Haulover Update

One of the entrances into the CO section of Haulover Beach

I had to take my wife down to the Miami International Airport yesterday and on the way back I stopped in to see what's become of Haulover Beach.  It's been many years since I've been down there.  You have to understand that South Florida is an entirely different planet than Central Florida where I live is.  I intentionally don't go down that far south very often.  Too many people, too much traffic, too much crime.  The last time I returned back through Miami's airport late at night, I walked into a heavily armed drug buy at a convenience store trying to get a receipt for a gas purchase.  Let's just say they were not happy to see me :(

Haulover has matured very nicely.  I suspect that the CO section is even larger than it used to be. Excellent signage, including reminders as one nears the dunes along the line that that this is a public beach and that any sexual activity will be dealt with harshly.  Thanks nasty guys for making that even necessary to have to say.

The gaudy temporary orange snow fence of long ago is gone.  Instead, there's just thin short unobtrusive, permanent, almost transparent fence that just reminds you where the very large CO section begins and ends (with signs in both directions on both sides of each cut in the fence).  They have very large lifeguard stations ("towers") every few hundred feet.  Interestingly the ones in the CO section are pink.  The clothing required section towers are yellow.

In other words, clothing optional use of Haulover is there to stay!  Note the welcome sign on the left picture above from the South Florida Free Beaches organization.  You're not going to see anything like that or like Haulover anywhere else in the US.  Good parking ($6) right off A1A and it's a short walk to local high rises and hotels.  Just like any other highly used, well loved, urban beach.

I didn't stay long.  It was a weekday, so at least the beach wasn't packed.  I can only image what it's going to be like this Memorial Day weekend.  It's a monster huge beach, but millions of people live within a short drive of it.  But yesterday the surf was rough, it was mostly cloudy with your typical South Florida sprinkles on and off, and there was a strong sea breeze that left everything coated with salt.  Next time I'll bring and put my clothes in a plastic bag and use the clothing optional showers before getting dressed and leaving the CO section.

If you have any reason to visit the Miami area, go up A1A a few miles up from South Beach and visit.  You'll be very glad that you did.  Thank you South Florida Free Beaches for all the work you've done there!  It wouldn't have happened without them.