A Perfect Ride through Coconut Grove

Updated 20 May 2019

By: Rebecca Cofino/Blogger

One of the best ways to appreciate the beauty of Coconut Grove is to get out of your car and get on to a bike. From the vantage of your bike seat you can soak in all of the scenery. You won’t be alone. Lot’s of people love to bike through the Grove. If you don’t know where to begin, follow this path from the heart of the Grove to Matheson Hammock Park, located just south of Coconut Grove.

Begin at Cocowalk. You can grab a smoothie for fuel or grab some takeout for a picnic lunch. It’s always striking how busy this tiny section of the Grove is, compared to the lush green spaces not very far away. Navigate south, down Main highway.

You will pass the Barnacle State park on your left. It’s a beautiful park which opens up to Biscayne Bay. A two dollar donation is your honor-system entry fee. But keep going, that visit is for another day. Soon the shops and cafes will give way to a distinctly residential feel. The road seems to narrow and trees start looming large.

The next site you’ll pass will be on your right, Plymouth Congressional Church, one of the most picturesque churches in all of Miami. Many brides vie to secure a wedding date there.

On your left you will pass the gorgeous Kampong Gardens. The founder of Fairchild Tropical Garden used to live there. The estate and gardens are quite the treat.

When you read Douglas Road, stay to the left and take Ingram Highway. At this point, the foliage by the road has a lush and overgrown feel. Turn left on Le Jeune Road.

Cross the bridge over the canal and you will find yourself in a roundabout. A sculpture of baby shoes is in the middle. A road leading to Cocoplum, a community with one of the most expensive property values in all of Florida veers off the circle. Sorry, that one’s not for you. Take Old Cutler Road and continue heading south.

Old Cutler Road is arguably the most beautiful street in all of Miami. Ancient banyan trees line the street and create a tunnel of perfect shade as Spanish moss drips from their branches. It is in striking contrast to the vibrancy of Cocowalk and the downtown core. Continue down Old Cutler Road until you see Matheson Hammock Park on your left. It has a beach formed by a natural atoll and is a perfect spot to rest. True, you have wandered out of the Grove at this point, but remember, the return trip takes your right back to the heart of things.