City Guides: Things to do While Boating in Miami, Florida
Part of Miami-Dade County, the Magic City known as Miami lies between Fort Lauderdale and Homestead along South Florida’s Atlantic coast. Miami is an excellent area to explore by boat from a private boat slip rent. Sail and motor around surrounding islands and cays like Virginia Key, Fisher Island, Key Biscayne and other areas around the Atlantic Ocean, ICW and Biscayne Bay.
Photo: Pixabay
You’ll discover a diverse array of neighborhoods such as Wynwood, the Design District, the art deco district and downtown Miami/Brickell as well as the cultural neighborhoods of Little Haiti, Little Havana and Historic Overtown. From art, culture and nightlife to tourist attractions, nature and the outdoor recreation of fishing charters and parasailing adventures, if you can’t find something to do in Miami, you’re just not looking hard enough. But it can be a daunting process, so we’ve done the homework for you.
Whether you’ve come to town for Miami’s wreck and reef dive spots, the glamour of South Beach, sporting events (Dolphins, Heat or Marlins) or South Florida dock and dine restaurants, here a are a few of our favorite things to check out the next time you’re looking for something to do from a private boat dock rental in Miami.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens
Photo: Vizcaya Museum & Gardens (Facebook)
Explore Renaissance and Baroque sculptures and art collections both inside the house and outside in the gardens at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. Located in Miami’s Coconut Grove area along Biscayne Bay, the stunning Mediterranean-style house was built between 1914 and 1922. If you’re thinking it looks familiar, you’re right. The exterior of the house has been featured in movies such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Any Given Sunday and Iron Man 3.
The gardens are designed to look like 17th and 18th century Italian and French gardens and feature lily ponds, delicate orchids, cactus landscapes, colorful flowers and hedges arranged in geometric patterns. Explore themed areas like the Secret Garden, the Maze Garden and the Fountain Garden.
Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
Photo: ICA Miami (Facebook)
The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) features paintings, photography, textile work, sculptures and more in an indoor and outdoor setting in the Miami Design District. It’s just a few blocks from the ICW and the Julia Tuttle Causeway (Florida State Road 112), so it’s a convenient stop whether you’re on a boat headed to a private boat dock for rent or making your way over to South Beach. Museum admission is free, but it’s a good idea to get reserved tickets ahead of time as capacity may fill up.
Miami Seaquarium
Photo: Miami Seaquarium (Facebook)
The Miami Seaquarium is one of South Florida’s most popular attractions and a super fun spot to visit from a private boat slip for rent. The Seaquarium has been a leader in the rescue, rehab and release of sick and injured marine animals (as well as conservation education) since the 1950s.
Spend the day visiting Caribbean flamingos, African penguins, sea turtles, tropical fish, manatees, sea lions, stingrays and more. Watch animal education shows and get up close with invertebrates and bamboo sharks at the touch tank. Enjoy dolphin, penguin and seal encounters (for an additional fee).
Wynwood Walls
Photo: Wynwood Walls (Facebook)
Wynwood Walls is an outdoor urban graffiti art museum and one of our favorite places to visit from a private boat lift rental. The Wynwood Walls Museum has retail shops and street art galleries and more than 50 spectacular murals in a 35,000-square-foot space. National and international artists create art. Peruse bold, colorful and larger-than-life murals or take part in street art experiences where you’ll get to spray paint onto a wall and create your own unique design while learning techniques from local artists.
Casino Miami
Photo: Casino Miami (Facebook)
Meet Lady Luck at the 68,000-square-foot Casino Miami. Try your hand at poker, electronic table games (blackjack, roulette and craps) and more than 1,000 Vegas-style slot machines. The William Hill Race Book, located within Casino Miami, offers wagering on thoroughbred, harness and greyhound races from around the country. Enjoy food, beverages and musical acts like DJs and live bands at Club Rio.
Bayside Marketplace
Photo: Wikimedia
Bayside Marketplace is the place to go for boat tours, shopping, waterfront restaurants and special events like the Dino Safari: A Walk-Through Adventure (an immersive larger-than-life dinosaur display with more than 30 dinosaurs). Check out the Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel. Sitting more than 200 feet above Bayside Marketplace, it offers views of the downtown Miami skyline, Biscayne Bay and Bayfront Park. There are 42 enclosed gondolas. Rides last approximately 12 to 15 minutes.
Are you ready to pack the boat bag and head to Miami? We are too! Hopefully you’ve found some things to keep you busy the next time you’re passing through, traveling from Florida to the Bahamas by boat, spending time at a private boat dock for rent or embarking on a Great Loop or Florida ICW excursion. Happy boating!
