Miami, located in the south of Florida, is a cultural, economic, and financial city. Most people know Miami for the famous, colourful lifeguard huts, located on the South Beach. However, there is so much more to see and do in the city. We spent two full days exploring the different neighbourhoods. Spending just two days was not long enough to explore the whole of Miami. We could of easily spent the full week there.

Here are the top things we did in Miami back in March:

South Beach

South Beach is home to the famous Ocean Drive and the colourful beach huts. It is known for the lively nightlife and a perfect location for Spring Break. Don’t worry; if you are not a party animal, like me, you can still enjoy South Beach. We visited in the morning when it was quieter. By lunchtime, Ocean Drive starts getting lively as everyone starts waking up after partying the night before. If you are not into partying and do not want to be kept awake too early hours in the morning, I would avoid staying on South Beach. We stayed in Fort Lauderdale however, we were originally looking at staying on the North Beach. North Beach is meant to be a lot quieter.

Here’s what to see and do on South Beach:

Lummus Park

Lummus Park runs parallel with Ocean Drive and the beach that is home to the colourful lifeguard huts. It’s a lovely place to walk, run or bike down.

The Beach

The beach runs parallel to Lummus Park, is home to the beautiful, colourful lifeguard huts and a gorgeous sandy beach. Best time to visit is in the morning when it’s quieter as it can very crowded by the afternoon.

Southpoint Park and Pier

A perfect area to walk or bike down, allowing you to enjoy some fantastic views of Miami skyline, the Atlantic Ocean, the marina, and Miami South Beach.

Ocean Drive

Ocean Drive one very lively street. The street runs parallel with Lummus Park; a street not to be missed when visiting Miami South Beach. Ocean Drive contains bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and Art Deco hotels.

Holocaust Memorial

The Holocaust Memorial was conceived by a committee of Holocaust survivors in 1984. The permanent memorial is for the six million Jews who perished at the hands of the Nazis, during World War II.

Wynwood

Wynwood is a ‘must visit’ neighbourhood when in Miami. The neighbourhood is separated into three parts: Art District, Fashion District, and the Technology District. We only had time to visit the Art District part of the neighbourhood, the most famous part of Wynwood. Wynwood Art District is full of beautiful murals, quirky cafes, and friendly people. It is one of the only few places in the world where graffiti is actually encouraged.

We only had a few hours to explore Wynwood Art District. In the few hour’s, here is what we experienced and made us love the neighbourhood so much:

Wynwood Walls

Wynwood Walls is an outdoor area, full of colourful murals, painted by artists from all around the world. It is free of charge to visit.

For more information, please visit their website: Wynwood Walls.

The Salty Donut

If you are a donut lover, then this place is a ‘must visit’! The donuts are incredible and the coffee is lovely too. Be prepared to queue a little, as it does get very busy. They close early if they sell out of donuts. So try and visit earlier on in the day rather then later on in the day.

I enjoyed a homemade Nutella donut and Alex enjoyed a strawberry cheesecake donut. If you are feeling more adventurous, there is always a savoury flavoured donut to choose from. Please be aware, not all the donuts on their menu are available on the day. They tend to only sell a selection of them each day.

For more information, please visit their website: Salty Donut.

Taiyaki NYC Miami

Have you ever tried Japanese Ice Cream before? Here is the place to try it, Taiyaki NYC Miami. You can choose from a range of different flavoured ice creams, with a sauce and topping of your choice, all placed inside a fish-shaped, spongey cone. It was very delicious! Alex got a Japanese Ice Coffee, which was delicious too.

For more information, please visit their website: Taiyaki NYC Miami.

Design District

The Design District is a shopping, dining, and cultural neighbourhood. The type of shops located in the Design District may not suit everybody’s bank balance. Put it this way, you will not find a Primark or a New Look here.

If you are big into designer shops and fancy restaurants, don’t worry; you can still enjoy the neighbourhood. The real reason for our visit to this neighbourhood was not to see visit the designer shops but instead, to see the modern art scattered on the streets. We arrived just before dusk. The streets were empty, allowing us to take some fantastic photos of some of the quirky artwork scattered around the neighbourhood.

Here is what to look out for:

Museum Garage

The Plastic Cup

Lady in a Glamorous Shower Cap

 

Pink Wall

Palm Court

Little Havana

Little Havana is a Cuban hearted neighbourhood. As you walk around the neighbourhood, you will get a real Cuban vibe. The smell of the Cuban cigars alone makes you feel like you’re in the real Havana not in the middle of Miami! The main street; Calle Ocho, is full of Cuban restaurants, cigar shops, and home to the famous Cuban ice cream shop: Azucar.

All the main tourist attractions are located down the street called, Calle Ocho. I read before visiting, some areas of Little Havana are meant to be quite dangerous. Therefore, I recommend just sticking to Calle Ocho Street.

Here are the top things to see down Calle Ocho Street, Little Havana:

Domino Park/Maximo Gomez Park

You can call it Domino Park or Maximo Gomez Park. It’s basically a small urban park, located down Calle Ocho Street, where senior, male, Cuban’s, sit at tables and play Dominoes. To play, you have to be a local resident and a senior citizen. You find people playing Dominoes at any of the days.

Calle Ocho Walk of Fame

The Calle Ocho Walk of Fame is a bit like the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angles but with famous Cuban stars. Personally, I can’t say I recognised any of the names, however, it was a lovely touch to the street, Calle Ocho.

Tower Theatre

The Tower Theatre, located down Calle Ocho Street, is a theatre that presents new films from Cuba and other Latin countries.

 

Azucar

Have you ever tried Cuban Ice Cream before? If you haven’t, well here is your opportunity to do so. Azucar is a Cuban Ice Cream shop that sells a whole range of great flavoured ice cream. It is located down Calle Ocho Street, on the opposite side of the road to Domino Park. Alex and I got 2 scoops each in a little tub. It was delicious! One of the flavours was Passion Fruit Sorbet. It was very refreshing!

 

Colourful Roosters

While walking down Calle Ocho Street, look out for the colour roosters. Roosters are special animals in the Cuban folklore. A few years back, the Kiwanis of Little Havana commissioned local artists to paint these rooster statues. Today, they have become a popular tourist attraction.

Look out for any classic Cuban cars

We saw a classic Cuban car parked up at the side of the road, on Calle Ocho Street, a few metres away from the Azucar Ice Cream Shop. Not sure what Cuban car it was, my knowledge of old, classic cars it not very good. I just know it as a classic Cuban car. Sorry, if I have just offended any car enthusiast.

Downtown Miami

Downtown Miami is a busy area, full of shops, bars, cafes, and live music. There is a beautiful marina were a lot of Miami’s popular boat tours go from, a beautiful urban park to walk through, and the famous American Airline Arena where Miami Heat play. It’s an area in Miami not to be missed when visiting the city.

We would have liked to spend a little more time exploring Downtown Miami. We only spent an hour exploring the area, as we decided to do the boat trip along Millionaire Row. Ideally, you need at least half a day. There is a lovely riverside walk you can do. The route takes you through Bayfront Park and provides you with great views of Brickell skyline, the financial district. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to do it.

Here are my top highlights of Downtown Miami:

Millionaire Row Sightseeing Cruise

The Millionaire Row Sightseeing Cruise is a ‘must-do’ trip, while you’re in Miami. Even if you are not interested in seeing the million-dollar mansions, the boat tour is great for providing fantastic views of Miami’s skyline

We did the 90-minute morning boat tour with Island Queen Cruises, costing us $28 each. If you book online before your visit, you can save $5 each. The boat goes from the marina outside Bayside Marketplace. There is a bar onboard and a fantastic tour guide that will tell you about the different mansions, who owns them, and how much they are worth.

For more information, please check out their website: Island Queen Cruises.

Bayside Marketplace

Bayside Marketplace is an area full of shops, bars, and eating places. We enjoyed a lovely steak at Tradewinds Bar and Grill, on the front next to the marina. There is also a big car park if you are driving into Downtown Miami. If you are parking on a day when the basketball game is on, the car park does get full. So maybe double-check before you visit.

Tip: Do not make the mistake we did. We asked for chips with our steak at Tradewinds Bar and Grill. Guess what we got? A Steak with a plate of crisps. For anyone who doesn’t know, chips are crips in America.

Bayfront Park

Bayfront Park is an urban park with pine trees and sculptures, located on Biscayne Bay. We only had time to explore a small part of it

 

Freedom Tower

Freedom Tower was Miami’s first skyscraper. Its nickname was ‘Ellis Island of the South’. It’s used to be a Cuban Assistant Centre. It was where Cuban refugees and exiles arrived after escaping Castro’s regime. Now, it is currently used as a contemporary art museum and a central office to different disciplines in the arts associated with Miami Dade College. It is also home to the Cuban American Museum.

American Airlines Arena

If you have the chance, get some tickets to a basket ball game. We went to watch Miami Heat play against the Charlotte Hornets. We booked our tickets online before our visit. We booked seats 8 and 9, in Block 303. The tickets were $39 each plus service charge. The total came to $46 each, which is around £35 each.

It was our first basketball game. We didn’t really know what to expect. The game was fantastic and the atmosphere was great. In-between each quarter, they have dancers and entertainment.

American Airlines Arena’s was great. With lots of different eating places to choose from, you were not going to go hungry. We decided to try some Cuban food at a cafe called, Sergio’s Cuban Cafe and Grill. We had a Cuban Sandwich to share. It was delicious. A Cuban Sandwich contains ham, roasted pork, swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. If you want to beat the queues for food, make your way out of your seat about 10 minutes before halftime, otherwise, you might spend the full 15 minutes queueing for food!

If you arriving at the arena by car, I recommend parking at Bayside Marketplace Car Park. The car park does get full, so get there early. From the car park, the arena is about a 5-minute walk away. Small handbags are only allowed in the arena. No drink or food is allowed.

For more information about what games are and when and the different eating places to choose from, please check out their website: American Airlines Arena.

We booked our tickets through Ticketmaster. Here’s a link direct to the Miami Heat tickets: Ticketmaster.