outdoor appeal | cultural intrigue | foodie fantasia | for the love of luxe
Greater Miami & Miami Beach
D espite the style and flash one might immediately associate with the word “Miami,” this South Florida city and its nearby neighborhoods are anything but exclusive. On the contrary, Greater Miami’s robust and diversified riches lie in wait for every curious traveler to discover: an art scene so fierce, it spans causeways, cultures—even continents; intriguing enclaves where everything from Caribbean hues to Latin flavors to Black history take center stage; world-famous, pastel-fabulous Art Deco architecture; and a lineup of restaurants so appealing, it inspired Bon Appétit Magazine to name Miami the “Food City of the Year” in 2023.
If you’re willing to go off-script—that is, peel yourself away from its miles of incredible beachfront for at least a portion of your trip—Miami will impress, educate, thrill, relax, entertain, pamper, wine and dine you, possibly all in the same day. Here’s a look at the many ways to get wrapped up in Miami’s cosmopolitan, sun-warmed embrace.
Beautiful beaches
Miami Beach—with its sparkling, calm waters, photogenic lifeguard stands, miles-long shoreline and nearby restaurants—might be the first place that comes to mind when you're ready to hit the sand. But savvy travelers know the city's got many other incredible beaches. Head north on Miami Beach's A1A to discover gorgeous, often quieter spots like Surfside, Haulover Park Beach and Sunny Isles Beach, just for starters. Minutes from downtown, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is home to wide shores ideal for a swim or a day of kayaking, plus beach cabanas, picnic shelters and a playground. The beaches here played an important role in Miami's Black history; they were among the first officially open to people of color in 1945. Key Biscayne's Crandon Park is a great choice for families with young kids as the waters are shallow and typically tame.
A fusion of culture and creativity
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Surfside Beach
Outdoor appeal
Cultural intrigue
Foodie fantasia
For the love of luxe
Bill Baggs
Plan your trip
Yoga in Miami Beach
Historic Virginia Key Beach
Cape Florida Lighthouse in Key Biscayne
Pick your own strawberries at The Berry Farm in Redland
Chef Blair finishing a dish at Dukunoo Jamacian Kitchen in Wynwood
Acqualina Resort
Design District
Miami Beach
Wynwood
Rum Room
The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami
Glorious gardens & parks
Miami's year-round sunny weather is ideal for coaxing gorgeous plant life into bloom. It follows that the city is home to multiple impressive garden spaces you'll have to stroll to believe.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables is a prime example. Consistently ranked among the country's best botanical gardens, Fairchild harbors 83 acres of rare tropical plants, including orchids, palms, flowering trees and vines—plus a butterfly exhibit and a garden café. Neighboring Matheson Hammock Park harbors more of Miami's stunning landscapes. Walk or bike amid the banyan trees and mangroves, cast a line from a kayak or take a swim at the kid-friendly beach.
Just outside downtown, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is an opulent Gilded Age oasis of Mediterranean Revival architecture and regal gardens on Biscayne Bay. A Sunday farmers market and an array of special events round out the reasons to go.
Farm lands & wetlands
It may come as a surprise that Greater Miami is home to a thriving agricultural hub, but it's true. Travelers can experience Miami's growing power in Redland, a 50-square-mile region filled with earthy-fun opportunities: pick your own strawberries, taste guava wine, walk through a coral castle or attend family-friendly farm festivals with pony rides and pumpkin patches. Don't skip the famous cinnamon rolls baked six days a week at family-owned Knaus Berry Farms—or a visit to the quirky Robert is Here farmstand, with its tropical smoothies and exotic petting zoo.
In the same corner of Miami-Dade County, you can experience another of Miami's wide-ranging ecosystems: Everglades National Park via the Homestead entrance. At over 2,300 square miles, it's the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Hike the Anhinga or Gumbo Limbo trail and keep a lookout for the park's myriad species, including threatened crocodiles, manatees and wood storks.
A world of art
Miami is home to a vibrant and ever-growing art scene. The Art Basel Miami Beach mega event—consistently ranked among the best art happenings in the world—brings in about a million people each December to view works by renowned contemporary artists.
But art is always on here. Art of Black Miami is a year-round program showcasing significant works from Black artists at prominent Miami art venues: The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami; The Wolfsonian - FIU on Miami Beach; and the African Heritage Cultural Arts center just west of Little Haiti. The Pérez Art Museum on Biscayne Bay is an impressive industrial-meets-tropical space featuring top-notch contemporary art. The murals of the Wynwood neighborhood put the work of the world's best-known graffiti artists on larger-than-life display. And Superblue Miami—a kid-favorite—puts on fully immersive art experiences created by innovative installation artists.
Music & theater
Miami's built-in show-stealing nature comes out in its music and performing arts scenes. Catch shows by top musicians from across the U.S., Latin America and beyond at the Kaseya Center, also home to the Miami Heat NBA team. The nearby Adrienne Arsht Center is a go-to for a huge range of entertainment, from cutting edge theater to Broadway hits to ballet to rock concerts.
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens puts on the Jazz in the Gardens Music Fest each March—with past headliners like Maxwell and Babyface—on top of its sporting events lineup. The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex in Overtown hosts monthly date-ready dinner shows featuring live entertainment and curated chef menus, while the Miracle Theatre in pedestrian-friendly Coral Gables spotlights comedians, well-known music acts and plays in a century-old building amid numerous shops and restaurants.
Diverse neighborhoods
Dive into the kaleidoscope of cultures that are central to Miami's identity. Historic Overtown just west of downtown is Miami's historically Black neighborhood, nicknamed the Harlem of the South during Miami's early days. Explore historic buildings like the Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum, dine on celebrity chef fare at Marcus Samuelson's Red Rooster Overtown restaurant and buy locally made clothing at the Shops of Overtown. Visit the restored Historic Hampton House hotel in Brownsville, where, in the 1960s, musicians like Sammy Davis, Jr. performed and Martin Luther King, Jr. was a frequent guest.
Get to know Miami's large Haitian community with a visit to Little Haiti. View works by Haitian artists at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and try a traditional dance class at the Caribbean Marketplace.
Fine dining
It's worth repeating that Miami was chosen as Bon Appétit's Food City of the year for 2023—and for good reason. The city's home to no fewer than a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants, including L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon—the only restaurant in Florida to have earned two stars. The Design District restaurant offers a standout tasting menu featuring Norwegian king crab with horseradish crème fraîche and caviar, plus six other painstakingly curated courses.
Among the other Michelin-star-awarded restaurants, you'll find an international milieu starring Mexican, Colombian, Japanese and Korean fare, among others. That's not to mention the city's three Forbes 4- and 5-Star restaurants or its double-digit list of James Beard Award finalist and semifinalist chefs, restaurateurs, bars and restaurants.
Miami Spice
Take a tip from locals and try some of the tastiest dining venues from every corner of Greater Miami. One way to eat broadly without breaking the bank is to visit during Miami Spice months (August - September), when dozens of top restaurants offer three-course prix fixe meals for a nice promotional price.
No matter when you come, though, there's a literal world of flavor to explore. Cafe La Trova in Little Havana is a go-to for elevated Cuban cuisine—think croquetas stuffed with mushroom risotto or steak, accompanied by craft cocktails and live Latin music. Indian food fans should run—not walk—to Coconut Grove, where Bombay Darbar has served guests perfectly spiced kormas and tandoori for well over a decade. Miami Gardens' Awash Ethiopian prepares juicy meat, lentil and vegetable dishes along with traditional Injera bread in a cozy home-style setting. In Wynwood, Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen is the place to score flavorful Caribbean specialties in a festive, industrial-chic space.
Hotels & spas
Miami's accommodation options cover every kind of stay imaginable—from 5-star digs that live up to the city's glam reputation; to budget- and family-friendly hotels and resorts; to quirky boutique inns as unique as the neighborhoods they occupy. Sprawling outdoor pool decks with lush garden landscaping, thought-provoking art displays, easy beach access complete with loungers and umbrellas plus top-notch onsite dining venues are frequently part of the experience.
Many Miami hotels also boast lavish, award-winning spas offering comprehensive treatment menus and extensive sauna, hammam and hydrotherapy facilities. Sound healing sessions, purifying herbal body masks, firming oxygen facials and holistic full-body massages are barely the beginning of the relaxing experiences you can book. Summer brings Miami Spa Months (July - August), when dozens of pampering oases in the Greater Miami area tempt guests with deep discounts on their signature treatments.
Addictive shopping
Whether you've set your sights on a luxury handbag or this season's hottest clothing looks, you'll find exactly what you're looking for at Miami's ample upscale shopping havens. Brickell City Centre in the heart of downtown features brands from Acqua di Parma to Diptyque to Rolex—plus gourmet eateries that alone are worth a trip. Emporio Armani and Lanvin have recently joined the ranks at the posh Bal Harbour Shops, while the Aventura Mall harbors over 300 shops to get wrapped up in—Adidas to Armani Exchange, H&M to Hermès. The famed Design District features dozens of shops, carrying names like Chanel, Bottega Veneta and Fendi, each with interiors as elegant and artful as their wares. The eye feast continues just south in Wynwood, where galleries and public art pieces share the streets with independent boutiques and vintage thrift stores filled with one-of-a-kind funky finds.
Vizcaya Museum & Gardens (left); Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (right)
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Lummus Park in South Beach
Go dancing in Little Havana
In West Coconut Grove, a.k.a. Little Bahamas, gain an understanding of Miami's deep ties to the Bahamian islands amid landmarks like the Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church—plus historic homes built of coral rock and Miami-Dade pine.
Miami's Cuban roots shine through in Little Havana, and especially on Calle Ocho (Southwest Eighth Street), where you'll find Cuban bakeries, cigar shops, rum bars and music venues. At Maximo Gomez Park (known locally as Domino Park), colorful murals make a vibrant backdrop for intense dominoes games played at outdoor tables.
In Miami Gardens, you'll find a diverse restaurant scene showcasing everything from Ethiopian to Trinidadian cuisine. The North Miami Beach area, meanwhile, is a haven for all manner of Caribbean food. While in town, pay a visit to the Ancient Spanish Monastery—a breathtaking structure built nearly 900 years ago and later rebuilt brick by brick on this lush piece of land.
Ride an airboat in Everglades National Park
The Historic Lyric Theater
Miami Beach
Miami Beach
outdoor appeal | cultural intrigue | foodie fantasia | for the love of luxe
outdoor appeal | cultural intrigue | foodie fantasia | for the love of luxe
outdoor appeal | cultural intrigue | foodie fantasia | for the love of luxe
Beautiful beaches
Miami Beach—with its sparkling, calm waters, photogenic lifeguard stands, miles-long shoreline and nearby restaurants—might be the first place that comes to mind when you're ready to hit the sand. But savvy travelers know the city's got many other incredible beaches. Head north on Miami Beach's A1A to discover gorgeous, often quieter spots like Surfside, Haulover Park Beach and Sunny Isles Beach, just for starters. Minutes from downtown, Historic Virginia Key Beach Park is home to wide shores ideal for a swim or a day of kayaking, plus beach cabanas, picnic shelters and a playground. The beaches here played an important role in Miami's Black history; they were among the first officially open to people of color in 1945. Key Biscayne's Crandon Park is a great choice for families with young kids as the waters are shallow and typically tame.
Glorious gardens & parks
Miami's year-round sunny weather is ideal for coaxing gorgeous plant life into bloom. It follows that the city is home to multiple impressive garden spaces you'll have to stroll to believe.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables is a prime example. Consistently ranked among the country's best botanical gardens, Fairchild harbors 83 acres of rare tropical plants, including orchids, palms, flowering trees and vines—plus a butterfly exhibit and a garden café. Neighboring Matheson Hammock Park harbors more of Miami's stunning landscapes. Walk or bike amid the banyan trees and mangroves, cast a line from a kayak or take a swim at the kid-friendly beach.
Just outside downtown, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is an opulent Gilded Age oasis of Mediterranean Revival architecture and regal gardens on Biscayne Bay. A Sunday farmers market and an array of special events round out the reasons to go.
Farm lands & wetlands
It may come as a surprise that Greater Miami is home to a thriving agricultural hub, but it's true. Travelers can experience Miami's growing power in Redland, a 50-square-mile region filled with earthy-fun opportunities: pick your own strawberries, taste guava wine, walk through a coral castle or attend family-friendly farm festivals with pony rides and pumpkin patches. Don't skip the famous cinnamon rolls baked six days a week at family-owned Knaus Berry Farms—or a visit to the quirky Robert is Here farmstand, with its tropical smoothies and exotic petting zoo.
In the same corner of Miami-Dade County, you can experience another of Miami's wide-ranging ecosystems: Everglades National Park via the Homestead entrance. At over 2,300 square miles, it's the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Hike the Anhinga or Gumbo Limbo trail and keep a lookout for the park's myriad species, including threatened crocodiles, manatees and wood storks.
A world of art
Miami is home to a vibrant and ever-growing art scene. The Art Basel Miami Beach mega event—consistently ranked among the best art happenings in the world—brings in about a million people each December to view works by renowned contemporary artists.
But art is always on here. Art of Black Miami is a year-round program showcasing significant works from Black artists at prominent Miami art venues: The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami; The Wolfsonian - FIU on Miami Beach; and the African Heritage Cultural Arts center just west of Little Haiti. The Pérez Art Museum on Biscayne Bay is an impressive industrial-meets-tropical space featuring top-notch contemporary art. The murals of the Wynwood neighborhood put the work of the world's best-known graffiti artists on larger-than-life display. And Superblue Miami—a kid-favorite—puts on fully immersive art experiences created by innovative installation artists.
Music & theater
Miami's built-in show-stealing nature comes out in its music and performing arts scenes. Catch shows by top musicians from across the U.S., Latin America and beyond at the Kaseya Center, also home to the Miami Heat NBA team. The nearby Adrienne Arsht Center is a go-to for a huge range of entertainment, from cutting edge theater to Broadway hits to ballet to rock concerts.
Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens puts on the Jazz in the Gardens Music Fest each March—with past headliners like Maxwell and Babyface—on top of its sporting events lineup. The Black Archives Historic Lyric Theater Cultural Arts Complex in Overtown hosts monthly date-ready dinner shows featuring live entertainment and curated chef menus, while the Miracle Theatre in pedestrian-friendly Coral Gables spotlights comedians, well-known music acts and plays in a century-old building amid numerous shops and restaurants.
Diverse neighborhoods
Dive into the kaleidoscope of cultures that are central to Miami's identity. Historic Overtown just west of downtown is Miami's historically Black neighborhood, nicknamed the Harlem of the South during Miami's early days. Explore historic buildings like the Black Police Precinct & Courthouse Museum, dine on celebrity chef fare at Marcus Samuelson's Red Rooster Overtown restaurant and buy locally made clothing at the Shops of Overtown. Visit the restored Historic Hampton House hotel in Brownsville, where, in the 1960s, musicians like Sammy Davis, Jr. performed and Martin Luther King, Jr. was a frequent guest.
Get to know Miami's large Haitian community with a visit to Little Haiti. View works by Haitian artists at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and try a traditional dance class at the Caribbean Marketplace.
Fine dining
It's worth repeating that Miami was chosen as Bon Appétit's Food City of the year for 2023—and for good reason. The city's home to no fewer than a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants, including L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon—the only restaurant in Florida to have earned two stars. The Design District restaurant offers a standout tasting menu featuring Norwegian king crab with horseradish crème fraîche and caviar, plus six other painstakingly curated courses.
Among the other Michelin-star-awarded restaurants, you'll find an international milieu starring Mexican, Colombian, Japanese and Korean fare, among others. That's not to mention the city's three Forbes 4- and 5-Star restaurants or its double-digit list of James Beard Award finalist and semifinalist chefs, restaurateurs, bars and restaurants.
Miami Spice
Take a tip from locals and try some of the tastiest dining venues from every corner of Greater Miami. One way to eat broadly without breaking the bank is to visit during Miami Spice months (August - September), when dozens of top restaurants offer three-course prix fixe meals for a nice promotional price.
No matter when you come, though, there's a literal world of flavor to explore. Cafe La Trova in Little Havana is a go-to for elevated Cuban cuisine—think croquetas stuffed with mushroom risotto or steak, accompanied by craft cocktails and live Latin music. Indian food fans should run—not walk—to Coconut Grove, where Bombay Darbar has served guests perfectly spiced kormas and tandoori for well over a decade. Miami Gardens' Awash Ethiopian prepares juicy meat, lentil and vegetable dishes along with traditional Injera bread in a cozy home-style setting. In Wynwood, Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen is the place to score flavorful Caribbean specialties in a festive, industrial-chic space.
Hotels & spas
Miami's accommodation options cover every kind of stay imaginable—from 5-star digs that live up to the city's glam reputation; to budget- and family-friendly hotels and resorts; to quirky boutique inns as unique as the neighborhoods they occupy. Sprawling outdoor pool decks with lush garden landscaping, thought-provoking art displays, easy beach access complete with loungers and umbrellas plus top-notch onsite dining venues are frequently part of the experience.
Many Miami hotels also boast lavish, award-winning spas offering comprehensive treatment menus and extensive sauna, hammam and hydrotherapy facilities. Sound healing sessions, purifying herbal body masks, firming oxygen facials and holistic full-body massages are barely the beginning of the relaxing experiences you can book. Summer brings Miami Spa Months (July - August), when dozens of pampering oases in the Greater Miami area tempt guests with deep discounts on their signature treatments.
Addictive shopping
Whether you've set your sights on a luxury handbag or this season's hottest clothing looks, you'll find exactly what you're looking for at Miami's ample upscale shopping havens. Brickell City Centre in the heart of downtown features brands from Acqui di Parma to Diptyque to Rolex-plus gourmet eateries that alone are worth a trip. Emporio Armani and Lanvin have recently joined the ranks at the posh Bal Harbour Shops, while the Aventura Mall harbors over 300 shops to get wrapped up in-Adidas to Armani Exchange, H&M to Hermès. The famed Design District features dozens of shops, carrying names like Chanel, Bottega Veneta and Fendi, each with interiors as elegant and artful as their wares. The eye feast continues just south in Wynwood, where galleries and public art pieces share the streets with independent boutiques and vintage thrift stores perfect for those one-of-a-kind funky finds.
