1. Rickenbacker Causeway, 2. Ocean Drive, 3. Old Cutler Road, 4. Julia Tuttle Causeway, 5. MacArthur Causeway, 6. Venetian Causeway, 7. Main Highway. Highways lined with palm trees and waterfront bridges that stretch far beyond South Beach aren’t just for tourists rolling around in their rented convertibles. You, too, can have a blast at the wheel. So fill up the tank, wait out rush hour (or don't if you want to people watch on Ocean Drive) and start planning to pilot your way through these eight scenic drives in Miami. Filled with famous freeways and Instagrammable places, these drives beg for you to roll down the windows and crank up the music.
- Rickenbacker Causeway
- Ocean Drive
- Old Cutler Road
- Julia Tuttle Causeway
- MacArthur Causeway
- Venetian Causeway
- Main Highway
Rickenbacker Causeway
The Rickenbacker Causeway is a causeway that connects Miami, Florida to the barrier islands of Virginia Key and Key Biscayne across Biscayne Bay in the United States. There’s a reason why runners and cyclists flock to the seaside trail of the Rickenbacker Causeway: surrounded on both sides by crystal blue waters, white sands, and waving palm trees, the five-mile stretch connecting Miami and the nearby islands of Key Biscayne and Virginia Key has become synonymous with everything that locals love about living in Miami. It is also one of the best scenic drives in Miami.
The William H. Powell Bridge — jokingly (yet truthfully) referred to as “the biggest hill in Miami” — provides spectacular views of Miami’s downtown skyline and the waves of Biscayne Bay as drivers climb nearly 100 feet above sea level to its peak. It’s easy to get distracted by the sights on every side, so you’re probably better off having a friend or Uber driver behind the wheel while you snap pictures.
Location: Rickenbacker Cswy. Key Biscayne, FL 33149
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Ocean Drive
Ocean Drive is a major thoroughfare in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, on the east or Atlantic coast of the State of Florida, in the United States. In July 2020, Miami Beach Commission passed a resolution that banned cars on Ocean Drive to create a pedestrian thoroughfare and increased sidewalk seating. And it is also one of the best scenic drives in Miami.South Beach has gained worldwide fame for its Art Deco architecture, and Ocean Drive is the epicenter of it all. The pastel-colored hotels and bars on Ocean Drive’s west side act as the perfect complement to the trees and sand of the beach and Lummus Park across the street, providing the ideal backdrop for pretending you’re in a music video while driving down this picturesque seaside road in the safety of your car. Public beaches, bars, and restaurants are all closed per Miami Beach city ordinance, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look at hotspots like the Clevelander, Palace, and Wet Willie’s or the opulent mansion once owned by Gianni Versace from a distance.
Location: Miami Beach, FL 33139, USA
Old Cutler Road
Old Cutler Road is an off-grid plan, 14.9-mile (24.0 km) main northeast–southwest road running south of downtown Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The tree tunnels of Old Cutler Road make it one of the most popular spots in Miami for scenic Sunday drives. Stretching nearly 15 miles from the ritzy gated community of Cocoplum in Coral Gables to the suburban village of Cutler Bay, the road acts as a main artery for many of the upscale communities that are situated along the way.
The route has attracted even more visitors – be they on four wheels, two wheels, or two feet – searching for a place to take in some of the beauty of living in South Florida. Matheson Hammock Park, located about a mile-and-a-half south of Old Cutler’s northern end, is home to one of the county’s quietest beaches and provides another scenic (yet shorter) drive. And it is one of the best scenic drives in Miami.
Location: Old Cutler Rd. Miami, FL 33143
Julia Tuttle Causeway
Julia Tuttle Causeway is a 4.4-mile-long (7.1 km) spur freeway connecting I-95 (its parent route) in the west with Miami Beach in the east. It crosses Biscayne Bay by traveling over the Julia Tuttle Causeway, named after Miami founder Julia Tuttle. And this is also the best scenic drive in Miami.
As one of the three main highways connecting Miami Beach with mainland Miami, the Julia Tuttle Causeway is home to some of the most sweeping views of Biscayne Bay visible from a car. The highway’s two bridges clock in at just a few feet shorter than the Rickenbacker Causeway’s bridge, offering the same bird’s-eye view of the bay below and downtown skyline in the distance, albeit from a different angle. On the beach side, the Julia Tuttle ends at the iconic “Welcome to Miami Beach” sign that greets visitors as they enter the beach at 41st street; on the mainland side, the causeway spits you out in the heart of midtown Miami, just minutes away from the street art of Wynwood.
Location: I-195, Florida, USA
MacArthur Causeway
The General Douglas MacArthur Causeway is a six-lane causeway which connects downtown Miami, Florida to South Beach, Miami Beach via Biscayne Bay. The highway is the singular roadway connecting the mainland and beaches to Watson Island and the bay neighborhoods of Palm Island, Hibiscus Island, and Star Island. Interstate 395 ends at Fountain Street, the entrance to Palm Island Park, which has a traffic light as well as bus stops.
Perhaps the drive that out-of-towners will recognize the most, the MacArthur Causeway connects the city of Miami on the mainland and the barrier island of Miami Beach, and has become iconic for its proximity to many of the things for which the area is known. On one side, the multi-million dollar homes on Star Island will make you dream about having neighbors like P. Diddy and Gloria and Emilio Estefan. On the other, the monstrous cruise ships docked at Port Miami will have you planning your next ocean getaway. And this is one of the best scenic drives in Miami.
Location: MacArthur Causeway, Florida, USA
Venetian Causeway
The Venetian Causeway crosses Biscayne Bay between Miami on the mainland and Miami Beach on a barrier island in South Florida. The man-made Venetian Islands and non-bridge portions of the causeway were created by materials which came from the dredging of the bay. The Venetian Causeway follows the original route of the Collins Bridge, a wooden 2.5 miles long structure built in 1913 by John S. Collins and Carl G. Fisher which opened up the barrier island for unprecedented growth and development.
Like the MacArthur and Julia Tuttle, the Venetian Causeway bridges Miami Beach with downtown Miami. What makes the Venetian unique is the actual bridge. The causeway runs entirely at sea level, so it feels as if you’re driving on the water; specially-designed white barriers border the road on either side to prevent drivers from actually driving over the water. It takes you through the posh neighborhoods of Miami’s Venetian Islands and past hotels like The Standard and rentable luxury homes like the Villa Venetian, so driving through is not only the most scenic option, but also the most cost-effective.
Location: North, Atlantic Ave, Miami, FL 33132, United States
Main Highway
Despite its name implying high traffic and high activity, Main Highway in Coconut Grove is one of the quietest major thoroughfares in the city, with plenty of low-hanging trees and colorful flowers to provide some ideal driving scenery. Coconut Grove, also known colloquially as The Grove, is the oldest continuously inhabited neighborhood of Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The neighborhood is roughly bound by North Prospect Drive to the south, LeJeune Road to the west, South Dixie Highway (US 1) and Rickenbacker Causeway to the north, and Biscayne Bay to the east. It is south of the neighborhoods of Brickell and The Roads and east of Coral Gables. The neighborhood’s name has been sometimes spelled “Cocoanut Grove” but the definitive spelling “Coconut Grove” was established when the city was incorporated in 1919.
Don’t be surprised if you have to stop and wait for a peacock to cross the road: they’re some of Coconut Grove’s most famous residents, and have called the area home for decades. At just about a mile, Main Highway is a mostly residential street, but at its northern end, it’s home to popular attractions like the CocoWalk mall (currently under renovation) and food spots like Lulu and GreenStreet Café.
Location: Miami, FL 33133, USA
