Few American parks can claim to front such a lovely stretch of turquoise (Biscayne Bay), but Miamians are lucky like that. Lots of office workers catch quick naps under the palms at a little beach that does you the favor of setting out ‘sit and chill’ chairs. Notable park features are two performance venues: the Klipsch Amphitheater , which boasts excellent views over Biscayne Bay, is a good spot for live-music shows, while the smaller 200-seat (lawn seating can accommodate 800 more) Tina Hills Pavilion hosts free springtime performances. Look north for the JFK Torch of Friendship , and a fountain recognizing the accomplishments of longtime US congressman Claude Pepper. There’s a huge variety of activities here, including yoga classes, trapeze classes and, we hear, flying-trapeze yoga classes (seriously).
Noted artist and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi redesigned much of Bayfront Park in the 1980s and dotted the grounds with three sculptures . In the southwest corner is the Challenger Memorial , a monument designed for the astronauts killed in the 1986 space-shuttle explosion, built to resemble both the twisting helix of a human DNA chain and the shuttle itself. The Light Tower is a 40ft, somewhat abstract allusion to Japanese lanterns and moonlight over Miami. Our favorite is the Mantra Slide , a twisting spiral of marble that doubles as a playground piece for the kids.
