Miami Travel Guide
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
Miami
Miami is famous for its wonderful beaches and its sunny weather. Miami has a vibrant nightlife and restaurants in a variety of cuisines, partly thanks to the many immigrants who arrive there. The city features beautiful buildings in Art Deco style, tropical gardens, and various water sports in its protected bays.
About half a million residents live in the city itself, but together with the entire giant metropolis surrounding it, the number reaches 6 million residents!
The best place to stay in Miami is Miami Beach, known for its long and well-maintained beaches (over ten kilometers!) and the many hotels along the coast. This is a vacation and entertainment center that flourishes especially in the winter season, when residents of the cold regions of the US escape to warm and sunny Florida.
Miami itself is known for its high crime rate, and therefore one should be especially careful, particularly at night.
The city has many immigrants from Cuba, and the South and Central American influence is clearly evident. In Miami, you will hear more Spanish than English, many even don't speak english.
♥ Recommended hotels in Miami
In Miami, it is recommended to stay in one of the many hotels in Miami Beach.
If you are interested in the most vibrant area, stay in South Beach.
A few recommendations:
Hotel Victor South Beach A 4-star hotel, with 91 modern and spacious double rooms. The hotel features a restaurant, hammam, gym, and a swimming pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel offers bicycles for rent. Free internet.
Loews Miami Beach Hotel A 4-star hotel on the beach with 790 rooms, some with sea views. The hotel features a spa, 6 restaurants, a gym, a pool, and a jacuzzi. Free internet.
Sense Beach House A small and modern 3-star hotel with 18 rooms near the beach in a central location. The hotel features a rooftop pool and a tapas restaurant. Free internet. Some rooms have balconies with city views.
Royal Palm South Beach Miami, a Tribute Portfolio Resort A 5-star resort with 395 rooms. The hotel features two restaurants, a pool with a bar, a gym, a jacuzzi, and a spa. The hotel organizes a variety of activities for its guests.
Cruises from Miami
Miami is also a starting point for many cruises in the Caribbean. Another starting point for cruises not far from Miami is in the city of Fort Lauderdale.
Last minute cruise deals:
Miami Beach
The most vibrant and famous area in Miami Beach is South Beach, located in the southern part of Miami Beach. This is the most visited and popular area in Miami with long beaches and beautiful promenades.
The beaches of South Beach in Miami Beach:
On the first street parallel to the sea, called Ocean Drive, there are many restaurants with tables on the sidewalks, colorful umbrellas, and plenty of palm trees.
Buildings mostly built in Art Deco style, restaurants, cafes, clubs, and atmosphere.
Even at the height of the Corona period and certainly after it, it is vibrant, active, and happily receives tourists without passes of any color and without forced vaccinations or masks.
In Miami Beach, there are several pedestrian streets with restaurants, cafes, and shops that are not located on the sea and it is definitely recommended to walk along them and also eat and enjoy. One of them, small, cute, and romantic, is "Espanola Way," which started as an artists' street, and the second, long and luxurious, is Lincoln Road.
Guided tours and trips in Miami and the surrounding area for booking from the Viator website:
♦ Boat trip to Everglades National Park in a fast airboat: Everglades Tour from Miami with Transportation
♦ Speedboat tour along the Miami shores - Speedboat Sightseeing Tour of Miami
♦ Amphibious vehicle tour - fun sightseeing in various Miami destinations on land and in water (booking from provider's website): Miami Duck Tour
♦ Wynwood mural tour - I recommend taking a one-hour guided tour of the district with an open golf cart (with a canopy), up to 5 passengers, which stops at the interesting points. It is not tiring, suitable for rain or sun, and you manage a lot in a short time. For booking from the Viator website: Wynwood Graffiti Golf Cart Small-Group Tour
♦ Segway tour - guided in Miami including instruction on operating the Segway - Miami Segway Tour
♦ Art Deco building tour in Miami Beach - Miami South Beach Art Deco Walking Tour
♦ Private boat cruise along Miami shores with champagne - Miami Private Skyline Boat Cruise with champagne
♦ Private experimental helicopter flight over Miami and Fort Lauderdale at sunset:
Private Sunset Ft. Lauderdale to Miami Beach Helicopter Tour
♦ Guided bicycle tour in South Beach Miami - Miami South Beach Bicycle tour
Guided food tours in Miami
♦ Food and culture tour in the Cuban quarter of Miami: Little Havana Food and Walking Tour in Miami
♦ Art and food tour in Wynwood abounding with galleries and murals:
Wynwood Food & Art Tour by Miami Culinary Tours
♦ Food tour in restaurants in the vibrant South Beach area: A Taste of South Beach Food Tour
Tourist sites suitable for the whole family:
Miami Seaquarium
This is the water world of Miami. Visit it only if your trip didn't include a visit to "SeaWorld" (in Orlando or San Diego). The park has aquariums, displays, and shows of a wide variety of sea animals. This is the home of "Flipper" the dolphin, the famous movie star. You can swim with dolphins there (for a substantial additional fee). Open daily starting at 9:30. Closing hours vary. Address: 4400 Rickenbacker Cswy, (Exit 1 from I-95 highway). The Seaquarium is located in a beautiful and prestigious neighborhood called "Key Biscayne" which is on an island connected by a bridge to the mainland. It is recommended to drive through the elegant neighborhood streets and swim at its wonderful and expansive beaches.
Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach
The monument located in the center of Miami Beach is very impressive and in my opinion is a must-visit site for anyone coming to Miami. The monument is an amazing work of art by the sculptor Kenneth Treister who created it over 5 years. The monument is surrounded by water and at its center is a giant hand reaching for help like that of a drowning person, and on the hand crawl desperate human figures causing a chill. On the monument walls are engraved the names of some of the Holocaust victims.
Monkey Jungle
A large-scale monkey park where the unique feature is that visitors are contained inside cages while the monkeys roam free, in conditions remarkably similar to those in nature. For example, monkeys from South America are in rainforests like in the Amazon with over a hundred species of plants. Various shows are presented in the park daily. Address: 14805 S.W. 216 St (near US1 highway).
Parrot Jungle and Gardens
A beautiful subtropical park rich in vegetation with a large variety of parrots and other exotic birds. The park has a large lake with many flamingos. In 2004, the original park was moved to its new location and on this occasion was expanded and improved. Today it also has a snake and reptile area as well as many other animals such as monkeys, tigers, and other wildlife. Trained parrot shows, giant snake shows, and an exotic wildlife show are held on site. You can also watch feedings of many of the park's animals. Open daily between 10:00-18:00. The park is located between the city center and South Beach, near the I-395 highway, its address: 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail.
Metrozoo
A recommended zoo where animals are in their natural environment. You can ride the monorail (a train that travels on a single track) throughout the zoo. Animal shows are held twice a day. The garden has a petting zoo, elephant rides, and other attractions. Address: 12400 S.W. 152 St., near Road 821. Open daily between 9:30-17:30.
Villa Vizcaya
An Italian Renaissance-style villa with 34 furnished and designed rooms. Formerly the home of one of Miami's wealthy residents, it is now an art museum. It is surrounded by gardens with pools, fountains, and sculptures. This is one of Miami's famous sites. The house and gardens are open to visitors daily between 9:30-16:30. Address: 3251 S. Miami Ave.
In Miami there are several spectacular gardens, the prominent among them are the Fairchild Tropical Gardens located in the suburb of Coral Gables. There are over 5,000 types of tropical and subtropical plants, some of them rare. Small trains travel through the gardens saving you a walk in the expansive park. Open daily (except for Christmas) between 9:30 to 16:30.
In Miami there are also many museums, including a science museum, a planetarium, a recommended children's museum, an art museum, a Holocaust museum, and more. From the port of Miami, considered the largest passenger port in the world, many passenger ships sail for pleasure cruises in the Bahamas, the Caribbean islands, and Mexico.
The main Miami visitor center is open Monday-Friday between 8:30-17:00. Its address: 701 Brickell Ave., Suite 2700.
♦ Discount card for attractions in Miami for purchase from the VIATOR website:
Go City: Miami Explorer Pass - Choose 2, 3, 4 or 5 Attractions