not at three in the afternoon.
Choosing between neighborhoods? Where you land decides how much of this you actually do on a weeknight. Compare the areas, look up schools or ask me what a normal week looks like in the area you're considering.
Hours, prices and seasonal dates change — check the venue before you drive. Tell me if a favorite spot is missing and I'll add it.