Neighborhood 48H guide
Key Biscayne: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
An island of beaches across the Rickenbacker, with the 1825 Cape Florida Lighthouse at the tip.
Key Biscayne is a barrier island across the Rickenbacker Causeway from Brickell: Crandon Park’s beach in the north, a small village in the middle, and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park with its 1825 lighthouse at the south end.
Photo gallery
Photo: Tamanoeconomico · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Tamanoeconomico · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Paulkondratuk3194 (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Two of Miami’s best beaches, bike paths and calm water, with Brickell a short drive back over the causeway.
Who it's for: Families, beach-and-bike weekends, and anyone who wants nature 20 minutes from Downtown.
Pros
- Uncrowded beaches and parks
- Bike and walking paths
- Calm, family-friendly
Cons
- One causeway in and out; slow on weekends
- Few restaurants and little nightlife
- Limited hotels
48H on Key Biscayne
Lighthouse and beach, a lunch on the water, sunset over the skyline.
09:00 – Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Beach, trails and the Cape Florida Lighthouse.
13:00 – Lunch at Boater’s Grill
Seafood on No Name Harbor, inside the park.
18:30 – Rusty Pelican
Sunset drinks or dinner on Virginia Key, facing the skyline.
10:00 – Day 2: Crandon Park
Beach, shade and calm water at the north end of the island.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Eat
Eat
Boater’s Grill
1200 S Crandon Blvd
Seafood on No Name Harbor inside the state park.
Official site / map →
Outdoors
Outdoors
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
1200 S Crandon Blvd
Beach, trails and the 1825 lighthouse at the island’s south tip. Open 8 a.m. to sundown.
Photo: Tamanoeconomico · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →Outdoors
Crandon Park
6747 Crandon Blvd
County park with a long beach and calm water.
Photo: Paulkondratuk3194 (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Sunrise / sunset
Sunrise / sunset
Rusty Pelican
3201 Rickenbacker Cswy
Waterfront restaurant on Virginia Key facing the Brickell skyline.
Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami
455 Grand Bay Dr
Beachfront resort with pools, tennis and a spa. Reopened December 2025 after renovation.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for Key Biscayne.
Browse vacation rentals in Key Biscayne on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Miami
- South Beach — Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, the beach across the street, Cuban breakfast at Puerto Sagua.
- Mid-Beach — The Fontainebleau, the Faena District and a boardwalk along the sand.
- Bal Harbour / Surfside — Quiet north-end beaches, Bal Harbour Shops and Thomas Keller in a 1930s beach club.
- Wynwood / Design District — Murals at Wynwood Walls, Panther Coffee, KYU, then designer shops and ICA a few blocks north.
- Downtown / Bayfront — Bayfront Park, PAMM on the water and a free Metromover around the towers.
- Brickell — Glass towers, Brickell City Centre, Brickell Key at sunset and dinner at Komodo.
- Little Havana — Dominoes at Máximo Gómez Park, live music at Ball & Chain, a ventanita cafecito at Versailles.
- Coconut Grove — Banyan-shaded streets, Vizcaya’s gardens and dinner by the bay at Glass & Vine.
- Coral Gables — The Biltmore’s tower, a swim at the Venetian Pool, books and tapas off Miracle Mile.