Miami is a city in the southeast of the US state of Florida. Miami, together with Miami Beach to the east of the city, forms the most important part of the metropolis of South Florida, also referred to as Greater Miami and Beaches. About six million inhabitants live here, making it one of the top ten largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Miami is a major tourist destination within the United States. People come here for the warm climate, fantastic beaches and the mix of American culture with Caribbean influences. Because both the Port of Miami and the port of near-adjacent Fort Lauderdale are important ports of departure and arrival for cruise ships, many cruise passengers also spend a few days in Miami a few days before or after their cruise. See 800zipcodes for American cities that start with letter Q.
Miami ‘s Top 10 Things to Do
South Beach
The southern part of Miami Beach is aptly named South Beach. The beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world. You don’t just come here to sunbathe and swim, but also to do sports and above all to see and be seen. The associated Ocean Drive boulevard offers a beautiful combination of art deco hotels, beautiful cars, busy terraces and a lot of liveliness, especially in the evenings. The nightlife of Miami and Miami Beach is also concentrated around South Beach.
Art Deco District
The Art Deco Historic District is a neighborhood located in a part of South Beach that is home to more than eight hundred buildings that belong to streamline and art deco architecture. The buildings, which mostly date from the first half of the last century, are characteristic of Miami (Beach).
Freedom Tower
The yellow tower on the edge of downtown Miami is named Freedom Tower, because the Cuban immigrants had to be here at the time to sort out the red tape surrounding immigration. The name Freedom Tower owes its 78 meter high tower to the fact that this tower was the first building for Cubans on their way to freedom. Over the years, the tower has lost its function as a government building and all that remains is a beautiful picture in combination with the high-rise building behind it and a piece of Miami history.
Little Havana
This Cuban neighborhood that is fairly centrally located in Miami is named after the capital of Cuba: Havana. Here you will mainly have to speak Spanish, because almost the entire population in this neighborhood is Spanish-speaking and mostly of Cuban origin. Here you can buy cigars according to Cuban recipes, you can watch the men playing the vicar and during the carnival you can join the party in Calle Ocho, where one of the largest carnivals in the world is celebrated.
Coconut Grove
Central to the Coconut Grove neighborhood, relaxation is key. The open-air shopping center Cocowalk offers a combination of shops with catering, and the range of restaurants and terraces in the streets around Cocowalk is also worth a visit. Other points of interest in the Coconut Grove neighborhood include the Miami Science Museum and the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.
Lincoln Road Mall
The car-free part of Lincoln Road is a series of shops and restaurants. Since the late 1990s, the Lincoln Road Mall, as this pedestrian area is called, has been one of Miami’s hot spots. On Lincoln Road Mall you will also find two theaters (Colony Theater and Lincoln Theater), the Ritz-Carlton hotel and several art galleries.
Bayside Marketplace
In downtown Miami you will find, in addition to many banks, companies and the shopping street Flagler Street, also a shopping and recreation center mainly aimed at tourists: Bayside Marketplace. This semi-covered shopping center has a range of shops where souvenirs, gadgets and trinkets are central. Bayside Marketplace is located on the water (hence the name), from which there are various boat trips. These boat trips sail past the man-made, villa-filled islands of Miami Beach (where the stars also live), through Biscayne Bay, and sometimes through the Port of Miami.
Coral Gables
The Coral Gables district was designed less than a hundred years ago to appeal to the higher market segment as a well-guarded residential area with excellent living conditions. The result is a beautiful neighborhood with a unique face, where space, safety and beauty are the main pillars. In the Coral Gables district are beautiful sights such as the Biltmore Hotel and the Venetian Pool. Other crowd pullers include the Miracle Mile shopping street and the Fairchild Tropical Garden.
Everglades
Just a 15-minute drive from the western edge of Miami you enter the Everglades National Park. This wetland is still the habitat of Native Americans, crocodiles, alligators and a large number of reptiles and bird species. A must-do is to explore the Everglades by airboat. With sometimes high speed and a lot of noise, you glide over the water and swamp vegetation, as it were.
Miami Metrozoo
This subtropical zoo offers more than twelve hundred wild animals (about 400 species) on an area of 3 square kilometers. You can explore the zoo on foot along the more than three miles of trails. However, it is also possible to use a bicycle or to travel through the park by tram.
