Miami travel guide

Golden beaches, blue skies, neon lights and art deco delights are just some of Miami’s many charms. There’s also an amazing art scene, sizzling cuisine and buzzing nightlife.

Architectural jackpot
The hotels lining Ocean Drive are part of the world’s greatest collection of art deco buildings. Tropical styles, nautical features and those iconic pastel shades create a pretty stunning backdrop for exploring the streets of Miami Beach. However many times you walk along Ocean Drive during the day, make sure and come back at night. In the evening the road is transformed into a neon wonderland, its palm trees and art deco buildings lit up in fabulously vivid colours.

The Miami Design District is a neighbourhood dedicated to innovative fashion, design, architecture and dining experiences. Take a stroll through it and you’ll be treated to cutting edge architecture, designer shops and street art including the Fly’s Eye Dome, a geodesic dome designed by inventor Buckminster Fuller.

Just north of downtown Miami is Wynwood. This neighbourhood is filled with art galleries and restaurants. The most unique aspect of Wynwood is the creative and colourful street art adorning numerous buildings throughout the area. Artists are commissioned to paint the walls, and they’re regularly refreshed. There’s always something new to see.

The Great Outdoors
Few cities are as blessed as Miami when it comes to natural beauty. White sandy beaches and teal waters are perfect for sunrise strolls along stretches of Mid-Beach, or paddles in search of manatees off Virginia Key. You can look for colourful bird species while walking the trails of Oleta River State Park, or go to any of the tropical gardens across the city. With year-round sunshine and love for celebration, the open air is also where Miami’s biggest parties unfold. The city’s calendar is packed with some massive music and dance festivals.

A great place for families with accessible parking close to the sand, Bill Baggs is home to South Florida’s only lighthouse. Standing tall and majestic along the south end of the Key Biscayne shoreline the Cape Florida lighthouse is a spectacular sight. The lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in Miami. At the tip of serene and secluded Key Biscayne is a 400-acre state park with beach access, picnic tables, bike trails, and watersport rentals.

Little Havana
Little Havana is one of the must-see places for visitors in Miami. Head to the touristy-but-interesting Calle Ocho and you’ll find authentic Cuban restaurants, bakeries and all sorts of places offering insight into the area’s heritage. Don’t leave without trying a Café Cubano – a strong, sweet espresso. Check out Domino Park where locals take their dominos very seriously and don’t miss the giant rooster sculptures – roosters are a treasured animal in Cuban folklore.

Bayside Marketplace
Hosting over 150 speciality and tourist shops, cafes and restaurants, Bayside Marketplace has it all. Well-known high street stores are side-by-side with charming boutiques in this outdoor mall.

Located along Miami’s waterfront, as the name suggests, many locals come here to soak up the lively atmosphere and admire the bay, with daily live music and fun vibes the Bayside Market does not fail to entertain.

Stroll through the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
One of Miami’s best known attractions is a surreal Italian Renaissance-style villa in the middle of lush, laid-back Coconut Grove. Vizcaya was created as James Deering’s subtropical winter home in the 1910s and today is a National Historic Landmark and museum, with a variety of art from the 15th to the 19th century. Much of the original house is still intact and has a vast collection of vintage furniture. But it’s the gardens that are the real highlight, modelled on formal Italian gardens of the 18th century, there are sculptures, fountains and vine-draped surfaces. Head to the Garden Mound for a view over the whole estate.

Swim in the Venetian Pool
The Venetian Pool in Coral Gables just outside of Miami is a little taste of Venice. It is a historic aquatic facility and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It was built in 1923 out of a coral rock quarry. The pool holds 820,000 gallons fed from underground spring and is surrounded by tropical foliage, waterfalls and a cave and stone bridges.

Explore swamplands at Everglades National Park
Just a short drive from Miami, Everglades National Park covers 1.5 million acres of swamplands. There’s so much to see and do – from spotting alligators to kayaking in the canals and lakes. As well as walking trails and boardwalks for wildlife viewing. One of the most exciting ways to see the everglades is aboard a high-speed airboat. The biggest challenge will be deciding what you do first.

Next up, read our Chicago travel guide.

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