Miami Beach

Located on a barrier island and connected to the mainland by a series of bridges, Miami Beach is a mix of quiet neighborhoods, lively entertainment-focused areas, and long stretches of soft-sand beaches. For visitors, South Beach and the Art Deco Historic District, with pastel buildings from the 1930s and early 1940s sporting classic neon signs, is one of the main highlights. An expensive tourist district, this area features numerous beachfront restaurants, shops, hotels, and plenty of sunbathing opportunities. The most popular street in this area is Ocean Drive, a section of road located along the oceanfront and home to some beautiful Art Deco buildings. One block inland, running parallel with Ocean Drive, is Collins Avenue. Collins Avenue is actually State Road A1A and is the main oceanfront street in Miami Beach, joining numerous neighborhoods.

Art Deco Historic District

Even if you have no interest in the beach, the Art Deco Historic District is worth a trip out to Miami Beach. This architectural style, popular in the 1930s and 40s, dominates the trendy South Beach neighborhood. These uniquely designed buildings, in a range of pastel colors and displaying large neon signs, were built following a devastating hurricane that struck in 1926. Many are hotels and restaurants, most of which have been beautifully restored. Along some of the main streets, awnings on the lower level of these buildings provide shade for outdoor dining areas. Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue are the two main streets through the area.

South Beach

Located at the southern end of Miami Beach is a glorious stretch of sand known as South Beach. This wide section of beach fronts the ocean in the neighborhood of the same name. Often packed in summer, this is the most popular beach in Miami and one of the top beaches in Florida. It’s a place to see and be seen, but also a place to swim and enjoy the shallow waters, escape the heat, and soak up the sun. A paved walk lines the beach, and in behind is Ocean Drive, where motorists cruise slowly by and take in the sights.

Bayside Marketplace

Bayside Marketplace is a large outdoor-style mall with more than 150 specialty and tourist shops, numerous cafes and restaurants, and daily live entertainment. Visitors will find some well-known chain stores, as well as many unique, one-of-a-kind places. The marketplace draws locals as well as tourists. As may be evident in the name, the mall is located along Miami’s waterfront, looking out over docks and boats. Many people come here simply to soak up the atmosphere.

Little Havana and Calle Ocho

Little Havana, the Cuban district of Miami, isn’t known for its wealth of tourist attractions but more for its distinctive cultural scene. Restaurants and specialty food shops line the streets, and Latin music drifts through the air. Locals socialize in the open spaces. Murals grace the walls of buildings, showing important Cuban figures and scenes of daily life. Calle Ocho is the main thoroughfare running through the district and home to much of the activity, but Little Havana spreads well beyond, into the surrounding streets and avenues. For people-watching, the area offers a great deal of entertainment. And of course, this is the place to come for Cuban cuisine.

The Calle Ocho Festival, held in March, is a celebration of Cuban culture and the largest of its kind in the world. Over the years this street festival has expanded to include more Latin American cultures and is now a great way to experience Latin American music and Caribbean cuisine.

Bayfront Park

Bayfront Park, on the east side of Biscayne Boulevard, is a 32-acre green space, adjacent to the Bayside Marketplace. The park has several interesting monuments and sculptures. One of the unique features is the electronically controlled Pepper Fountain. Other highlights include the Challenger Memorial, commemorating the crew of the Challenger spacecraft; the Light Tower, an amphitheater used for musical performances of all kinds; and a children’s playground. Locals often come here just to run or walk on the paved trails.

American Airlines Arena

The American Airlines Arena is the home of the NBA’s Miami Heat. It is also the main venue for large concerts and other special events, including top name singers and performers. It can hold more than 19,000 people. The structure itself, opened in 1999, has been awarded the Leed Green Building Certification for being an energy efficient building. The arena stands out prominently on Biscayne Bay in downtown Miami.

Zoo Miami

Zoo Miami houses more than 3,000 wild animals, including 40 endangered species. Unlike many traditional zoos, animals here are grouped with other species they would normally co-exist with peacefully in the wild, and kept in settings similar to their natural habitats. This is the only zoo in the continental United States located in a subtropical climate. More than 1,000 species of trees and plants can also be found on the grounds, including a large collection of orchids.

Jungle Island

Jungle Island is a bird sanctuary, wildlife habitat, and botanical garden. Parrots and other exotic birds fly about in tropical forest settings, some of which take part in daily shows. Larger animals, including tigers, baboons, alligators, tortoises, monkeys, and orangutans are also a big part of the attraction. The gardens contain around 2,000 varieties of exotic plants, including heliconias, bananas, orchids, and bromeliads.

Deering Estate at Cutler

This former home of Charles Deering is a 444-acre estate, protecting globally endangered pine rockland habitat, as well as coastal tropical hardwood rockland hammocks, mangrove forests, salt marshes, and a coastal dune island. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Deering Estate at Cutler is home to the Richmond Cottage, which served as a hotel, as well as historical buildings dating from 1896 to 1922, and an American Indian burial ground dating from 1500.

Wynwood Walls Street Art

In the warehouse district of Wynwood, the formerly drab exterior warehouse walls have been transformed into colorful pieces of art. The Wynwood Walls, plastered in street art, or what most people think of as graffiti, have brought new life to this area. Brought about by Tony Goldman in 2009, the district has attracted big names in the world of street art from across North America and around the world. Since it was started, more than 80,000 square feet of wall space has been graced with paintings in this unique artform.

Coral Castle

The Coral Castle is the result of one man’s 28 years of carving, using his own home-made tools. This incredible creation, made of limestone, was built by Edward Leedskalnin between 1923 and 1951. He kept his methods private and would not allow anyone to watch him work, leaving many people to wonder how he did it. Today, you can tour the property and see the most famous structure, a giant stone gate, which opens effortlessly with the touch of a finger, as well as carvings that include stone tables and chairs, unique figures, and other pieces.

Freedom Tower

One of the most striking buildings on Biscayne Boulevard, Freedom Tower displays a “wedding-cake” style. Built in 1925, it is one of the oldest skyscrapers in the southeastern United States, and served for many years as the headquarters of the Miami Daily News. Its name comes from its role as the immigration-processing center for hundreds of thousands of Cuban refugees who arrived in the 1960s. Today, it stands as a tribute to Cuban immigration and is used, in part, as a contemporary art museum.