Crandon Park Beach

Crandon's two-mile beach on Key Biscayne sits behind an offshore sandbar that knocks down most of the surf, so the water inside is usually calm and shallow. Many swimmers head out to the bar and swim or wade along it. The bar shifts with storms, flotation devices aren't allowed, and parking is $7 plus tax Monday to Thursday, $10 Friday to Sunday.

Directions

Photo: Paulkondratuk3194 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Latest reading · SwimScore 88/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 27°C, wind 4 km/h, waves 0.5 m, UV 3. Updated 23 Sept, 22:00 UTC.

Know before you go

Best conditions: Light-wind days, when the offshore sandbar keeps the inside water calm and shallow.
Getting in: Miami-Dade County park on Key Biscayne, reached over the Rickenbacker Causeway (toll). Flotation devices are not allowed in the water, and personal paddleboards and kayaks may not launch from the beach.
Parking & transport: County lots with just under 3,000 spaces; $7 plus tax Monday–Thursday and $10 plus tax Friday–Sunday.
Lifeguards: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Ocean Rescue guards Crandon Park Beach 365 days a year, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., from elevated towers spaced about 150 yards apart.
Water quality: Florida Department of Health Healthy Beaches Program samples the 'Crandon Park North – Key Biscayne' site for enterococci bacteria every 1–2 weeks depending on county (Good 0–35, Moderate 36–70, Poor 71+ per 100 mL); an advisory is issued when a sample and its resample both exceed 70. A second site, 'Crandon Park South', is also sampled.
Season: Year-round; guarded every day.
Watch for: Offshore sandbar changes constantly with seasonal squalls, storms and currents
Rip currents
Kiteboarders and windsurfers use the park's waters
Facilities: Restrooms and showers · Concession stands · Picnic areas with tables and grills · Beach promenade · Beach wheelchairs · Cabana rentals at the south end · Watersports concession (kiteboarding lessons and rentals)