Take the Miami Beach Splashdown!
Visitors who want to take in the sights by land and water have a number of options that may or may not require a change into swimwear. In summertime, we think getting our feet wet is always a treat. Here is a quick round-up of tours around town that are sure to be a splash.
For the non-wet set, we suggest a 90 minute DUCK tour in a goofy-looking coach with the power to transform into a motorized boat and back to a coach again. Visit South Beach, the star’s homes, and Downtown Miami by land and sea. Tour guides are knowledgeable and funny and the trip is just long enough to keep adults and kiddies entertained. Stop by the tour office just off Lincoln Mall at Washington Avenue or purchase tickets online. No swimsuit required.
Miami Duck Tours
1665 Washington Avenue
786-276-8300 1-877-DUCK-TIX
www.ducktoursmiami.com
If you’d rather take the plunge, try a Jet Ski Tour on a Yamaha Wave Runner through the islands around Biscayne Bay. See dolphins playing or peaceful manatees finding shade near the shoreline. Wave “bon voyage” to giant cruise ships at the Port of Miami, check out the star’s homes and get a fish eye view of Bayside Marketplace in Downtown Miami. Guided tours of 1 or 2 hours are available and require adult supervision. The second passenger rides along for free. A picnic lunch is included in the two hour tour.
Jet-Ski Tours of Miami
Watson Island
305-345-5770
www.jetskitoursofmiami.com
Experienced scuba divers and newbie snorkelers are welcome to join South Beach Divers or the Tarpoon Dive Team on an undersea visit to the artificial reefs and sunken wrecks around Miami. With a comprehensive knowledge of shipwrecks from Broward to the Florida Keys, skilled dive masters can help you find the best locations for exploring, spearfishing or lobster gathering in the city.
Just off 2nd Street Beach, see the Jose Cuervo Bar, a 10,000 pound concrete bar donated to the reef program and installed as part of the “Sinko de Mayo Festival.” After the bar was sunk, an underwater bartender handed out 100 mini tequila bottles filled with raffle tickets to wreck divers who won prizes and celebrated the newest dive site on South Beach. Learn more about scuba diving, get your certification or join an underwater tour at the Washington Avenue Dive shop or the Miami Beach Marina.
South Beach Divers
850 Washington Avenue
305-531-6110, 1-888-331-DIVE
www.southbeachdivers.com
Tarpoon Cive Center
300 Alton Road
305-532-1445, 1-888-DIVE-MIAMI
www.tarpoondivecenter.com
If you’re feeling energetic, join a kayak tour group on the western shore of Miami Beach at South Beach Kayak. Sunset Tours of about 2 hours duration take in the mansions of Star and Hibiscus Islands and the Downtown skyline before exploring the uninhabited Monument Island in Biscayne Bay. Guests enjoy a hot dog barbecue and make their own s’mores before paddling back to the shores of Miami Beach. Physically fit adults and children are welcome to grab a paddle and join in the fun.
South Beach Kayak
1771 Sunset Harbour Drive
305-332-2853
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