Miami is warm all year around
Miami is located on the Atlantic coast of Florida at the southern tip. It is warm year around and usually very hot and humid during the summer months. Most tourists prefer to visit during October through April. Outdoor sports and swimming are open all seasons, so be sure to take your swimming suit and plenty of cool clothing. A sun hat and a good sunscreen are essential even in the winter months. In Miami, dress is always casual, with sundresses, jeans or walking shorts appropriate during the day. A few higher-class restaurants require jackets and ties, but most do not.
Hundreds of thousands of Hispanic immigrants from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America and South America have settled in Miami. Spanish is spoken almost everywhere in the city. Many signs are in both English and Spanish especially those near the Latin district known locally as “Little Havana”. Cubans originally settled in the area around Calle Ocho Street (Southwest Eighth Street) more than 20 years ago. Today, this colorful area embraces immigrants from all over Latin America.
Miami and Miami Beach are two different cities
Miami and Miami Beach are actually two distinctly different cities. Miami Beach, located on the outer bank is almost exclusively tourist orientated, and consists mainly of hotels and vacation apartments. Miami, located on the mainland, is a cosmopolitan city with a distinctly Latin American flavor.
The Art Deco district of Miami Beach occupies a compact one-square mile area roughly between Lincoln Road, Sixth Street, Ocean Drive and Alton Road. It is a showcase for this early twentieth century art movement and contains dozens of restored buildings with that characteristic architecture. To help find your way around, visit the Miami Design Preservation League’s Welcome Center on 1001 Ocean Drive (305) 672-2014. Pick up the league’s audiocassette for a self-guided introduction to the Art Deco Historic District. The South Beach section, where fashion designer Gianni Versace lived and died, is one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the world.
There are a wide variety of attractions in Miami
If you can tear yourself away from the beach, you might want to visit the Parrot Jungle and Gardens, the Monkey Jungle, the Metrozoo, Vizcaya (a fabulous Italian Renaissance-style villa), the Metro-Dade Cultural Center, or the Holocaust Memorial. You can also take tours by boat, plane, helicopter, walking or driving. All sorts of water sports are available like boating, fishing, skin diving, snorkeling and water skiing. Golf and tennis are popular. Horse racing, greyhound dog racing and Jai alai are favorite spectator sports.
Miami Beach provides plenty of nightlife. The large hotels have elaborate stage shows and the Art Deco District is filled with bars and nightclubs. Find a free copy of “This Week in Miami-Miami Beach” at any hotel. It will list all of the current shows and entertainment attractions.
Both Miami and Miami Beach offer many excellent restaurants with a diverse selection of cuisine. Fresh seafood is the local specialty. Joe’s Stone Crab restaurant is a very popular Miami Beach landmark known for its large portions of excellent food. Wherever you eat, be sure to try some Key Lime Pie, a famous Florida dessert.
Miami offers good dining and good shopping
There are plenty of good shopping opportunities in the Miami area. For exclusive shopping, go to the Ball Harbor Mall. Other shopping centers include Bayside Market Place, Coconut Grove, The Falls, Aventura Mall and Cocowalk. If you are a serious bargain hunter, don’t miss the 173-store Sawgrass Mills Factory Discount Mall in Sunrise, Florida 40 min north of the city. In the Little Havana area, there are many small shops with unusual and interesting items, but you may have to speak Spanish to get the best deals.
A word about personal safety
Two large National Parks nearby
Top Photo Credit: Courtesy of Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau
Photo Description: Aerial view of Miami beach area