Bal Harbour Beach - Miami Beach, Florida

Address:Miami Beach, Florida

Looking to enjoy an elegant and discreet beach getaway? Do you enjoy celebrity and people-watching and great shopping too? Then Miami's Bal Harbour Beach is your "place to be." A one-of-a kind beach, that exudes sophistication and charm, Bal Harbour is one of the best known parts of Miami Beach. You'll feel it from the moment you drive down Collins Avenue, where the famous street becomes a wide boulevard lined with palm trees and green. Set among resort hotels, Bal Harbour beach is mostly private, except for two public access points, and there's a scenic walking path and a jetty for fishing, sightseeing or outdoor exercise. Though the beach only covers a third of a square mile, the recently refurbished beach offers the best in swimming, sunbathing, surfing (the area near the jetty is a favorite of surfers), and windsurfing.

Another thing you'll find plenty of at Bal Harbour, is top notch shopping at the local, upscale mall. In fact, the Bal Harbour Shops is the village's crown jewel, not to mention the perfect place to cool off in class, as it is open to the sky but protects shoppers from the sun and rain in its tropical garden setting of scarlet and purple bougainvillea. Below the bridge, you'll have the chance to see boats leaving for the ocean through the deepwater channel.

Tired of shopping, and getting a bit hungry? There is no lack of great food to choose from here. Bal Harbour has got everything to tantalize your taste buds, from Continental and Italian to Latin, seafood, and New Miami World. Note that public access to the beach is available at 96th Street and Collins Avenue, and at 102nd Street and Collins, next to the Haulover Inlet. Take into account, however, that there are no lifeguards at the beach, so play safe!