Miami! What to see in Miami? The most Hispanic city in the US

Welcome to Miami, Bienvenidos a Miami! Who just hummed a well-known Will Smith song under his breath? That’s attention now, she is already 24 years old! But we are not here to reproach anyone’s age, only to screw you with the sunny, partying and multicultural atmosphere of this city. Well, let’s buckle up and hit the road.

Today we will show you the second most populous city in Florida. A multicultural city, full of street art, sandy beaches, a business center, and one of the cleanest cities in the US. We are, of course, talking about Miami, sometimes referred to (quite rightly) as the capital of the Americas: North and South. In this post you will read what to see in Miami, as well as a handful of practical information.

We left Miami to ourselves at the end of our trip to Florida. It was here that we landed a plane flying from Warsaw and quickly rented a car and fled north. The sooner the better. And cheaper. Inexpensive is the key word, because we didn’t know that the Super Bowl finale, the biggest sports event of the year in the US, was taking place when we landed in Miami. As you might guess, hotel prices at the time were nightmarishly high, so we looked for cheaper accommodations by driving toward Orlando and not looking back.

After a week and a half, we returned to the area. When the sports excitement subsided (so did the prices) we were able to find slightly cheaper lodging, where we stayed for our last nights in Florida. After seeing several other cities in Florida, we were strongly surprised by Miami: here we felt at times like we were in the Caribbean or South America. We heard Spanish or Portuguese more often than English, and even had trouble communicating in English at times because the attendants only spoke Spanish. Not surprisingly, today more than 70% of the population is of Hispanic origin, and more than 66% speak Spanish at home ^[source].

What to see in and around Miami?

Sunny Miami is not only beaches and crystal clear water. When planning a stay here, it’s worth remembering that in addition to beachcombing, it’s worth exploring the different facets of the city – those of entertainment, multiculturalism and art. We were in Miami with children, so there was no shortage of attractions for the little ones in our plan as well, and we left the discovery of nightlife for the indefinite future ;)

Here are some ideas of what to see in and around Miami.

1. Wynwood – a colorful Miami neighborhood

To begin with the place, or more precisely, the neighborhood, which completely enchanted us. Wynwood is world-famous for its street art, or street art, which will be encountered here at every turn and in a very unobvious form (and format, too).

Formerly a neighborhood populated mainly by immigrants from Puerto Rico, the neighborhood was dominated by failing warehouses. Their potential was recognized by Tony Goldman, who decided to create the largest outdoor street art gallery here. And so the artistic face of Wynwood blossomed, with a collection of large murals on six buildings dubbed Wynwood Walls in 2009, the first culmination of Goldman’s efforts in the neighborhood.

But the artists were not limited to Wynwood Walls. Almost the entire district is one big street art gallery that is still alive. It is likely that some of the murals and graffiti we saw are no longer there and are being replaced by new ones.

In this creative urban space you will find not only large-format works from which it is hard to take your eyes off, but also paintings on doors, walls, windows, gates, garages, benches. sidewalks. We won’t recommend any specific route to you, but we encourage you to walk around and discover them on your own. To begin with, you can head to Wynwood Walls and from there start slowly weaving through the streets, looking into backyards, back rooms…. It will be a walk full of surprises, an explosion of colors, creativity and delight.

Also worth noting are art galleries (in buildings), atmospheric pubs and bars.

And although we had read that Wynwood is quite a dangerous neighborhood (the crime rate is twice that of Miami as a whole, and the risk of being a victim of crime is 1 in 11 ^{[source and source]}, we felt completely safe being here during the day. Nevertheless, you can sort of feel the gangster vibe of the neighborhood ;)

Wynwood and Wynwood Walls prices

We toured all of Wynwood for free.

Wynwood Walls – we didn’t get to see the whole thing, as part of it was off-limits to visitors (a closed event was in progress). When we were here in 2020 the tour was free, but we know that nowadays admission to Wynwood Walls is charged ($10 per adult). But honestly, even if you miss this place you will find many other equally interesting murals in the urban space.

Parking in Wynwood

The most distinctive is the ornate (and how!) parking lot of The Wynwood Garage (311 NW 26th St). The price per hour is $3. This is where you have the best chance of finding parking spaces.

We parked at the city’s small parking lot (also paid) – 301 NW 25th St.

Address

Wynwood Walls (main entrance)
266 NW 26th St
Miami, FL 33127

2. little Havana – a piece of Cuba in the USA

But what do you mean, Cuba in Miami? There is a part of Miami where we can feel the Caribbean, Cuban atmosphere, and it is called Little Havana. Clustered around Calle Ocho, the buildings are filled with all kinds of Cuban goods (only the prices remain American :) ), restaurants and cafes. Here we can both drink Cuban coffee, taste rum, or smoke a Cuban cigar.

There is even a square where old men squat playing dominoes. Unfortunately, we are heavily surrounded by onlookers/tourists and by now we are wondering if this is done for the public or if they are just used to it already.

Why such a neighborhood in Miami, anyway? Of course, this is largely due to its proximity to Florida and Cuba, so at the time when Fidel Castro took over, many people fled precisely to Miami, settling and creating small communities (this occurred in the 1960s, and that’s when the name Little Havana emerged).

Little Havana is home to the Avenue of Stars and a monument commemorating the famous Bay of Pigs Invasion.

And although we felt that it was largely a tourist district, for the unique atmosphere it is worth a visit. We were charmed by the decorations, mosaics, murals, the walk was accompanied by Cuban rhythms, and it was quite noisy and colorful all around.

It is worth mentioning that Miami also has a Little Haiti neighborhood, where Haitian immigrants have settled.

Prices in Little Havana

It is an urban space that is visited for free.

Parking in Little Havana

There are several municipal parking lots in Little Havana, we stayed at the back of Domino Park and McDonald’s – parking is paid, but only in the evenings.

Address: 801 SW 15th Ave

Address

Little Havana Visitor Center
1600 SW 8th St
Miami, FL 33135

3. art deco buildings (at South Beach)

Miami, is not only beaches. Walking down Ocean Dr, at South Beach, it is worth looking up at the facades of the buildings. The facilities here (largely hotels) are a real treat for fans of architecture and the backdrop for many films and music videos (such as the Will Smith song video cited at the very beginning).

Interesting shapes, tropical patterns (Tropical Deco), colors, symmetries – each of the buildings here stands out with something and is unique (there are more than 800 registered buildings on the National List of Historic Buildings ^[source]). The famous The Art Deco Historic District is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Miami.

The buildings were constructed in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. After the war, they began to decline, and the entire district began to gain a bad reputation. And then along came Barbara Baer Capitman, who founded an organization with the goal of preserving historic buildings. It is thanks to her that we can see the well-kept, renovated buildings that have already become a permanent part of Miami’s landscape.

Many of them are now hotels, and downstairs there are bars, restaurants, cafes and upscale stores. This is where Miami’s nightlife thrives, but even if drinks aren’t on your mind, the local venues are just as interesting in the evening.

Where exactly are these historic buildings located? Mainly on Ocean Drive, and of particular note are: Cardoso Hotel, Cavalier South Beach Hotel, Crescent Resort or Colony Hotel. Of course, we also encourage you to turn to the side streets in search of interesting details.

Prices

Touring from the outside – free.

Parking at South Beach

It is best to leave the car in one of the storied garages. Parking on the street or in garages costs about $2-4 per hour.

Address: 1301 Collins Ave or 121-199 13th St, Miami Beach

Address

1144 Ocean Dr,
Miami Beach, FL 33139

4. beaches in Miami

We started with a well-known song by Will Smith, then maybe it’s time for Sunshine Patrol? Admittedly, the action took place in California, but for us as children (or rather, already teenagers) it did not matter on which coast of America it was ;) In any case, to this day in the memory are those beautiful beaches and the famous lifeguard booths – the same can be seen here in Miami, for example, on the most famous, already mentioned above, South Beach – wide with clean, fine sand.

Although we read before arriving that South Beach was terribly crowded, nothing of the sort happened. The fact that we were there in the afternoon, but we had absolutely no problem to spread out comfortably and enjoy both the beach and swimming in the water. Maybe it’s worse before noon ;)

And while there are nicer beaches in Florida (e.g., the super beach in Sarasota), this one has its own vibe – probably mainly due to being simply a “fancy” place and an entertaining neighborhood (yes, there are the aforementioned art deco buildings here).

Being here until sunset, we could observe that the area was bustling all the time. When it was completely dark, the playground was still full of children happily playing – no one commented and no one pointed out that it was time to go home.

If you need peace and quiet, we can alternatively recommend Crandon beach in Crandon Park (Key Biscayne). Unlike South Beach, you won’t experience loud music, hustle and bustle, or crowds here. It’s not that popular, so you can easily find a parking spot, and there is plenty of space on the beach as well. Arriving here, we even had the impression that the beach was closed, as the beachside booths were closed to the public, and there were no bars or restaurants.

Crandon Park, in addition to the beach, is famous for its golf courses and tennis courts. It is an ideal place to go biking or jogging.

Address

Crandon Beach
Crandon Blvd
Key Biscayne, FL 33149

5. Bayfront Park and Freedom Tower

A well-known venue for many events and meetings is Bayfront Park. We happened to be at a sailing event, so a large part of the park was fenced off and inaccessible, and we spent our time mostly walking along the boulevard.

The park was built in the late 19th century and was Miami’s first meeting and gathering place. The park grew, became a place for recreation, leisure activities but also various events and concerts.

The park has an amphitheater that can accommodate about 10,000 people, a statue of Christopher Columbus, a fountain and a playground.

Right next door, a large Ferris wheel towers over the park, and walking in a northerly direction you pass through a shopping center – full of take-out food, restaurants and stores.

In the area, look out for the Freedom Tower – you’ll easily spot it among the glass skyscrapers. This 17-story building was completed in 1925 and was home to two editorial offices: Miami Daily News and Metropolis. When the newspapers moved out, it deteriorated for several years empty, until it finally became home to… fleeing Cubans. Perhaps not so much a home as a place to help refugees.

Currently, the Art Museum is located here.

Prices at Bayfront Park

There is a fee to enter the Art Museum – $12 per adult.

Parking near Bayfront Park

There are plenty of parking spaces on Biscayne Blvd, it is a municipal parking lot, paid – $10 for 2 hours ($10 is the minimum amount to pay).

Address: 401 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132

Address

Bayfront Park
301 Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33132

6. Miami Children’s Museum

It’s time for an attraction ideal for families with children. If you’re going to be getting sunburned and want to hide in some air-conditioned spaces, we highly recommend Miami Children’s Museum!

And right away a note: this is not a typical museum, this is the world in miniature. Here there is no designated tour path, no audio books, no exhibits behind glass. Here the entire space is created for children to explore at will – they can touch and experience everything.

Children will learn how nature works, how buildings are constructed, how banks, money and stores work, they can dress up as firefighters, help animals as veterinarians. There is playing with light, water and sound, there is learning about muscle power and the laws of physics – a fantastic mishmash cumulated in one place.

Several thematic zones/rooms are designated on two floors. Upon entering, one is immediately taken to a small exhibition on the topics of green home solutions and health and safety. Children immediately rush towards the Tower of Dreams and the Children’s Village. It is here that toddlers can take a look from the Bank, build famous buildings with blocks, and shop at Publix (this is a well-known supermarket chain). Although you can already spend half a day in this part, we encourage you to move on because there is still much to explore!

Next is a room that looks like a fire station: costumes, helmets, a slide tube and, of course, a fire truck await the children. Needless to say, it was this part that was the hardest to get out of? ;) Another room is a veterinarian: with plush animals, kits for examining and treating animals.

In the theme of animals, but also nature, there is a section on underwater life, and a great space that refers to the port history of the city. Children learn about water transportation, steer boats and board ships.

There is also a Safety Zone on the first floor – here a large open space in the theme of Tigger Daniel awaited us! There were arranged rooms and attributes from the well-known fairy tale. Of course, toddlers can touch everything, walk everywhere, and this part is suitable for even the youngest children. It was, however, a temporary exhibition and is now off-limits.

What kind of children is the Miami Children’s Museum for? In our opinion, children from about 4 years old will benefit the most – it will be a great educational adventure for them. For smaller children (say, such 2-3 year olds) there will also be a lot of fun – they will be able to play with blocks, make tracks from pipes, there are many sensory and developing attractions waiting for them here. As you can see from our example, toddlers under 1 year old will also find something for themselves ;)

Miami Children’s Museum prices

A ticket to the museum costs $22 (for both adults and children).

Children under 1 year old enter for free.

For security reasons and restrictions, tickets must be purchased in advance and only online at the site.

Parking at Miami Children’s Museum

Right next to the museum is a large paid parking lot, costing $2 per hour.

Address

Miami Children’s Museum
980 MacArthur Causeway
Miami, FL 33132,

7. the Everglades National Park

This park is located south of Miami and is ideal for a day trip out of the city. We will write a separate entry about the park itself, but it should also be mentioned here.

Everglades National Park was established in 1947 to protect mangroves, a characteristic of the intertropical zone. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the park’s flat, wild terrain on the very edge of Florida is the perfect place to relax amidst nature while admiring the local flora and fauna. And there is someone to look out for! The park is most famous for the alligators and crocodiles that live here and can literally get underfoot! Of course, you have to follow all the instructions, keep a proper distance and do not feed the local wild inhabitants for anything.

In addition to them, more than 350 species of birds live here, and if you’re lucky, you’ll also encounter slow-moving manatees.

You can enter the park by car and use it to reach information centers and specific trails.

For practical information: there are two seasons here: dry (November to March) and wet (April to November), and it is in the former season that you will see more birds and reptiles.

Where to stay in the park?

1. Anhinga – one of the first trails after entering the park (take the smaller road to the south). After walking for about 5 minutes along a paved road, one enters a wooden footbridge leading over the wetlands. The entire trail is less than a kilometer long.
2. Pa-hay-okee – a 250-meter short tract that will take about 20 minutes to walk. Halfway there is a viewing platform, from which you can enjoy the view, over flat, boundless terrain. Along the way there are educational boards.
3. Flamingo marina and beach – the farthest point to which you can easily reach by car. There is a bike rental service, you can hop on a boat or kayak, and even stay at a local campground. We were totally engrossed in observing manatees.
4. Shark Valley – a place known as the heart of the Everglades, and arguably the most iconic vantage point is located here. To reach the tower, which offers a view of the vast plains, you need to take a route of about 11 kilometers (you can, for example, rent a bicycle). Note that there is paid parking at this tourist center – $25.

Prices in the Everglades

There is a fee to enter Everglades National Park – $30 per car. Buy your ticket online or at the Visitor Center before entering the park.

Address

Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
40001 State Hwy 9336
Homestead, FL 33034

8. Key West, Florida

A place worth noting that we completely ran out of time for, but the plan was to get here.

The Florida Keys archipelago and the town of Key West, located on its edge, are located in southern Florida and is the southernmost point of the continental United States.

But we didn’t want to get here just to tick off an extreme point. We were more interested in the journey through the archipelago itself: driving between islets including, among others, the famous Seven Mile Bridge.

We did not succeed, but we leave you for inspiration :)

9. sea turtle center – Loggerhead Marinelife Center

Finally, a place a little less obvious when it comes to Miami, but all the more reason to write about it here.

We discovered them somewhat by accident. Escaping Miami immediately upon arrival, we ended up at a motel in Juno Beach, a town about a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Miami. We had planned a quiet and lazy day to beat jet lag, so we didn’t have very ambitious plans.

However, when we discovered that there is a place in the area where they treat sea turtles and on top of that it is open to visitors we immediately directed our first steps there.

Loggerhead Marinelife Center is a place for sea turtle treatment, rehabilitation, education and research. Upon entering the site, one is immediately struck by the small pools filled with water, with shafts through which one can peep at sea turtles being rescued and treated. There are both smaller and larger specimens, and you only have to wait a moment to see how these animals are cared for (we saw feeding and transporting a sea turtle on a stretcher). You can also peep through the windows at the work of the veterinarians, but despite our great curiosity, we only peeked surreptitiously, so as not to stress the staff and charges :)

In addition to viewing sea turtles, we can really learn a lot about them here: there are various graphics and animations for children, and there is a small exhibition about their environment. There is also a modest themed playground and a gift store.

If you’re planning to come here, keep an eye on the Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s Facebook page(link) – there you can find out what’s currently happening at the center, or when some turtles will be released into the wild (that’s just got to be an event!).

We highly recommend this place to you. You can see that people with a real passion and desire to help animals work here, and it’s a fantastic place for children to learn empathy for animals.

Prices

Entrance is free, and there is an opportunity for those willing to donate in the piggy banks on display (you are welcome to do so!).

Parking

There is on-site parking for guests of the resort.

Address

Loggerhead Marinelife Center
14200 US-1, Juno Beach
FL 33408

Where to stay overnight in Miami?

It is extremely difficult to answer this question, because we ourselves had trouble finding good accommodation. We had two problems: availability and price :) As mentioned above, we hit the Super Bowl finals, which made prices in Miami itself prohibitive, and the choice of accommodations was also severely limited. Fortunately, later it was a little cheaper, but still prices are far from European ones.

Here are a few suggestions in various price options, all with pretty good reviews:

• Marriott’s Villas At Doral
  Address: 4101 NorthWest 87th Avenue, Doral, Miami
  Prices: from PLN 1,450 for an 8-person room
  Link:
  http://r4b.link/mvci-villas-at-doral
  
• Sleep Inn Miami Airport
  Address: 105 Fairway Drive, Miami Springs, Miami
  Prices: from 600 PLN for a double room (breakfast included)
  Link:
  http://r4b.link/sleep-inn-miami
  
• Hyatt Place Miami Airport East
  Address: 3549 NW Le Jeune Road, Miami
  Prices: from 910 PLN for a double room (breakfast included)
  Link:
  http://r4b.link/hyatt-place-miami
  
• Miami Beach Rooms B&B
  Address: 630 6th Street, Miami Beach
  Prices: from 860 PLN for a double room
  Link:
  http://r4b.link/miami-beach-rooms
  

Miami with children

Is it worth going to Miami with children? As you can see from our example exploring such a large metropolis with children is possible ;)

We always emphasize this, and it is worth adding here as well, that much depends on your and your kids’ abilities and interests. If your little ones prefer to sit on the beach all day, building sand castles, jumping over waves, then you can stay in Miami for longer :) There are plenty of beaches, the infrastructure is decent, and there are playgrounds by the beaches, so there will definitely be no boredom.

We like to wander around cities together, looking for interesting corners, and in this respect we really liked Wynwood – the kids can look for murals, take snapshots, choose the prettiest and most colorful ones.

Miami Children’s Museum turned out to be an absolute hit. In which we would quietly spend the whole day. It is quite expensive, but in our opinion worth every dollar.

Miami weather – when is the best time to go?

It was about attractions, so surely you are already convinced that Miami is worth coming to, the question remains – WHEN?

It is worth remembering that in Florida, as in the Caribbean, for example, it rains more often during the summer months, and hurricanes also occur. Often these are temporary downpours, out of nowhere, but they can take you by surprise. On top of that, there are very high temperatures above 32 degrees (it feels even higher), and rainfall is at 140-160 mm.

 

For this reason, we recommend traveling in winter, i.e. January through March and even April. It’s a little cooler then, but still warm (about 25 degrees), the water temperature allows for swimming, and sightseeing is more enjoyable when it’s not pouring heat from the sky.

Our opinion about Miami

Congratulations – you have reached the end of one of the longest posts on our blog ;) Despite the fact that we saw a few points in Miami it still resulted in quite a long article.

Miami is a city that has a lot to offer visitors and we can discover a different facet of it every day. Bustling Miami is a tangle of different cultures, Spanish is heard on the streets more often than English, and in some neighborhoods we can feel like we are in other corners of the world.

However, when planning a stay in Miami, you should be aware that it will be quite an expensive event ;) Nevertheless, we think it’s worth it!