| Why
Travel to Miami, Florida?
Miami possesses a
bright and buzzing ambience loaded with Caribbean and Hispanic influences,
including a wild and colourful night life and terrific dining experiences around the clock.
Massive white sand Miami Beach running along much of Downtown's length is comfortable, well-serviced and great for people-watching while the unique art deco touches provide a special glamour, not to mention the chic fashionistas that make the city [one of] their homes!
Miami is located near one of Florida's
top natural attraction - the Everglades - and to the tropical island chain
stretching south, the Florida Keys.
Lastly, the city is generally warm and sunny when much of America is cold, gray or white.
'Miami
Beach is where neon goes to die' Lenny Bruce
Downside:
- Crime directed towards tourists is lower than in
recent years, though still a problem at night outside tourist zones.
- Heat, humidity, hurricanes and mosquitoes in summertime.
Miami climate:
Best: December - April [average temperatures 16C to 28C]
Worst: June - September [average temperatures 24C to 33C]. Hot and sticky with frequent thunderstorms in the afternoon or rarely, hurricanes]
Length
of stay not including flights:
Minimum worthwhile: 2 days
Recommended: depends if Miami is used as a base to explore the Everglades
or the Florida Keys.
Main Attractions:
Greater Miami is a confusing sprawl, but the interesting
bits are fortunately centralised around Miami Beach and the downtown area.
Miami traffic
Miami Beach: Apart from the superb beach, clean
seas and efficient facilities, the adjacent Art Deco Historic District
sports over 800 buildings from the 1920's-30's - most of which are hotels
and public buildings - with no shortage of wacky outdoor bars scattered
among them for relaxed visual appreciation. There are guided or self-guided walking tours of the Art Deco district available.
For beaches: beaches along Ocean Drive include the must-see, world famousSouth Beach for partying and people-watching; Haulover Beach for naturalists [one of few in USA] and body-boarding; Oleta River State Park, for natural beauty and outdoor activities.
The city houses a number of excellent displays at: Bass Museum of Art - mainly contemporary arts; the Wolfsonian [Florida International University] - a collection of design and decorative arts.
For kids, try Jungle Island, a zoo and one of Miami's most popular attractions; or the nearby Children's Museum with a mass of kid-friendly interactive displays; adults can have a giggle at the WEAM [World Erotic Art Museum], over 18 years.
For shopping, try the pedestrian-friendly Lincoln Road Mall with some notable architecture such as the Lincoln Theatre and Miami Beach Community Church.
Coconut Grove: a funky community often comparable to Greenwich Village in New York, this is one of Miami's most popular tourist sights.
Located south of Downtown, the neighbourhood offers great range of trendy shops, first-class accommodation, some of Florida's finest dining and cutting edge art and music scenes. It also presents many attractive events such as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. A couple of museum to visit around Coconut Grove are the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens for culture enthusiasts and the fun Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium for children. Even if you are not a shopaholic, head for CocoWalk shopping mall for an entertaining banquet and a souvenir. Do not miss the Barnacle Historic State Park, a waterfront mansion, the oldest house in Miami.
Vizcaya Museum photo by Tom Schaefer
Downtown: well executed high rise meets Mediterranean flourishes, with fine
pedestrian precincts hosting excellent shops, restaurants and museums. Head for Mary Brickell Village for gourmandizing, Wynwood Art District for curiosities and collectibles, and the Warehouse to see the outstanding Margulies Collection.
Coral Gables: an university city southwest of Downtown Miami, Coral Gables is an elegant community with top-end shopping and dining areas. Other places of interest: the architectural jewel of the Biltmore Hotel; the impressive Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden;
the historic and beautiful Venetian Pool for water features [swimming May-September]; the shoppers' paradise Village of Merrick Park, an open-air mall with exquisite outlets and eateries; or try Miracle Mile, an extended collection of boutiques and high-end nightlife venues. Also take a drive along picturesque Coral Way.
Little Havana: also known as the Latin Quarter, this is Miami's biggest immigrant district - lively, interesting, and totally Latin American. The neighbourhood is blessed with authentic restaurants, shopping, and even cigar making [El Credito Cigar Factory], with great charm but avoid walking the area at
night - especially East Little Havana - except for taxi travel to and from restaurants. Little Havana is located west of downtown Miami. The ultimate Latin experience in this district is probably the annual Calle Ocho Parade, one of world's biggest street festivals.
Key Biscayne: an up-market residential barrier island in Biscayne Bay, just a few minutes [5m/8km]
south of Miami, Key Biscayne is home to a couple of nature parks and spacious beaches, offering good outdoor facilities and activities. Head for Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, [with Cape Florida Lighthouse, south Florida's oldest structure] or scenic Matheson Hammock Park, both provide long walking trails and stunning sandy beaches. Next door is more wilderness.Virginia Key with a kid-friendly Miami Seaquarium, a marine park and Virginia Key Beach Park, is known for its mangrove forest, the State's largest.
Metromover photo by Joseph Madden
Getting around:
Miamidade run various interconnected services such as the little free overhead metro system called Metromover that connects many major buildings and attractions in a loop Downtown, including Brickell Avenue financial district; 5 a.m.-12 midnight every day.
Then there's the real metro, MiamiDade Metrorail serving greater Miami with stations at South Miami, Coconut Grove, Brickell as well as a Metrobus system running over 800 buses daily.
Cycling is encouraged
and bikes can be carried on most forms of transport tho' for Metrorail bikers need a permit and must be at least 12 years old. However, permits are available from staff at stations. More.
Otherwise Downtown is compact and walkable - though take care at night.
Short
Trips:
Everglades National Park: a vast wild,
wetlands area two hours from the city, with air boating, canoeing and alligator action but hardly comparable to an African wildlife experience.
Florida Keys: a couple of hours drive from Miami, the Keys are brilliant for scuba diving, sailing, modest beaches and a tropical ambience.
Key West is the most visited island, the most southerly of the chain
and still pretty though overcrowded. The Hemingway Home and
Museum is popular, beaches are OK, diving is great; it's 160/250km miles
from Miami.
Fort Lauderdale: known as the 'Venice of America' for its extensive canal network, the city's star attraction is
Fort Lauderdale Beach, known as 'the Strip', especially the section between Las Olas Blvd and Sunrise Blvd, where lively bars, restaurants and casinos compete for trade alongside the beach road.
For more action downtown, head to East Las Olas Blvd for up-market shops while West Las Olas Blvd attracts younger crowds with hip clubs and restaurants.
Check out other popular beaches such as Hollywood Beach with retro ambiance and Dania Beach, a hidden gem, 40 km/25miles north of Miami.
Florida Keys
Activities:
Scuba diving and Snorkeling: Wreck Trek, a shallow artificial reef located north of Miami Beach, or Biscayne National Park, just south of Downtown, are good, easy options, or try Key Biscayne for
the Biscayne wreck.
For colourful reefs the Pennekamp Coral Reef Park is the best and for large wrecks, head for the 510-foot Spiegel Grove at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, both accessible from Key Largo. The shallow waters in Dry Tortugas National Park, west of Key West, are perfect for snorkelling and the nearby Windjammer wreck for diving. See Florida Keys Diving.
Canoeing and Kayaking: Everglades Wilderness waterway is for people who love exercise and adventure as well as nature, while the Florida Keys are agreeable for sea-kayaking, especially John Pennekamp Coral
Reef State Park.
Biking: With its flat land, warm climate and more than 200km of paved paths in the city, cycling is becoming more popular as exercise or transport among locals in recent years.
The promenade on southern South Beach is delightful to cruise for people-watching tho' not for scenery. Cycling is also a fantastic way to explore villages such as Coconut Grove and Coral Gables. For more serious biking the nearest bike trails are: Oleta River State Park Trails north of Miami; Shark Valley Tram Road Trail in the Everglades; Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail for touring the Keys, total 106.5 miles [172km].
In-line skating is also a ideal activity in and around Miami for the same reasons.
Fishing: The Everglades Water Conservation area holds Florida's record for the highest number of fish caught per person, per hour, and is especially good for bass fishing. Some of the best fishing can be found in the Keys for deep-sea, big game fish such as tuna, marlin and sailfish. Try Bahia Honda State Park in Big Pine Key and John Pennekamp Coral Reef Park. A fishing licence is required.
Other popular activities: sailing, surfing, tennis, golf, health clubs and spas.
Miami beach
Arts
and Culture:
Museums:
Miami Seaquarium, Virginia Key. A superb and well organised home to killer whales, manatees
and lots more sea beasts.
For Kids: The interactive Children's Museum in Miami Beach; the Miami Science Museum, north of Coconut Grove focuses on marine and Everglades wildlife, with a Planetarium.
The Hemingway Home and Museum, Key West,
is a big draw for literary fans.
Forget the kids!
For art lovers: the contemporary Bass Museum of Art; the design museum of the Wolfsonian at Florida International University in Miami Beach; Miami Art Museum and Museum of Latin American Art Downtown; MOCA [Museum of Contemporary
Art] in North Miami.
Nightlife and Entertainment:
Miami enjoys many world-class arts and entertainment scenes at various venues including Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts [home of Florida Grand Opera], the USA's second biggest performing arts centre after Lincoln Center in New York City. The center offers some of the best opera, ballet, music and musicals from many foreign countries. The Bayfront Park and the Fair Expo Center have outdoor concert theatres.
For live music, a wide, hi-quality selection, from Jazz to rave, blues to world-music is easily accessible around places like Miami Beach.
Thanks to its Hispanic heritage, Miami is also a great place for dance and dance-music all kinds from Latin-American, Afro-Caribbean to techno. The city hosts one of world's largest dance music events, Winter Music Conference. Miami also has numerous clubbing venues, especially in [again] Miami Beach, hot for round-the-clock action.
Moon over Miami photo by Averette
Major
Festivals and Parades:
Early January, the Orange Bowl,
one of the USA's five big New Year football games and social events.
January,
2nd weekend, Art Deco Weekend, Miami Beach Art
Deco District.
1920's-30's style music and parades.
Mid-February, Coconut Grove Arts Festival, an outdoor arts festival, one of Miami's most famous art events.
Early-March, Carnival Miami with Calle Ocho [Cuban carnival] in Little Havana, a
massive 9 day, citywide rave, with much Latin influence; the largest Hispanic celebration in the USA.
Late March, Miami Fashion Week in Wynwood Art District, an international fashion show.
October, a month-long Hispanic Heritage Festival, with Columbus Day Weekend, Caribbean-American
Carnival and West Indian American Day Carnival.
The last Sunday of December, King Mango Strut in the streets of Coconut Grove, a tongue-in-cheek procession to celebrate the end of year; originally a parody of Orange Bowl's King Orange Jamboree Parade, it's peculiar and humorous.
December 31, New Years Eve at Bayfront Park with a free, colourful, and family-friendly party, featuring a giant Orange count-down Parade and a massive firework display.
For
some dates see: English
Speaking Festivals
Cuisine:
Miami is a epicurean's heaven with broad
international representation but strong on Cuban, Haitian, Argentinean and Italian.
It's no surprise that the city supplies superb fresh seafood, such as Japanese sushi. Try Little Havana and Little Haiti for ethnic specialties or Coral
Gables for a more European taste; also check up-market Mary Brickell Village.
Map of Miami | Map of Florida
Shopping:
Expensive: Miami Design District [a part of Little Haiti, located north of Midtown Miami] is an 18 block area saturated with art galleries and showrooms, fantastic for designer gear,
art and antiques; find exotic souvenirs in Little Havana; for regular stuff including clothes, Cocowalk in Coconut Grove, Lincoln Road Mall in Miami Beach, Village of Merrick Park and Miracle Mile in Coral Gables and the waterfront Bayside Marketplace in Downtown or Ball Harbour Village, the poshest mall at the northern tip of Miami Beach.
Note that at least a few words of Spanish will make your life a lot easier and more enjoyable in Miami, particularly in the evenings.
Florida Beaches | Florida Keys Diving | USA
Tours |
