The Miami river walk trail is touted as a highlight of any downtown visit. It’s described as a ‘hiking area’ on Google Maps with excellent reviews averaging 4.7 stars, so I was excited to explore it. But the reality of what I found when I got there really took me by surprise…
In this article – I share my experience of the river walk in Miami, whether it’s worth visiting, and how to get there if you want to explore it.
At Run/Walk/Explore we love a waterside walk. Whether it’s a relaxing River Avon walk in Bristol or along the beaches of Capri, there’s something soothing about strolling by the water.
So when I saw there was a riverwalk in Downtown Miami, I was excited to explore it. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to expectations (but I did find an even better alternative that you might like too).
The river walk starts and finishes in Downtown Miami, next to Bayfront Park. Confusingly there’s also a metro station called Miami River Walk that doesn’t actually connect to the walking path. So your best option is to get off at Bayfront Park Metro station since it’s much closer.
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If you’re coming from the metro or park, head towards the Intercontinental Hotel. The entrance to the walk is tucked between the hotel and the water, so you can’t go wrong by heading in this direction.
It skirts the edge of the bay and then turns inward along the river. At this point you can enjoy impressive views of the water and highrise skyscrapers as you stroll along the palm tree-lined promenade. It’s a lovely spot to stop and people watch as speed boats whizz up and down the river.
But then the walk just stops. It takes 5 minutes from end to end.
It does look as if you should be able to continue walking further along the river, but the path is blocked off. This might be due to nearby building work but it doesn’t look like it’ll be opening up any time soon.
So, is the Miami River Walk worth visiting?
The river walk is worth a few minutes if you’re already in downtown Miami and exploring Bayfront Park. It’s a 5 minute detour and has some lovely views so you might as well visit if you’re nearby. But in our opinion, it wouldn’t be worth making a trip especially to see this.
If you’re looking for a stunning riverside walk in Miami, you’re much better off going to Brickell Key instead. It’s a gorgeous mile-long loop with views of the bay, modern high-rise buildings, and incredible super yachts. This walk exceeded expectations and delivered everything we were hoping the Miami river walk would be.
FAQs
The river walk in Miami is 0.2 miles (0.3 km) and takes 5 minutes end to end.
Yes you can walk along it for a short section but not very far, so you’re better off doing a river cruise if you want to see more.
The river walk starts next to Bayfront Park by the Intercontinental Hotel (look for the Liberty Column and Seafair mega yacht).
Yes there are benches and low walls along the promenade where you can stop and take in the views. The Intercontinental Hotel also has a restaurant with an outdoor terrace overlooking the Miami river.
The citizenM Wordtrade Center is one of the best boutique hotels in Miami and very close to the river walk, or there are plenty of great hotels in Brickell which is also nearby.
