Miami is among the premier vacation destinations in South Florida. It features a lot of beaches, great weather, history, entertainment, sports, and culture. It has also been popularized by the classic television series Miami Vice. Downtown Miami is a modern metropolis and cultural gem. Visiting Miami is more than just visiting one city. It’s because it will give you a chance to explore unique neighborhoods with distinct styles and architecture. In addition to that, you can also visit many museums, parks, beaches, and more.
From clubs to cafes to beaches, planning a solid schedule for a trip to Miami is effortless. If you are looking into visiting Miami soon and wondering what places you can go to, you’re in the right place. Read on as we are giving you a list of the must-see places in Miami.
1. Miami Beach
Your visit to Miami will not be complete if you do not go to Miami Beach. It is located on a barrier island and connected to the mainland via bridges. The beach is composed of quiet neighborhoods, long stretches of soft-sand beaches, and lots of entertainment-focused spots. Among the main highlights for visitors are South Beach and the Art Deco Historic District, which features pastel buildings from the 1930s and early 1940s, showcasing classic neon signs. This place offers lots of beachfront restaurants, hotels, shops, and many sunbathing opportunities.
2. Art Deco Historic District
If you are not a beach-type of person, then you can simply visit the Art Deco Historic District, which is worth a trip out to Miami Beach. This place features uniquely designed buildings in different pastel colors and displays large neon signs. Most of them were built after an upsetting hurricane that happened in 1926. A lot of these buildings are hotels and restaurants that have been restored beautifully. Therefore, you also have the option to stay in one of these historic gems.
3. Bayside Marketplace
Another good place to visit in Miami is the Bayside Marketplace. It is a big outdoor-style mall that has over 150 specialty and tourist shops, restaurants, cafes, and as well as live entertainment. You can find here some popular chain stores and unique places as well. The mall is located along Miami’s waterfront, which looks out over the boats and docks. Many people visit the place to simply soak up the atmosphere. You can also find tour boats here that you can ride to visit places around Biscayne Bay.
4. Zoo Miami
If you are an animal lover, then visiting Zoo Miami is perfect for you. It houses over 3,000 wild animals, including some endangered species. The difference between Zoo Miami to most traditional zoos is that the animals here are grouped with other species, letting them co-exist peacefully in the wild. They are kept in settings that are similar to their natural habitats.
When you visit this zoo, you will have the chance to feed the giraffes. In addition to animals, this zoo also has over 1,000 species of trees and plants, including a huge collection of orchids. There are also lots of entertainment options for kids here, such as a water-themed play area.
5. Coral Castle
The Coral Castle is one of the interesting places that you can go to in Miami. It is a world of one man’s 28 years of carving using homemade tools. It is an awesome creation, made of limestone, and was built between 1923 and 1951 by Edward Leedskalnin. The way he built was kept private as he did not allow anyone to watch him work. This left many people wondering how he did it.
At the present time, you can visit the Coral Castle and see the most famous structure, which is a giant stone gate that opens with a touch of a finger. There are also carvings here that include chairs, tables, unique figures, and more.
6. Key Biscayne and Crandon Park
Key Biscayne is located South, beyond Miami Beach and over the Rickenbacker Causeway. It is a small community that features lovely beaches and wonderful parks. One of the most beautiful parks in the area is Crandon Park. It has an offshore reef that leaves the shoreline safe from big waves, making it great for swimming. In addition to that, it also has a Family Amusement Center and a Nature Center, which makes it popular with families. The place offers enough parking space, good facilities, lifeguards on duty, and as well as chair rentals.
7. Little Havana
You can also experience Cuban cuisine, music, culture, and heritage in Miami when you visit Little Havana. The highlight of this place is the main drag through the district, which is called 8th Street or Calle Ocho. In this place, you will exclusively hear Spanish being spoken. There are also surrounding ships on either side of the street that offers Cuban favorites. You will also see here the Tower Theater, which is an Art Deco structure that shows movies subtitled in Spanish. You can also try some Cuban-inspired sweet treats at Azucar Ice Cream Company.
8. Villa Vizcaya
Villa Vizcaya is also known as the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Visiting this place is like visiting Europe. Even though it sits right on the shores of Biscayne Bay, the main home was built back in the 1920s in the Italian Renaissance style. Before, the main building was a private estate. At the present time, it is a museum that you can visit, which features over 70 rooms of European antiques and art. In addition to that, it also features lavish gardens that have beautiful flower beds, shrubs, and trees that give shade to that area. This place is also popular for special events like weddings.
9. Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science
This museum is located north of Downtown Miami. The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum was founded in 1949, and it inhabits a state-of-the-art site in Museum Park beside Biscayne Bay. This is a fun and family-friendly place to visit in Miami. It features extensive exhibits, from insects and dinosaurs to science and technology. It also has an interactive museum that features a giant aquarium and a planetarium with 3D films that will take you and your whole family to the outer edges of the cosmos.
10. Ocean Drive
Through Southern Florida, there is a popular road known as the A1A. When it passes through Miami, it is called Ocean Drive. The road turns into Collins Avenue as you head toward Miami Beach. In this place, you can see thousands of people in their best swimsuits. There are also lots of nightlife options in this place, as well as access to white-sand beaches. The place is lined with trees, allowing people to stroll back and forth, do some sightseeing, and take advantage of the shade on a hot Miami day.
These are some of the must-see places in Miami. It is indeed one of the top tourist destinations out there that you can visit, especially if you are a fan of the Miami Vice television show. We hope this list will help you in planning the places you will visit in Miami soon.
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