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attraction · Miami
The Calmest Beach Day in Miami, and the Oldest Standing Structure in the County
Review of Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
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Share your experienceBill Baggs occupies the southern tip of Key Biscayne, and it is the answer to a question a lot of visitors ask on day three, which is whether there is a beach in Miami that is not a scene. There is, and this is it: about a mile of Atlantic sand backed by Australian pine and sea grape, calm water, picnic tables, and an absence of anybody trying to sell you a lounger. The Cape Florida Lighthouse at the point dates from 1825 and is the oldest standing structure in Miami Dade County. It was burned during the Second Seminole War and rebuilt, and it sits at the end of a short walk through coastal hammock that feels nothing like the rest of the city. Climbing it is possible on a limited schedule rather than on demand, so check before you build a day around it. This is a Florida State Park and charges a per vehicle entrance fee at the gate, which is the cheap part. The expensive part is the causeway toll to get onto Key Biscayne in the first place, which catches people out. The reason to come is what the rest of the Miami coast is not. There are no hotels behind it, no music, no bottle service on the sand, and enough tree cover that a summer afternoon is survivable. Bring your own food and water, because the concessions are limited and you are a long way from anything. It is a genuine trip from South Beach. Give it a day, or at least an unhurried afternoon, and pair it with Crandon Park further north if you want more beach.
What was great
A quiet, shaded, undeveloped Atlantic beach with no commercial strip behind it. An 1825 lighthouse that is the oldest standing structure in the county. Real tree cover, which almost no other Miami beach has. Cheap entry.
What nearly ruined the trip
You have to cross a tolled causeway to get here, and without a car it is an awkward journey. Concessions are limited, so arriving without food and water is a mistake. Lighthouse climbs run on a restricted schedule rather than whenever you turn up.
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