Hobie Island Beach Park on Virginia Key traces its history to the development of the Rickenbacker Causeway, named after Eddie Rickenbacker, the American World War I flying ace and founder and president of Miami-based Eastern Air Lines. The causeway opened in November 1947, featuring 1.2 miles of bridges and 2.7 miles of roadway on fill, connecting Virginia Key and Key Biscayne to the mainland after years of boat-only access. Virginia Key itself, an 863-acre barrier island in Biscayne Bay south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne, was named by Frederick H. Gerdes of the United States Coast Survey in 1849, who noted the island had no name and hadn't existed as an island until Narrows Cut broke through approximately ten to twelve years earlier. Before the causeway's 1947 opening, Miami's Black residents traveled to Virginia Key Beach exclusively by boat from 1945 to 1947. Hobie Beach earned its name from the Hobie Cats that set sail from the shore, hosting a locally run windsurfing rental concession for over twenty years along the bayfront strip.
Hobie Island Beach Park, also called Windsurfer Beach, offers a long, shallow shoreline with stellar views of Downtown Miami and Brickell across Biscayne Bay. The beach's gentle, shallow entry makes it ideal for wading, stand-up paddleboarding, and new swimmers, while its consistent conditions attract experienced windsurfers and sailors. As Miami's only dog-friendly beach allowing off-leash dogs in designated areas, this man-made pooch paradise draws pet owners from across South Florida. Free roadside pull-off parking along the causeway operates on a first-come basis, filling quickly on weekends. Hurricane Irma damaged sections in 2017, but Miami-Dade County restored and reopened North Hobie Island Beach with improved access and reinforced shoreline. The beach's location between Brickell, Downtown Miami, and Key Biscayne provides stunning skyline views from calm off-road beach areas with concession stands. Limited facilities mean visitors should plan restroom and food stops before or after beach visits, though food trucks occasionally service the area.
Dining near Hobie Island Beach Park includes waterfront restaurants along the Rickenbacker Causeway and nearby Coconut Grove. The Rusty Pelican at 3201 Rickenbacker Causeway provides upscale waterfront dining overlooking the glittering waters of Biscayne Bay, named one of Miami's 10 best patio restaurants by Ocean Drive Magazine. Bayshore Club in Coconut Grove offers a 300-seat waterfront bar and grill with seafood-focused menus, a 360-degree bar, and sprawling lawn with cabanas and lounge seating. Monty's Raw Bar, a Miami institution for boaters along Biscayne Bay shores in Coconut Grove, features frozen cocktails and cheap oysters during Happy Hour Monday-Friday 4-7 p.m. Greenstreet Cafe serves eclectic fare with sidewalk dining, while Flanigan's Bar & Grill provides casual dining. Las Culebrinas offers Cuban cuisine, Chug's serves diner-style meals, and El Bagel provides breakfast and lunch options in the Coconut Grove area within minutes of Virginia Key.
