Miami Holidays

Where is Miami
Miami is in the state of Florida and consists of the City of Miami and the iconic ‘coastal city within a city’ of Miami Beach. It sits between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean part of the Atlantic Ocean, with the Florida Everglades to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east. Biscayne Bay separates Miami City from Miami Beach.

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What to do in Miami
Between Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue you’re treated to plenty of Art Deco and Miami Modern designs from the likes of Henry Hohauser and L. Murray Dixon. A 20-minute taxi ride over the McArthur Causeway takes you into the core of Miami to the Design District’s hip art galleries, street art installations and high-end shops. Mix a trip to Prada and Fendi with viewings in the Institute of Contemporary Art and shop like a billionaire art collector in the magnificently curated de la Cruz Collection. Whilst over this side, an architectural detour to the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens on Biscayne Bay leads you to an extraordinary Mediterranean estate with 10 acres of grand European-style gardens, fountains and terraces.

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Miami Beach
Back at Miami Beach you’re going to spend most of your time on South Beach for oversized cocktails, upscale restaurants and rooftop bars, with the best things happening between 5th and 15th Streets. White-sand beaches are standard here, and SoBe runs parallel to Ocean Drive. Other worthy beach contenders include Key Biscayne for Cape Florida Lighthouse, family-friendly shallow waters and watersports; Mid Beach for the stylish pool clubs and its elevated boardwalk; and the northern tip of Bal Harbour Beach for uncrowded white sands and a spot of shopping at Chanel before it’s back to stand-up paddleboarding.

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Getting around
If you want to travel the length of the coastline or head across to the city and Downtown Miami, then you’ll be relying on taxis, buses or a rental car. Getting around South Beach itself is easy with Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road and Washington Avenue all walkable, or you can use the South Beach Local bus service, which runs throughout the day. Taxis are the best method of transport for bar and restaurant hopping. The Miami Hop On/Hop Off takes you all over Miami, from the beach to Downtown and Coral Gables to the Design District. You’ll find the Trolley electric bus in neighbourhoods including Coconut Grove, Wynwood and Little Havana. The Metrorail and Metrobus have good value seven days passes if you plan on using public transport a lot during your stay. If you fancy a more unique method of transport, water taxis will take you along Biscayne Bay and Downtown.

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Shopping
There’s the flashy new Brickell City Centre plaza and the mega shopping malls of Aventura and Dadeland for high-street, luxury brands and tech gifts all in one spot, but we also recommend the Design District and the Biscayne corridor for alfresco shopping with a mix of luxury brands including Cartier, Hermes and Louis Vuitton and an eclectic choice of art galleries, cafes and independent designer boutiques. Bal Harbour Shops on Collins Avenue is equivalent to Rodeo Drive – a high-end outdoor mall with the big department stores of Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue too. In the heart of South Beach, Lincoln Road’s pedestrianised stretch is where everyone flocks for both mainstream and up market shops. Expect to pick up everything from cute swimwear to glam sunglasses and cool cover-ups to floaty sundresses.

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Food & drink
Gourmet coffee shops, high-end candy stores, small-batch roasts, artisanal bakeries, seafood feasts and epicurean classics… experience it all in Miami. Sunset Harbour is where local South Beach residents hang out for post-SoulCycle cocktails, tapas and wood-fired pizzas, and you’ll find an enticing blend of Nuevo Latino cuisine and American classics pretty much every where you go. With plenty of acclaimed chef’s restaurants as well as legendary local favourite Joe’s Stone Crab, Miami certainly isn’t short on gourmet treats. The rooftop bars on Lincoln Road and West Avenue are a glitzy choice for craft cocktails and sunset views, but head to the Design District when you just can’t decide – ice-cream and crepes; casual pizzerias or seriously stylish restaurants from well known faces such as the Estefan’s and Joel Robuchon.

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