Miami

Miami

Introduction

Sunny Florida skies, a buzzing nightlife and the insistent rhythm of Cuban culture have electrified this sultry polyglot of a city fronting the Atlantic Ocean. Celebrity-drenched South Beach attracts people-watchers, but beyond the glitz, the Art Deco stylings of the Venetian Pool provide a glimpse into Miami's sleepy past. Its symmetry with nature is reflected in the dolphins that play at Miami Sequarium and the tropical birds that flutter at Parrot Jungle Island. For each Pan-Mediterranean-Asian haute dining room is a down-home, no-nonsense Cuban bodega serving hearty food at ridiculously cheap prices.


Things to Do

From water sports and sunbathing on Miami Beach to alligators in the Everglades, Miami lives outdoors. Play golf at Crandon Park, watch manatees on Coconut Grove's waterfront, scuba dive off Jupiter Beach or simply soak up the sun. On rainy days, you can school yourself in Dutch and Italian tapestries at the upstanding Bass Museum of Art or learn about the city's humble beginnings at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida.


Frommer's Favorite Experiences

  • Driving Along Florida A1A: This oceanfront route, which runs north up Miami Beach, through Sunny Isles and Hollywood, and into Fort Lauderdale (starting at Ocean Dr. and First St. in Miami and merging onto Collins Ave. before running north), embodies the essence that is South Florida. From time-warped hotels steeped in Art Deco kitsch to multimillion-dollar modern high-rises, A1A is one of the most scenic, albeit heavily trafficked, roads in all of Florida.
  • Dining at Garcia's on the Miami River: Some consider dining on the Miami River to be industrial chic; others consider it seedy in a Miami Vice sort of way. However you choose to look at it, by all means do look at it; the sleepy Miami River is nestled below the sweeping downtown Miami skyline, reminding you that even though you're in a major metropolis, things in this often-frenetic city are capable of slowing down to a more soothing pace.
  • Getting the Juice at El Palacio de los Jugos: For the true, frenetic, cacophonous Miami Cuban experience, this is the place to go, where heaps of gloriously greasy fare and sort of healthy fresh squeezed juices have people coming in packs.
  • Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant: You will wait in line at Miami Beach's landmark spot for crab, but it's never dull, and the cacophony of mostly Northeastern U.S. accents and the occasional celebrity will keep you entertained until you are seated for your feast of crustacean. Dip medium, large, or jumbo crab into a tasty mustard-mayo sauce or just mustard, and save room for Key lime pie. Open October through May only.
  • Midnight Snacking at Versailles: This iconoclastic, gaudy Cuban diner in the heart of Miami's Little Havana is humming with the buzz of old-timers reminiscing about pre-Castro Cuba, local politicos trying to appease them, and a slew of detached people there only for the fantastically cheap and authentic Cuban fare. Much like its French namesake in whose image it's been literally mirrored, Miami's Versailles provides a palatial view of Miami's ever-changing Cuban landscape.
  • Sunset Cocktails at Smith & Wollensky: Say bon voyage to the mega ships sailing out of Government Cut from this, one of the best waterfront vantage points in all of Miami.
  • Learning to Salsa: If the only salsa you're familiar with is the kind you put on your tacos, get over to Bongo's Cuban Café, the hottest salsa club north of Havana, where Miami's most talented salsa dancers will teach you how to move your two left feet in the right direction.
  • Unleashing Your Inner Gourmand in Miami's Design District: Turns out, the home of high-end furniture showrooms and interior design firms is also home to some of Florida's most lauded eateries -- Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Sra. Martinez, Pacific Time. Some tapas with your tapestries, perhaps?
  • Channeling Andy Warhol in Miami's Wynwood Arts District: After waiting patiently for this arty, funky area to hit its comeuppance, Miami's hipsters and artists have finally been rewarded with this still raw neighborhood of galleries, studios, and even a few cool bars, lounges, and restaurants that exude that New York City SoHo-meets-Meatpacking District vibe.
  • Sundays at Alabama Jack's: There is nothing like hanging out, chugging a cheap beer, chowing down on amazing conch fritters, and watching a bunch of sauced octogenarians dressed like extras from Hee Haw line-dancing to incredible live country music, all in a Sunday's afternoon. Even better is the spectacular waterfront setting that makes you truly appreciate why you're in Florida in the first place.


The Best Travel Experiences

  • Best Museum: A collector's dream come true, Miami's Wolfsonian is a treasure trove of miscellany (a matchbook that once belonged to the King of Egypt) and artifacts hailing from the propaganda age of World War II.
  • Best Cultural Experience: A walk through Little Havana is a fascinating study in the juxtaposition and fusion of two very vibrant cultures in which pre-Castro Cuba is as alive and well as the McDonald's right next door.
  • Best Public Golf Course: Miami's Biltmore Golf Course, Biltmore Hotel. If it's good enough for former President Clinton, it's good enough for those of you who don't travel with a bevy of Secret Service agents. But the real question is: Are you good enough for the course? The 6th hole is notoriously difficult, with distracting water hazards among other difficulties. Nonetheless, it's an excellent course with a picture-postcard setting.
  • Best Dive Bar: Jose Cuervo Underwater Bar. In May 2000, the legendary tequila company celebrated Cinco de Mayo by submerging an actual, $45,000 full-size bar and six stools about 600 feet off South Beach's First Street beach. For expert divers, this bar is more than your average watering hole.
  • Best Place to Satisfy Your Morbid Curiosity: The Mystery, Mayhem and Vice Crime Bus Tour. Not that we're implying anything here, but Miami is a haven for people like O. J. Simpson and, at one time, Al Capone. It's a place where shady characters come to reinvent themselves. However, at times, they also tend to reincriminate themselves. See the spots where some of these criminals fell off the wagon -- it's morbidly delicious.


The Best Beaches

  • Best Party Beach: In Key Biscayne, Crandon Park Beach, on Crandon Boulevard, is National Lampoon's Vacation on the sand. It's got a diverse crowd consisting of dedicated beach bums and lots of leisure-seeking families, set to a soundtrack of salsa, disco, and reggae music blaring from a number of competing stereos. With 3 miles of oceanfront beach, bathrooms, changing facilities, 493 acres of park, 75 grills, three parking lots, several soccer and softball fields, and a public 18-hole championship golf course, Crandon is like a theme park on the sand. The beach also offers Eco-Adventure Tours, including kayaking and snorkeling. For more information, call tel. 305/365-3018. It's open daily from 8am to sunset.
  • Best Beach for People-Watching: Lummus Park Beach, also known as South Beach, runs along Ocean Drive from about 6th to 14th streets on South Beach. It's the best place to go if you're seeking entertainment as well as a great tan. On any day of the week, you might spy models primping for a photo shoot, nearly naked (topless is legal here) sun-worshippers avoiding tan lines, and an assembly line of washboard abs off of which you could (but shouldn't) bounce your bottle of sunscreen. Bathrooms and changing facilities are available on the beach, but don't expect to have a Cindy Crawford encounter in one of these. Most people tend to prefer using the somewhat drier, cleaner bathrooms of the restaurants on Ocean Drive.
  • Best Beach for Communing with Nature: Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is the pot of gold at the end of Key Biscayne, with over a mile of unfettered beach, a historic lighthouse, and nature trails that take you back to the days when South Florida was a tropical wilderness.
  • Best Swimming Beach: The 85th Street Beach, along Collins Avenue, is the best place to swim away from the maddening crowds. It's one of Miami's only stretches of sand with no condos or hotels looming over sunbathers. Lifeguards patrol the area throughout the day and bathrooms are available, though they are not exactly the benchmark of cleanliness.
  • Best Windsurfing Beach: Hobie Beach, on the side of the causeway leading to Key Biscayne, is not really a beach, but an inlet with predictable winds and a number of places where you can rent windsurf boards. Bathrooms are available but not exactly the cleanest.
  • Best Shell-Hunting Beach: You'll find plenty of colorful shells at Bal Harbour Beach, Collins Avenue at 96th Street. There's also an exercise course and good shade -- but no lifeguards, bathrooms, or changing facilities.
  • Best (Ahem) All-Around Tanning Beach: For that all-over tan, head to Haulover Beach, just north of the Bal Harbour border, and join nudists from around the world in a top-to-bottom tanning session. Should you choose to keep your swimsuit on, however, there are changing rooms and bathrooms.
  • Best Surfing Beach: Haulover Beach, just over the causeway from Bal Harbour, seems to get Miami's biggest swells. Go early to avoid getting mauled by the aggressive young locals prepping for Maui. Formerly rancid bathrooms were fixed up, though some homeless people do tend to use the bathrooms to wash up, so use at your own risk. Surfers also like the southern tip of South Beach, not necessarily for the waves, but for the surfers themselves.
  • Best Scenic Beach: Matheson Hammock Park Beach, at 9610 Old Cutler Rd. in South Miami (tel. 305/665-5475), is the epitome of tranquility. And while it's scenic, it's not too much of a scene. It's a great beach for those seeking "alone time." Bathrooms and changing facilities are available.
  • Best Family Beach: Because of its man-made lagoon, which is fed naturally by the tidal movement of the adjacent Biscayne Bay, the waters of Matheson Hammock Park Beach are extremely calm, not to mention safe and secluded enough for families to keep an eye on the kids. Clean bathrooms are a plus.
  • Best Beach for Seclusion: Virginia Key on Key Biscayne is where people go when they don't want to be found. It's also incredibly picturesque. Bathrooms are decent.
  • Best for Gay Beachgoers: South Beach's 12th Street Beach is the place to be for Miami's best gay beach scene. Here you'll see strutting, kibitzing, and gossiping among some of Miami's most beautiful gay population. You might even find yourself lucky enough to happen upon a feisty South Beach party while you're soaking up some rays here. If you can hold it, skip the public bathroom and head over to the Palace on Ocean Drive to use their bathroom.


Ancient Spanish Monastery: 16711 W Dixie Hwy. (btw. NW167th and NW 170th sts.), Miami, FL

  • Hours Mon–Sat 10am–4:30pm; Sun 11am–4:30pm
  • Phone 305/945-1461
  • Prices Admission $8 adults

Most of the “historic” buildings throughout Greater Miami are “neo” this and ersatz that, but this gorgeous cloister is the real deal: a Cistercian monastery built in Segovia, Spain in the 12th century, then dismantled and brought to the United States in 1925 by none other than Citizen Kane newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. This isn’t merely a tourist attraction, but also home to an Episcopal church, St. Bernard de Clairvaux. It’s super-popular for weddings, photo shoots, and other special occasions, and thus can close without notice, so call ahead. There’s also a small collection of historic artifacts in the lobby. Combine a visit with the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art, Oleta River Park, and/or Aventura/Bal Harbour malls.


Bass Museum of Art: 2121 Park Ave (2100 Collins Ave., at 21st St.), Miami, FL

  • Hours Wed–Sun noon–5pm
  • Phone 305/673-7530
  • Prices Admission $8 adults, free last Sun of the month

Fine art may not be the first thing that leaps to mind when you think South Beach, but if you have any cultural leanings (or are simply looking for something to do on a rainy or otherwise non-beach day), you might be pleasantly surprised by the riches harbored here. Its white coral-stone facade fronts a more recently added annex designed by Arata Isozaki, marking its half-century anniversary this year. The permanent collection includes some 3,000 works or objects stretching back to ancient Greece and Egypt (mummy anyone?), including European and American masters such as Rubens, Botticelli, and Benjamin West. Much of the focus, though, is on temporary shows such as one themed on gold (boy, do they know their audience) and a multimedia installation including a mesmerizing live-action recreation of the famous Velázquez painting The Maids of Honor (OMG, was that Peter Dinklage in a dress?). Families who happen to be here on the last Sunday of each month can enjoy IDEA@thebass, a family day that includes children’s art activities, scavenger hunts, yoga, performances, and prizes.


Biltmore Hotel Tour: 1200 Anastasia Ave, Miami, FL

  • Neighborhood Coral Gables
  • Hours Tours depart Sun at 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30pm
  • Phone 305/445-1926
  • Prices Free admission

Take advantage of these free, 55-minute Sunday walking tours to enjoy the hotel's history and beautiful grounds. Starting in the upstairs lobby, the tour will even take you to Everglades Suite, when available, home to dignitaries, heads of state, and a sanctuary for celebrities. Call ahead to confirm.


Eco-Adventure Tours: Miami, FL

  • Phone 305/365-3018

For the eco-conscious traveler, the Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department offers guided nature, adventure, and historic tours involving biking, canoeing, snorkeling, hiking, and bird-watching all over the city. Contact them for more information.


Holocaust Memorial: 1933 Meridian Ave (at Dade Blvd.), Miami, FL

  • Hours Daily 10am–10pm
  • Phone 305/538-1663
  • Prices Free admission

This heart-wrenching memorial is hard to miss and would be a shame to overlook. The powerful centerpiece, Kenneth Treister’s A Sculpture of Love and Anguish, depicts victims of the concentration camps crawling up a giant yearning hand stretching up to the sky, marked with an Auschwitz number tattoo. Along the reflecting pool is the story of the Holocaust, told in cut marble slabs. Inside the center of the memorial is a tableau that is one of the most solemn and moving tributes I’ve seen to the millions of Jews who lost their lives to the Nazis. You can walk through an open hallway lined with photographs and the names of camps and their victims. From the street, you’ll see the outstretched arm, but do stop and tour the sculpture at ground level.


Little Havana Walking Tour: Miami, FL

  • Phone 305/375-1621
  • Prices Tour $25

Dr. Paul George will guide you through Little Havana, pointing out the significance of South Florida bungalow architecture, the Tower Theater, old-fashioned hand rollers at a cigar factory, and more. Visit Cuban Memorial Boulevard and observe the monuments that speak to the exile presence in Miami. See the home of Miami's first mayor. The tour ends with an optional lunch at the iconic Versailles.


Lowe Art Museum: 1301 Stanford Dr (entrance at Ponce de León Blvd.) at University of Miami, Coral Gables

  • Hours Tues–Sat 10am–4pm; Sun noon–4pm
  • Phone 305/284-3535
  • Prices Admission $10 adults, free for students

Miami’s oldest art museum, the 61-year-old Lowe is an appealing, undersung mix of art, folk art, and objects that cross into the realm of archaeology and anthropology, including ancient Maya and Greek pottery, Tang dynasty ceramics, and some marvelous woodwork from Africa and Oceania. While most local art museums rely more heavily on rotating exhibitions, here more of the focus is on the impressive permanent collection, which includes a who’s who of art history both classic and recent: El Greco, Monet, Gainsborough, Goya, Lichtenstein, Tintoretto, Pepper, and Stella. The newest addition (2008) is a gallery devoted to glass and ceramic art, including smaller works by Chihuly and Picasso. There are, of course, temporary exhibitions, too, and top-quality ones—for example, a fascinating recent survey of engravings of the voyages of Captain Cook.


Miami Beach Architecture Cruise: 6500 Indian Creek Dr, Miami, FL

  • Hours Tours depart Fri at 5:30pm in summer (May-Oct) and 4pm in winter (Nov-Apr)
  • Phone 305/865-4147
  • Prices Tour $30

Fantastic for design fanatics or for those who just want to take a nice little boat ride, this 30-minute cruise through the waterways of Miami Beach takes you past roaring '20s Mediterranean Revival estates, Art Deco and magnificent MiMo landmarks such as the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels, and, finally past some cutting-edge contemporary new architecture housing some of the city's still-available-for-purchase condos. Departs Friday afternoons starting at 5:30pm in the summer and 4pm in winter.


Miami Children’s Museum: 980 MacArthur Causeway, Watson Island

  • Hours Daily 10am–6pm
  • Phone 305/373-5437
  • Prices Admission $18

Kids really take to practically every corner of this multi-media, fairly high-tech, two-story museum, starting with the “pretend-professions” zone on the ground floor, where they can try out a police motorcycle, a mock fire truck, a model doctor’s office and supermarket, and more. Upstairs highlights include an art and music space where it’s all about touching and looking, and they can, for example, get hands gunked up with paint or record their own tunes. Keep in mind that weekday mornings are most crowded, being prime time for local school groups. There’s usually one big temporary exhibit at any given time, such as the recent, very cool one about dinosaurs—including animatronics. Stop in the shop on your way out; it’s one toy store parents will appreciate as much as the little squirts.


Mystery, Mayhem and Vice Crime Bus Tour: 101 W. Flagler St, Miami, FL

  • Neighborhood Leaves from Dade Cultural Center
  • Hours Held twice a year, usually in Apr and Oct
  • Phone 305/375-1621
  • Prices Tickets $44

Visit the past by video and bus to Miami-Dade's most celebrated crimes and criminals from the 1800s to the present, including some sites where the '80s TV series Miami Vice was filmed. From the murder spree of the Ashley Gang to the most notorious murders and crimes of the last century, including the murder of designer Gianni Versace, historian Paul George conducts a most fascinating 3-hour tour of scandalous proportions.


Pérez Art Museum Miami: 1103 Biscayne Blvd (at NW 11th St.), Miami, FL

  • Hours Tues–Sun 10am–6pm; Thurs also 6–9pm
  • Phone 305/375-3000
  • Prices Admission $12 adults, free for students

Opened in downtown’s still unfinished “Museum Park” in December 2013, the new iteration of our publicly-owned Miami Art Museum (its name unfortunately hijacked by real estate developer Jorge Pérez), is an admittedly impressive bit of business indeed, which in addition to displaying collected artists such as Louise Nevelson, Wifredo Lam, Marcel Duchamp, and Roy Lichtenstein also stages exhibitions like that of Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei in 2014, and Canadian installation artist Geoffrey Farmer through February 2015. This being Miami, there’s a particular emphasis on the Latin American and the Caribbean. There’s also a nice restaurant called Verde, and a very browse-able shop.


Redland Tropical Trail Tours: Miami, FL

  • Phone 305/245-9180

Check out South Florida farmlands -- yes, they do exist in an area near Homestead called the Redlands -- on this tour featuring a circuit of stops, tastings, and sightseeing that will take you from gardens and jungles to an orchid farm, an actual working winery, fruit stand, and more. There's no cost to follow the trail with a map (available on the website) on your own, but call for pricing information for certain attractions found on the trail.


Rubell Family Collection: 95 NW 29th St (at NW 1st Ave.), Miami, FL

  • Hours Dec–May Tues–Sat 10am–6pm; June–Nov Wed and Fri 3pm for tours only
  • Phone 305/573-6090
  • Prices Admission $10 adults

One of the world’s great collections of cutting-edge contemporary art (including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Maurizio Cattelan, Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, Cady Noland, Charles Ray, Cindy Sherman, and Andy Warhol) is owned by the Rubell family, Miami hoteliers, and is housed in a 40,000-square-foot former Drug Enforcement Agency facility 10 minutes from South Beach. Rotating exhibitions include the well-known 30 Americans. Starting during December’s Art Basel, there’s a seasonal program of lectures, artist talks, and performances as well as a research library, bookshop, and sculpture garden. A complimentary guided tour is given at 3pm Wednesday and Friday, and a free audio tour is available for mobile gadgets.


Spanish Monastery Cloisters: 16711 W. Dixie Hwy, Miami, FL

  • Neighborhood At NE 167th St, North Miami Beach
  • Hours Mon-Fri 10am-4:30 pm; Sun 1-5pm.
  • Phone 305/945-1461
  • Prices Admission $5 adults

Did you know that the alleged oldest building in the Western Hemisphere dates from 1133 and is located in Miami? The Spanish Monastery Cloisters were first erected in Segovia, Spain. Centuries later, newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst purchased and brought them to America in pieces. The carefully numbered stones were quarantined for years until they were finally reassembled on the present site in 1954. It has often been used as a backdrop for weddings, movies, and commercials, and is a very popular tourist attraction.


Venetian Pool: 2701 DeSoto Blvd (at Toledo St.), Coral Gables, Miami, FL

  • Hours Generally Mon–Fri 11am–5:30 or 6:30pm; Sat–Sun 10am–4:30pm.
  • Phone 305/460-5306
  • Prices Admission Apr–Oct $12 adults

One of America’s most beautiful and unusual swimming pools, built in 1923, is hidden behind pastel stucco walls and honored with a listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Two underground wells (meaning water’s definitely on the nippy side) feed the free-form lagoon, which is shaded by three-story Spanish porticos and has both fountains and waterfalls. During summer, the pool’s 820,000 gallons of water are drained and refilled nightly, thanks to an underground aquifer, ensuring a cool, clean swim. Visitors are free to swim and sunbathe here, just as Johnny Weissmuller and the late Esther Williams did decades ago. For a modest fee, your kids (or you) can learn to swim during special summer programs.


Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: 3251 S Miami Ave., Miami, FL

  • Neighborhood Just south of Rickenbacker Causeway
  • Hours Wed–Mon 9:30am–4:30pm
  • Phone 305/250-9133
  • Prices Admission $18 adults

Astride Biscayne Bay, early-20th-century Midwestern farm equipment honcho James Deering bequeathed Miami one of America’s most distinctive grand manses (built in 1916), where you could describe the vibe as “Renaissance Italianate meets the tropics.” As that might suggest, the place is ridiculously photogenic, and in fact you’re almost guaranteed to spot one or multiple photo shoots involving brides or quinceañeras (Cuban sweet 16s); as for the likes of you—snapshots outside only. Thirty-four rooms furnished in heavy Old-World style are arranged around a bright, airy courtyard that was once open to the elements and is now covered by a huge glass skylight. You can get a guided tour of the first floor, then check out the upper two floors yourself, or for $5 pick up a helpful audio guide. Do pop into the gift shop/cafe, whose wares are definitely a cut above the norm (and this has to be the first time I’ve ever seen a discount table in a shop like this). The gardens are also an integral part of the experience—formal in the European style closer in, then gradually growing wilder and more Floridian—meaning slash pines, live oaks with Spanish moss, even mangroves. Finally, a heads-up: the street entrance, on the south side of South Miami Avenue, is all too easy to sail right by.


Wolfsonian: 1001 Washington Ave (at 10th St.), Miami, FL

  • Hours Sat–Tues noon–6pm; Fri noon–9pm
  • Phone 305/531-1001
  • Prices Admission $7 adults; free after 6pm Fri

Its big, blocky white facade and fancy stonework are a one-of-a-kind presence amid the commercial/touristy scene on Washington Avenue. One of my favorite Greater Miami museums displays a one-of-a-kind permanent collection of mostly European and U.S. artifacts, artwork, artisanry, and design from the late 19th- to mid-20th centuries. The difference here is that this isn’t purely art for art’s sake, but a reflection of history, society, politics, and socio-economic issues. So yes, those 1926 stained-glass panels, for example, are luminous and lovely, but they also reflect themes and allegories relating to Ireland’s independence. Fascinating political and World War II propaganda posters are part of the mix, as are vintage stoves, vacuum cleaners, Bauhaus furniture, and other items from a particular era of modernization. The fifth floor is the permanent collection, while other floors host rotating exhibitions such as 2014’s “The Rebirth of Rome,” focusing on art and architecture in fascist Italy. Also check out the funky museum store, with beautiful books, DVDs, retro objects both decorative and useful, and a cafe (also open to non-museum visitors) where you can eat/drink organic while watching black and white silent movies on a large flat screen TV (last time I was in, it was Buster Keaton in The General).


Zoo Miami: 12400 SW 152nd St (at SW 124th Ave.), Miami, FL

  • Hours Daily 9:30am–5:30pm (ticket booth closes at 4pm)
  • Phone 305/251-0400
  • Prices Admission $16 adults; $1 discount on website

This 330-acre complex is quite a distance from Miami proper and the beaches—about 45 minutes—but worth the trip. Isolated and never really crowded, it’s also almost completely cageless (most animals are kept apart by cleverly designed moats). It’s a fantastic spot to take younger kids; there are wonderful play areas, safari cycles for rent, and the zoo offers several daily programs designed to educate and entertain, such as the “Wildlife Show” and “Animal Tales.” Residents include lions, chimpanzees, Komodo dragons, koalas, emus, and meerkats. The air-conditioned monorail and tram tours offer visitors a nice overview. The zoo is always upgrading its facilities, including the impressive aviary, Wings of Asia. Cool activities include the Samburu Giraffe Feeding Station, where for $3 you get to feed the giraffes veggies; the Kaziranga Camp Rhino Encounter, where you can feed an Indian rhino for $3; and Humpy’s Camel Rides, where you can hop on a camel for $5. Amazon & Beyond features jaguars, anacondas, giant river otters, harpy eagles, a stingray touch tank, an interactive water-play area, the Flooded Forest building with a unique display of a forest before and during flood times, and an indoor Cloud Forest that houses reptiles. At 27 acres and a cost of $50 million, this exhibit is massive and makes Zoo Miami the third zoo in the country to have giant river otters, one of its key species. “Wings Down Under: A Parrot Feeding Adventure” is a fun, interactive experience where for $3 you can enter an aviary with approximately 400 free-flying budgies, cockatiels, and rosellas (all Australian parrots) and have them fly down to your hands to feast on seeds from a cup. There’s a Dr. Seuss–inspired Wacky Barn in the children’s zoo where they get to hand-feed and touch barn animals such as sheep, mini-horses, ponies, goats, pot-bellied pigs, and more. Private tours and overnights are available for those who really want to commune with nature. Note: The distance between animal habitats can be great, so you’ll do a lot of walking. There are benches, shaded gazebos, cool misters, a water-shooting mushroom, and two water-play areas strategically positioned throughout the zoo so you can escape the heat; still, because it can get very hot during the summer months, get started in the early morning—also because you’ll need a good chunk of the day here if you want to see it all.


Coral Castle: 28655 S Dixie Hwy. (btw. SW 157th Ave. and SW 284th St.), Homestead, Miami, FL

  • Hours Sun–Thurs 8am–6pm; Fri–Sat 8am–8pm
  • Phone 305/248-6345
  • Prices Admission $15 adults

There’s plenty of competition, but this may be Florida’s strangest attraction. In 1923, the story goes, a 26-year-old Latvian crazed by being dumped at the altar by a 16-year-old (I hate when that happens), moved here, to what was then the boonies. He spent the next quarter century carving huge boulders into a Flintstones-like roofless “castle,” now on the National Register of Historic Places. It seems impossible that one rather scrawny little dude could have done all this, but there are scores of affidavits on display from neighbors swearing to it. Experts have apparently studied Ed Leedskalnin’s methods to help figure out how the great pyramids and Stonehenge were built. Rocker Billy Idol was said to have been inspired by this place when he wrote “Sweet 16.” An interesting 25-minute audio tour guides you through. Although overpriced and under-maintained, Coral Castle’s worth a visit if you’re in the area (likely en route to or from the Keys), about 37 miles from Miami.


ART DECO WELCOME CENTER: 1001 OCEAN DR. SOUTH BEACH

  • Hours: Daily 9:30–7
  • Phone: 305-672–2014
  • Prices: Tours $20
  • Website: www.mdpl.org

Run by the Miami Design Preservation League, the center provides information about the buildings in the district. An improved gift shop sells 1930s–50s art deco memorabilia, posters, and books on Miami's history. Several tours—covering Lincoln Road, Española Way, North Beach, and the entire Art Deco District, among others—start here. You can choose from a self-guided iPod audio tour or join one of the regular morning walking tours at 10:30 every day. On Thursday a second tour takes place at 6:30 pm. Arrive at the center 15 minutes beforehand and pre-purchase tickets online. All of the options provide detailed histories of the art deco hotels as well as an introduction to the art deco, Mediterranean revival, and Miami Modern (MiMo) styles found within the Miami Beach Architectural Historic District. Don't miss the special boat tours during Art Deco Weekend, in early January.


BILL BAGGS CAPE FLORIDA STATE PARK: 1200 S. Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne, Florida, 33149

Thanks to inviting beaches, sunsets, and a tranquil lighthouse, this park at Key Biscayne's southern tip is worth the drive. In fact, the 1-mile stretch of pure beachfront has been named several times in Dr. Beach's revered America's Top 10 Beaches list. It has 18 picnic pavilions available as daily rentals, two cafés that serve light lunches (Lighthouse Café, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and the Boater's Grill, on Biscayne Bay), and plenty of space to enjoy the umbrella and chair rentals. A stroll or ride along walking and bicycle paths provides wonderful views of Miami's dramatic skyline. From the southern end of the park you can see a handful of houses rising over the bay on wooden stilts, the remnants of Stiltsville, built in the 1940s and now protected by the Stiltsville Trust. The nonprofit group was established in 2003 to preserve the structures, because they showcase the park's rich history. Bill Baggs has bicycle rentals, a playground, fishing piers, and guided tours of


ESPAÑOLA WAY: Española Way, btwn 14th & 15th Sts. from Washington to Jefferson Aves., Miami Beach

There's a bohemian feel to this street lined with Mediterranean-revival buildings constructed in 1925. Al Capone's gambling syndicate ran its operations upstairs at what is now the Clay Hotel, a youth hostel. At a nightclub here in the 1930s, future bandleader Desi Arnaz strapped on a conga drum and started beating out a rumba rhythm. Visit this quaint avenue on a weekend afternoon, when merchants and craftspeople set up shop to sell everything from handcrafted bongo drums to fresh flowers. Between Washington and Drexel avenues the road has been narrowed to a single lane and Miami Beach's trademark pink sidewalks have been widened to accommodate sidewalk cafés and shops selling imaginative clothing, jewelry, and art.


FAIRCHILD TROPICAL BOTANIC GARDEN: 10901 Old Cutler Rd., Coral Gables, Florida

With 83 acres of lakes, sunken gardens, a 560-foot vine pergola, orchids, bellflowers, coral trees, bougainvillea, rare palms, and flowering trees, Fairchild is the largest tropical botanical garden in the continental United States. The tram tour highlights the best of South Florida's flora; then you can set off exploring on your own. A 2-acre rain-forest exhibit showcases tropical plants from around the world complete with a waterfall and stream. The conservatory, Windows to the Tropics, is home to rare tropical plants, including the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum), a fast-growing variety that attracted thousands of visitors when it bloomed in 1998. (It was only the sixth documented bloom in this country in the 20th century.) The Keys Coastal Habitat, created in a marsh and mangrove area in 1995 with assistance from the Tropical Audubon Society, provides food and shelter to resident and migratory birds. Check out the Montgomery Botanical Center, a research facility devoted


LINCOLN ROAD MALL: Lincoln Rd., between Washington Ave. and Alton Rd., Miami Beach

This open-air pedestrian mall flaunts some of Miami's best people-watching. The eclectic interiors of myriad fabulous restaurants, colorful boutiques, art galleries, lounges, and cafés are often upstaged by the bustling outdoor scene. It's here among the prolific alfresco dining enclaves that you can pass the hours easily beholding the beautiful people. Indeed, outdoor restaurant and café seating take center stage along this wide pedestrian road adorned with towering date palms, linear pools, and colorful broken-tile mosaics. Some of the shops on Lincoln Road are owner-operated boutiques carrying a smart variety of clothing, furnishings, jewelry, and decorative elements. You'll also find typical upscale chain stores—H & M, American Eagle Outfitters, Forever 21, and so on. Lincoln Road is fun, lively, and friendly for people–old, young, gay, and straight—and their dogs.

Two landmarks worth checking out at the eastern end of Lincoln Road are the massive 1940s keystone building at 420 Lincoln Road, which has a 1945 Leo Birchanky mural in the lobby, and the 1921 Mission-style Miami Beach Community Church, at Drexel Avenue. The Lincoln Theatre (No. 541–545), at Pennsylvania Avenue, is a classical four-story art deco gem with friezes, which now houses H &M. At Euclid Avenue there's a monument to Morris Lapidus, the brains behind Lincoln Road Mall, who in his 90s watched the renaissance of his whimsical South Beach creation. At Lenox Avenue, a black-and-white art deco movie house with a Mediterranean barrel-tile roof is now the Colony Theater (1040 Lincoln Rd.), where live theater and experimental films are presented.


SOUTH BEACH: Ocean Dr., from 5th to 15th Sts., then Collins Ave. to 25th St., Miami Beach

A 10-block stretch of white sandy beach hugging the turquoise waters along Ocean Drive—from 5th to 15th streets—is one of the most popular in America, known for drawing unabashedly modelesque sunbathers and posers. With the influx of new luxe hotels and hotspots from 1st to 5th and 16th to 25th streets, the South Beach stand-and-pose scene is now bigger than ever and stretches yet another dozen plus blocks. The beaches crowd quickly on the weekends with a blend of European tourists, young hipsters, and sun-drenched locals offering Latin flavor. Separating the sand from the traffic of Ocean Drive is palm-fringed Lummus Park, with its volleyball nets and chickee huts (huts made of palmetto thatch over a cypress frame) for shade. The beach at 12th Street is popular with gays, in a section often marked with rainbow flags. Locals hang out on 3rd Street beach, in an area called SoFi (South of Fifth) where they watch fit Brazilians play foot volley, a variation of volleyball


Schnebly Redland's Winery: 30205 SW 217th Ave, Homestead, FL 33030

  • Hours: Monday-Thursday 10:00am – 5:00pm, Fridays & Saturday 10:00am-11:00pm, Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm
  • Phone: (305) 242-1224

Although it's hardly Napa Valley, Miami does have an actual winery: Schnebly Redland's Winery, 30205 SW 217th Ave., Homestead (tel. 888/717-WINE [9463]; www.schneblywinery.com), which recently debuted its $1.5-million tasting room in which you can sample from various vintages. I've tried some and while they're too fruity for my taste, it's still worth a trip down just to see the press deck where fruit becomes juice and eventually wine. There's live music and extended hours on Saturday and Sunday, and if you like what you taste, you can buy any four bottles of wine for $65. Open 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm Saturday, and noon to 7pm Sunday.

"The owners Peter and Denisse Schnebly have been living and working in South Florida for over 25 years. They are dedicated to improving South Florida and especially the Redland's area. Peter and Denisse Schnebly set a goal for themselves of starting an agro-tourism business based from their farms in the Redlands of South Florida. Their vision was to provide tours to visitors of their 96 acres of exotic tropical fruits and gourmet vegetables that they grow and market fresh through their produce company Fresh King, Inc.

In the spring of 2003 the couple invited Peter’s friend, Bill Wagner the owner of Wagner Winery (Lodi, New York) for a visit. Wagner Winery was the second small farm winery founded in 1977 when New York State changed the laws permitting wineries with production of up to 250,000 gallons of wine. During the visit Wagner inspired the Schnebly’s to start a winery with wine made from exotic fruit. This provided the answer to their longing for agro-tourism.

In the fall of 2003, the Schnebly’s began experimenting with the fruits, making wine out of their garage in the evenings. Friendship played a strong force once again when Doug Knapp, a friend for more than 2 decades and the former owner of Knapp Winery (Finger Lakes of New York) provided guidance in the process of making wine from tropical fruits.

Sustainable farming became a top priority as Schnebly wines are made from only the finest fruit. Each mango, lychee, guava, passion fruit and Carambola is personally picked for fermentation.

Thus a winery was born.

Weekend Tours are $7 per person and takes about 30 - 40 min. Your tour guide will take you through our beautiful estate, share the history on the family, and take you through the whole wine making process. Your tour guide will show you each of the steps needed to handcraft our unique Schnebly Wines. Tour hours Saturday and Sunday every hour from 12pm to 4pm.

The Ultimate tasting is $11.95 per person you get a choice of five unique wines. This glass is specifically designed to enhance the flavors and aromas of the wine you are drinking. Also, you keep the etched Schnebly wine glass, which you can bring back and get the tasting for only $6.

The Special tasting is $11.95 per person. You get your choice of five different specialty wines - dessert and sparkling. You get to keep the Schnebly's glass so anytime you return, with the glass, the tasting is only $6.

Signature Pint Glass $14 - Satisfy your curiosity and elevate your tasting experience using our Signature Pint Glass. A clear beer glass is essential to checking the appearance of beer when tasting, Enjoy every ingredient of our craft beers when tasting and evaluating from our Signature Glass. You get a Beer Sampler followed by your choice of any craft beers with a purchase of the Signature Pint Glass.

32oz To-Go Growlers $14 - To-Go Growlers allow you to enjoy fresh beer, straight from the tap, at home with friends and family. Growlers are completely reusable. Once opened, you have 2-3 days to drink up. Refills $8


A Berry Good Time

South Florida's farming region has been steadily shrinking in the face of industrial expansion, but you'll still find several spots where you can get back to nature while indulging in a local gastronomic delight -- picking your own produce at the "U-Pic-'Em" farms that dot South Dade's landscape. Depending on what's in season, you can get everything from fresh herbs and vegetables to a mélange of citrus fruits and berries. During berry season -- January through April -- it's not uncommon to see hardy pickers leaving the groves with hands and faces that are stained a tale-telling crimson and garnished with happy smiles. On your way through South Dade, keep an eye out for the bright red U-PIC signs.

There are also a number of fantastic fruit stands in the region. Burr's Berry Farms, 12741 SW 216th St. (tel. 305/251-0145), located in the township of Goulds, about an hour from downtown Miami, has created a sensation with its fabulous strawberry milkshakes. To get there, go south on U.S. 1 and turn right on SW 216th St. The fruit stand is about 1 mile west. It's open daily from 9am to 5:30pm.

For fresh fruit in a tasty pastry or tart, head over to Knaus Berry Farm, at 15980 SW 248th St. (tel. 305/247-0668), in an area known as the Redlands. Some people erroneously call this farm an Amish farm, but in actuality, it's run by a sect of German Baptists. The stand offers items ranging from fresh flowers to homemade ice cream, but be sure to indulge in one of their famous homemade cinnamon buns. Be prepared to wait in a long line to stock up -- people flock here from as far away as Palm Beach. Head south on U.S. 1 and turn right on 248th St. The stand is 2 1/2 miles farther on the left side. Open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 5:30pm.


ALWAYS FREE http://www.miamiandbeaches.com/things-to-do/free-things-to-do/free-museum-days

The MDC Museum & Galleries of Art + Design

Located in the heart of Downtown Miami, on Miami Dade College's downtown campus you’ll find The MDC Museum & Galleries of Art + Design. With more than 15,000 square-feet of space, this museum is one of the largest and most diverse institutions in the country dedicated to the visual arts. Visitors will find an impressive collection of work by emerging artists, as well as major figures in modern, post-modern and contemporary art. Concerts, lectures, and events are free and open to the public.


The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum

Located on the University Park campus of Florida International University, the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum was design by architect Yann Weymouth, and is considered a masterpiece of contemporary architecture. This state-of-the-art building uses its natural light to showcase paintings. Visitors can stroll through the museum’s various galleries and view innovative exhibitions ranging from regionally unique to nationally recognized programs. Outstanding lectures are also on offer.


Bay of Pigs Museum

For the history buff, Bay of Pigs Museum offers a small collection of memorabilia relaying the history of Brigade 2506's failed 1961 invasion of Cuba. One notable exhibit is a Brigade 2506 flag held up by President John F. Kennedy during a speech he made at the Orange Bowl in 1962.


Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum. Admission is always free.


Institute of Contemporary Art. Admission is always free. Guided tours at 2 pm. FREE private guided tours for groups of 5 or more with advance notice of two weeks.


FREE ON SELECT DAYS

Bass Museum of Art

Free Day: The last Sunday of each month, 12 – 5 p.m.

IDEA@thebass is free for children and adults the last Sunday of each month, 2 to 4 p.m.

In the heart of the historic Art Deco District, Bass Museum of Art offers an expansive view at distinguished art. From its permanent collection (European Old Masters, 18th-century English portraits, sculptures, Chinese woodblock prints, and more), to hosting world-class travelling exhibitions, lectures, workshops and a wonderful gift shop, it offers something for everyone. IDEA@thebass activities include art projects, scavenger hunts and prizes. Admission is always free for children under 6 years of age.


Gold Coast Railroad Museum

Free Day: The first Saturday of each month except in March when the museum hosts the popular Day out with Thomas.

A must-see museum for any train enthusiast, you’ll find plenty of trains to explore at the Gold Coast Railroad Museum. This model train exhibit includes various scales, and for the younger kids, numerous Thomas the Tank Engine tables for interactive play. You’ll find rare collection pieces including “Ferdinand Magellan,” the private railroad car built for President Franklin Roosevelt, and the Florida East Coast Railway locomotive #153. This unique museum is always free for children under two.


HistoryMiami (formerly the Historical Museum of Southern Florida)

Free Day: The second Saturday of each month.

A cultural institution, and Smithsonian Institute Affiliate Program, this museum is committed to gathering, preserving and celebrating Miami’s unique history. Family Fun Days, which are the second Saturday of each month, offer all children and adults the opportunity to learn and experience something new and fun. Children under the age of six are always free, as are veterans between Memorial Day and Labor Day.


Jewish Museum of Florida

Free Day: Every Saturday.

The Jewish Museum of Florida is housed lovingly in two restored buildings that once served as synagogues for Miami Beach’s first congregation. Located on South Beach’s "South of Fifth" neighborhood, the museum features 80 stained glass windows, Deco chandeliers and a Moorish copper dome. Temporary exhibits change throughout the year in both buildings, but the main exhibit, MOSAIC: Jewish life in Florida, 1763 to present, is a staple of the museum. Children under the age of six are always free.


Lowe Art Museum

Free Day: Donation Day, the first Tuesday of each month. A free gallery tour takes place at 1 p.m.

Located in Coral Gables on the beautiful University of Miami campus, this is considered Miami’s oldest art museum. Featuring a variety of permanent works of art as well as temporary exhibits, it is the only area museum with a notable collection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman antiquities. This museum is always free for children under 12 years old.


Miami Children’s Museum

Free Day: Free the third Friday of each month from 3 - 9 p.m.

Visitors of all ages will love the interactive and bilingual activities and crafts throughout the museum. Engaging exhibits encourage learning through play. On the first floor, kids have the opportunity to explore a bank, supermarket, health and wellness center, veterinary clinic, and television studio – all sized for them. Upstairs, children of all ages can make art and music, board a life size cruise ship, climb through a two-story sandcastle, and so much more. The museum is always free for infants under one year old.


Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA)

Known for seeking a fresh and sometimes provocative approach in examining art, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is internationally recognized and respected for its ability to define new trends and directions in contemporary art. MOCA presents up to ten exhibitions each year offering an exciting and ever-changing blend of both emerging and established artists. MOCA is always free for children under the age of 12, North Miami residents, city employees and veterans.


Perez Art Museum Miami

(Formerly Miami Art Museum) Free admission the second Saturday of the month with activities for families from 1-4 p.m., including family-friendly tours and chances for children to create art. The museum also is free to visitors the first Thursday of every month, and there will be talks, performances and movie screenings on Thursday nights, when the museum is open until 9 p.m.


Wolfsonian-FIU Art Museum

Free Day: Every Friday after 6:00 p.m.

This internationally known art museum is located in a 1926 Mediterranean revival-style warehouse in the heart of Miami’s historic art district. Visitors with a love for art won’t be disappointed by the magnificent exhibits, paintings, ceramics, posters, books, furniture, and architectural creations from the modern era. Be sure to visit the museum gift shop and café located on the grounds. Peruse the selection of unconventional gifts, books and films inspired by the museum's collection. Children under the age of six are always free.


Bank of America Museum on Us

On the first weekend of every month, anyone with a Bank of America credit or debit card can get free admission to


Library Museum Pass Program

The Miami-Dade Public Library System offers a chance to visit some of our best local museums and attractions for free. Visit your nearest branch library and get a museum pass with your library card. The Museum Pass offers visitors free admission for a family of four to the Coral Gables Museum, Deering Estate at Cutler, FIU Frost Art Museum, Fruit & Spice Park, HistoryMiami, Jewish Museum of Florida–FIU, Lowe Art Museum–UM, Miami Children’s Museum, Pérez Art Museum Miami, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, and The Wolfsonian–FIU.


Culture Shock Miami

Students 13 to 22 can buy two museum entry tickets for $5 (available museums vary), and a person of any age can use the second ticket.


https://www.smartdestinations.com/miami-attractions-and-tours

If you’re visiting multiple museums and attractions, you can often save money with a Go Miami Card or Explorer Pass.


Shopping

Miami provides an eclectic shopping experience, from designer boutiques at Bal Harbour or mainstream chains at Bayside Marketplace. Miami likes its megamalls, and one of the best is Aventura Mall, which houses a fabulous collection of shops and department stores. Look for new art and furniture in the Design District, or take home a little bit of Cuba with a hand-stitched guayabera shirt from Little Havana. Pick up incense and Indian imports from Española Way's Mediterranean storefronts, which close to traffic on Sunday afternoons.


Nightlife and Entertainment

Nightclubs change quicker than stoplights in trendy South Beach, where beautiful people groove to thumping beats in velvet-roped hotspots until dawn. Follow Latin grooves to tiny Española Way and toast with creative cocktails on Lincoln Road. Sip martinis in the swanky bars and lounges in the Design District, or watch live, jazz, flamenco, and national bands at the Carnival Performing Arts Centre. On Sunday, join the locals at Alabama Jack's for cheap beer and crispy conch fritters.


Restaurants and Dining

Traditional Cuban meets spicy Caribbean and an ocean of seafood to create Floribbean cuisine, which permeates many Miami restaurants. Eat deliciously sloppy tacos at 24-hour joints, plus Thai, Japanese, and five-star sensations in South Beach and along Lincoln Road. Try Cuban along Calle Ocho, Haitian in Overtown, and casual comfort food at the Grove. Dine at an open-air café in Coral Gables, while enjoying stone crab claws and a mojito, the city's signature drink.


Best Dining Bets

  • Best for Celebrating a Big Deal: Prime One Twelve on Miami Beach (tel. 305/532-8112) is where everyone from Gorbachev and Clinton to Madonna and Beyoncé come to satisfy their carnivorous sides with fare such as $25 Kobe beef hot dogs, dried sticks of bacon at the bar in lieu of peanuts, and, if you must cheat, the best truffle-infused macaroni and cheese you'll ever eat.
  • Best Romantic Restaurant: Casa Tua, in South Beach (tel. 305/673-1010), offers exquisite Italian cuisine in a Mediterranean villa that's hidden from the street with lush landscaping and an iron gate, resplendent outdoor garden, cozy Hamptons-esque dining room, communal kitchen, and intimate upstairs lounge and patio.
  • Best Waterfront Dining: It's a tossup between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, but whichever you prefer, there are two restaurants that provide front-row seats to both. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel's global fusion restaurant, Azul (tel. 305/913-8538), faces the Miami skyline and beautiful, tranquil Biscayne Bay, while Garcia's (tel. 305/375-0765) faces the scenic Miami River. Tough decisions, but both are winners.
  • Best Restaurant Not Worth the Wait for a Table: The legendary South Florida institution known as Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant, in Miami Beach (tel. 305/673-0365), refuses to take reservations, but that doesn't stop people from clawing their way into the restaurant for a table -- despite a wait that's often in excess of 3 hours. Thing is, if only they knew about Joe's Take Away, directly next door, the only thing they'd be waiting for is seconds.
  • Best Cuban Restaurant: There's always a debate on who has the best, most authentic Cuban cuisine, but for those of you who have never been to Havana, Miami's Versailles, in Little Havana (tel. 305/444-0240), is the quintessential Cuban diner, featuring enormous portions at paltry prices. For an even more frenetic, freshly squeezed Cuban dining experience, check out El Palacio de los Jugos (tel. 305/221-1615).
  • Best Old School Steakhouse: Miami's Capital Grille (tel. 305/374-4500) may be part of a chain, but its dry-aged steaks are still a cut above the rest.
  • In addition to Prime One Twelve , which is quickly on its way to becoming an old-school South Beach steakhouse at last, BLT Steak on South Beach (tel. 305/673-0044) is another top carnivorous choice.
  • Sexiest Restaurant: Hakkasan, at the Fontainebleau on Miami Beach (tel. 305/573-3355), brings an exotic, authentic Asian vibe to a place where even Italian restaurants serve sushi. The custom silk light fixtures from Paris separated by screens of dark walnut, elaborate latticework, and hand-carved decorative teak panels illuminated by washes of dimmed lighting give way to a very exotic, erotic Kama Sutra vibe.
  • Best Sunday Brunch: Michael's Genuine Food & Drink (Design District; tel. 305/573-5550) could win every one of our "best of" categories thanks to its locally sourced, organic seasonal cuisine, out-of-control desserts, buzzy bar scene and colorful crowd of foodies, hipsters, celebrities and assorted culinary dignitaries, but this brunch is truly in a category of its own. In a few words: kimchi Benedict and strawberry and yuzu Pop-Tarts.
  • Best View: Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish, in Miami (tel. 305/375-0765), is all about gritty-chic, located on the Miami River, where tugboats and cargo ships slink by as you indulge in fresh fish under the glow of the brilliant downtown skyline hovering above. On South Beach, Smith & Wollensky (tel. 305/673-2800) has views of Fisher Island, Government Cut, and the occasionally passing cruise ship. Le Tub (tel. 954/931-9425) may not be considered fine dining, but when you sink your teeth into one of their incredible burgers while overlooking the Intracoastal, nothing could be finer.
  • Best People-Watching: The News Cafe, in South Beach (tel. 305/538-6397), practically invented the sport of people-watching, encouraging its customers to sit at an outdoor table all day if they want, lingering over the passing parades of people while sipping a cappuccino. Lincoln Road's Euro-fabulous Segafredo Espresso cafe (tel. 305/673-0047), provides a front-row seat to the hordes of people who parade along the pedestrian mall.
  • Best Comfort Food: Big Pink, in Miami Beach (tel. 305/532-4700), serves kitsch in large doses, featuring TV dinners served in compartmentalized trays. It's fun and funky, and the food's pretty good, too. For Cuban comfort fare for those whose grandmothers do not hail from Cuba: Versailles (tel. 305/444-0240) in Little Havana. For upscale comfort food including some of the best fried chicken and braised short ribs, well, ever, Michelle Bernstein's Biscayne Boulevard standout Michy's (tel. 305/759-2001) is the place to eat and be seen.
  • Best Tapas: Star chef Michelle Bernstein of Michy's fame pays homage to her Latin roots at Sra. Martinez (tel. 305/573-5474), an upscale tapas restaurant housed in an historic post office. This isn't just meat and cheese either. Among the standouts: a sea urchin sandwich pressed and grilled with some soy-ginger butter. Ole!
  • Best Italian Food: Miami Beach's Macaluso's (tel. 305/604-1811) would make Tony Soprano very proud of his Italian heritage, thanks to Chef Michael's expertly prepared Staten Island-meets-SoHo cuisine. Also stellar on South Beach, Sardinia (tel. 305/531-2228), where the wood-burning oven churns out some fabulous and creative fare hailing from its Italian namesake. For Little Italy in Coral Gables, Randazzo's (tel. 305/448-7002) is a knockout.
  • Best Seafood: In Miami, The River Seafood and Oyster Bar (Downtown Miami; tel. 305/530-1915), Area 31 (Miami; tel. 305/424-5234), and Garcia's Seafood Grille & Fish (Downtown Miami; tel. 305/375-0765), are three of your best catches.