Coconut Grove in Miami

What are the highlights of Coconut Grove?

Coconut Grove is one of the lushest waterfront neighbourhoods in Miami, with plenty of gorgeous parks lining its coastline. Even most of its streets are typically tree-lined and its green spaces often feature a tropical hardwood hammock.

At its northern edge, bordering Brickell, is the 28-acre Alice Wainwright Park. This closed-canopy forest has beachfront benches from which you can take in the calm seascape, with the tiny Sister Banks Island on the horizon and the skyscraper skyline of Miami and the William M Powell Bridge to the north. It also features a basketball court and a kids’ playground.

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is just south, standing majestically and overlooking the waters of the Deering Channel. Vizcaya’s beautiful Veneto and Tuscan-inspired architecture and extensive Italian Renaissance-inspired gardens offer great selfie backdrops, especially as its greenhouse central courtyard starred as the Mandarin’s lair in Iron Man 3 (2013).

David T. Kennedy Park is a great place for a jog and to meet new 4-legged friends at the off-leash dog park. There's also a beachfront trail, the Phoenix Beach Volley Club park, as well as an outdoor gym. Coconut Grove’s boating culture becomes evident as you go further south, with the tall masts of moored vessels at the Coral Reef Yacht Club and Grove Key Marina next to it.

The marina is home to The Fresh Market, a cool spot with an old-world vibe for groceries and fresh goods and snacks. Regatta Park is a great picnic spot at Dinner Key Marina. Miami City Hall is a historic site that also calls the marina home. The key served as a naval base during World War I, as a Coast Guard seaplane base in 1932, and as the original Navy and Pan Am terminal in World War II.

South of the marina and overlooking the 4^th island of the Dinner Key Picnic Islands Park is the urban Peacock Park, with its baseball, basketball, and tennis facilities. When you’re feeling peckish, be sure to drop by Peacock Garden Café, a wonderful ‘secret garden’ and open-air type of dining spot with an eclectic menu.

Next to it is the 5-acre bayfront park and former Victorian estate known as The Barnacle Historic State Park. It has a mangrove forest as well as an Old Florida house. Nature lovers and birdwatchers will love this spot for the fact that it offers frequent sightings of pelicans and cormorants, among many other species.

The Kampong is a 9-acre national tropical botanical garden not to be missed while in Coconut Grove. Founded in the 1800s, it continues to serve as a horticultural lab. Inside the park, you can enjoy pleasant strolls through lush spaces featuring exotic fruits such as carambola and different mango cultivars.

Cocowalk in Downtown Coconut Grove is the place to be for fashionable boutique shopping and charming outdoor cafés. Somewhat upscale, it's the neighbourhood’s main shopping spot and basically exemplifies Coconut Grove’s outdoorsy vibe. It also features a theater in its outdoor courtyard.

Good to know about Coconut Grove

Coconut Grove is about 4.6 miles southwest of Downtown Miami or an 8-minute drive via Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1. You can also take Miami-Dade Transit’s Dadeland South bus number 9105 from Government Center in Downtown Miami to Coconut Grove Station.