On a budget, skip Bayside Marketplace — the spend outweighs the payoff.
Free entry; boat tours ~$30+
Convenient and lively, with live music, a marina, and easy access to Biscayne Bay cruises and the big wheel. The catch: it's a generic open-air tourist mall — chain stores, overpriced food, time-share pitches — that locals avoid; its real value is as a boat-tour departure point.