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This broad, long, and wellmaintained stretch of sand is, for many, the epitome of South Beach. In season, bronzed bodies line up row after row, some with boom boxes blasting, others just catching the rays. The more active play volleyball, do gymnastics, and, of course, take to the waves. From 5th to 11th Streets, women can go topless.

Haulover has been spared the sight of high-rise development. The dune-backed beach lies along the eastern side of the park, and to the north it has become the only nude beach in the county, part of it gay.

Though not well known for its beaches, the park’s northern part is popular with surfers, and you can watch cruise ships gliding in and out of the Port of Miami. It’s also great for walks, and there’s a fitness course, an observation tower, charcoal grills, picnic spots, and playgrounds.

More noteworthy for its 1950s’ tourist-resort kitsch than for its rocky sand, this strip is popular with older tourists, as well as surfers and sailors. Souvenir shops and hotels indulge in campy architectural fancies, featuring exotic themes along Collins (A1A) between 160th & 185th Streets.

windsurfers, Virginia Key – neighbor to Key Biscayne and similarly shrouded in Australian pines – has no residents and few visitors. Under Old South segregation, it was the only Miami beach African-Americans were allowed to use. Once you walk through the vegetation, the 2-mile (3-km) beach here is fine and relatively empty. Both are excellent for children due to the warm bay waters, but Virginia Key has deep waters and possible undertow.

One of several South Florida beaches that are rated among the top ten in the entire US, this one is on upper Key Biscayne (see Crandon Park).

Also rated as one of the top ten beaches in the US, located at the pristine southern tip of Key Biscayne.

Considerably battered by 1992’s Hurricane Andrew, this 100-acre (40-ha) park is making a comeback. Developed in the 1930s by Commodore J. W. Matheson, it features the manmade Atoll Pool, a salt-water swimming pool encircled by sand and palm trees right alongside Biscayne Bay. The tranquil beach is popular with families and enjoys warm, safe waters surrounded by tropical hardwood forests. Other attractions include walking trails through the mangrove swamp.

Frequently voted the best beach in the US, Bahia Honda is noted for its perfect sands, great watersports, and exotic tropical forests.

Key West’s relatively modest beaches are lined up along the southern side of the island, stretching from Fort Zachary Taylor State Park in the west to Smathers Beach in the east. The latter is the largest and most popular, but locals favor the former because it’s less crowded. For convenience, the beach at the bottom of Duval Street, at the Southernmost Point in the US, is fine, friendly, and full of refreshment options.