In our previous walking tour, the last landmark we’ve seen was the First Miami Presbyterian Church on 609 Brickell Avenue. From there we walked to the Metromover station on 5th Avenue. If you have missed that post, you can find it HERE to review it.

In this walking tour we want to start at the same point so you can combine both circuits if you are in the mood.

Starting Point

The First Miami Presbyterian Church is in the List of National Landmarks. It was finished in 1949 by architect Lester Geisler in the Mediterranean Revival Style, a very popular style in South Florida in the earlier century. If you want to visit inside, the church is open from Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM, Saturdays is Closed, and Sundays from 8:30 AM to 1 PM.

Click on the link below to watch a drone video of the church. When the home page appears, scroll down until you find the video.

https://firstmiami.org

We can start our walk through the park next door on the north side of the church, the Mary Brickell Park toward the water. But since we walked through the park in the previous walking circuit, we’re going to use the other walk trail on the other side of the church.

Click on the photos to enlarge and click on the arrow to view the video. 

First Presbyterian Church Miami – Brickell Area, Miami

When you get to the end of the path right by the water, you will be standing across from our main destination today. Make a right and continue walking through a beautiful line of royal palm trees until you get to the bridge.

That is the Brickell Key Bridge, constructed in 1973, which connects Brickell’s mainland area with this little but very exclusive island named Brickell Key.

Valentine’s T-shirt Collection

Brickell Key

Brickell Key is home to several luxury condominiums, expensive retails stores, a 5-star hotel and the Brickell Key Park. All of this, tied up with a walking trail that will take you around the tiny isle where you will awe with unique views of Biscayne Bay and the iconic Brickell and Downtown Skylines.

Make sure you use the sidewalk to cross the bridge since traffic might get pretty hectic at certain times of the day. As soon as you finish crossing the bridge, use the pedestrian path to cross the street and continue walking toward your right, that way you will circle the key in a counter-clockwise direction.

At the path entrance, you will see two big white planters, go through, and enjoy the views.

Brickell Key Bridge

Downtown Miami & Brickell Skyline from Brickell Key Bridge

Be mindful to observe that bicycles, scooters, skates, skateboards, mopeds, vehicles and rollerblades are not allowed.

Right there, the building on your left is the renowned 5-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel, were celebrities like Penelope Cruz, the Dalai Lama, Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson stayed. If you’re in the mood for breakfast, a cup of coffee or a drink, you can do so even if you’re not staying in the hotel. Just be ready with your wallet!

This is also a great point to stop to capture the Brickell Skyline.

Brickell & Downtown Miami Skyline from Brickell Key – Brickell Area, Miami

Brickell Key Park

Right then, you will get to the Brickell Key Park where you can rest on benches placed by the bay or just sit on the manicured grass.

The stroll continues heading north by a children’s playground. Dogs are welcome to walk along with his or her owner always on a leash and picking up after your dog’s business. If you have forgotten to bring your own plastic bag, you will find waste bag dispensers right next to waste baskets at several points.

Valentine’s T-shirt Collection

Protected Species

Also, remember they are protected species so it is unlawful to feed or harass them. Apart from that, it could be very dangerous, so if you happened to be one of those few people with this unusual encounter, do not try to catch them or pet them. As crazy as it might sound, there are people who try to do these things!

The best way to handle this is to get away from them, and call 911. You will always find someone who will take care of your call in English, Spanish or Creole.

By the way, forget about running in zigzag. The fastest way to run is in a straight line, hints wikiHow in this article.

In a more cheerful note, other wild animals you might encounter are manatees. These are nice and peaceful and they have also been spotted swimming right next to the edge. Manatees are also native to Florida, they are gentle and move very slowly. They are herbivorous and only eat aquatic plants. If you are interested in additional information, check out this link.

And if you are lucky you might even see dolphins swimming in the distance.

In any case, it is always recommended not to feed, nor bother these wild animals because, again, they are protected species and you might end up having problems with the authorities. Even birds are not supposed to be fed.

Right across, you will see Bayside, with its brand new and iconic Ferris Wheel and the Hard Rock Café, as well. Further to your right, across from Bayside you will spot the Port of Miami popularly known as the “Cruise Capital of the World”. On any Sunday as the one I took these pictures, the port was packed with mega-ships from different cruise lines ready to sail to the Caribbean.

This is another great spot to show your artistic side taking stunning pictures of Downtown Miami Skyline.

Tallest Buildings in Miami

Continuing down the path you will be walking by the Miami River mouth flowing into the Biscayne Bay and the ocean. Along the path, you will find this placard with information about the skyline of downtown Miami. But to be honest, it needs a bit of updating.

What here shows as the tallest building in Miami, the Southeast Financial Center is now the third tallest with 764 ft (233 m) and 55 floors. It was the tallest from 1984 to 2003. The Four Seasons Hotel Miami towering 781 ft (238 m) with 70 floors, took away that title when it was completed in 2003. And carried that distinction for 14 years and became the second tallest in March of 2017 when the Panorama Tower reached its tallest height, 868 ft (265 m) with 85 floors.

Closing the Circle Around Brickell Key

We continued walking toward the end of the path and before arriving to the starting point of the circuit around the isle, I took this final panorama picture of Brickell Skyline.

Enjoy the Free Trolley Ride

At the end of the path, you will find yourself once again facing the Brickell Key Bridge. From here you can either go back the way you walked here crossing the bridge or you can also take the Free Trolley that will take you back to Brickell Avenue, one of the Metromover Stations, the Metro Brickell Station, or maybe you want to finish up in a restaurant at the Brickell City Center mall or any other one in the area.

Regardless of what you choose to do, I really hope you have a great time when you visit this area in the near future and that this article will make you enjoy in advance. If you have already been in this area, I hope you have been able to relive pleasant moments.

If you have enjoyed the reading, please recommend it to someone else in Miami or planning to come visit.

Your comments are always welcomed. Please, do so in the space below and don’t forget to share the post using the social media icons below.

Thanks for your time!

Walking Distances

Total from start point to the island is 2,054 ft (626 m)

Total around the island is 1 m (1.60 km)

Total distance walked is 1.49 m (2.40 km)

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