Open left menu Miami. Is it worth going to Miami? Miami south beach

August 31st, 2012

Continuing the “Beaches of the World” column, I decided to write about the beach in Miami Beach. When many years ago I watched the famous American TV series “Rescue Service” and admired the tanned rescuers and relaxed visitors, I didn’t even think that someday I would find myself in this place glorified by cinema. However, when I found myself on a Miami beach this summer, I once again remembered the wise words of my old friend: “Sometimes it’s better that the “blue dream” never comes true.”

Ocean Drive, Lummus Park and the public beach represent a single public space - a place of recreation and entertainment for Miami Beach guests.

Ocean Drive is a street stretching along the Atlantic coast, occupied mainly by small restaurants and cafes with cheerful music, intrusive barkers (including, as it turns out, many Russians) and huge cocktails. If for some reason you decide to walk along the coast along Ocean Drive, your path will lie exclusively under the umbrellas of summer cafes.

These are perhaps the most expensive restaurants and cafes in Miami Beach, not the cleanest and most well-groomed, not with the best cuisine, but definitely the most party-oriented. Night and day, life never ceases to boil there. One of the attractions of these restaurants can be considered huge alcoholic cocktails (cost about 20 dollars, volume - about half a liter, alcohol - little). I must say that people are not happy with this place. Here’s a review I found about Lummus Park and its surroundings on Google Map: “Drag queens, dirty south beach people on pills with hangovers, cracked out club freaks, parts smell like sewage, nasty agents, superficial degenerates...”. If you think about it, we met all these characters at different times on Ocean Drive, but they certainly didn’t spoil my rest and good mood.

The next line is Lummus Park - a modern city park planted with beautiful palm trees with park alleys and sports grounds. A park for those who prefer active recreation and walks in the fresh air to noisy parties and alcoholic cocktails.

You can ride bicycles in the park,

walk the dog (you just need to remember to carefully remove all the consequences of its presence, for which the administration has created all the conditions),

play volleyball with friends,

or take a walk with your child on a modern playground with the right rubber surface - the dream of Russian children (or rather, their parents, who shudder nervously every time their children jump from somewhere onto hard asphalt), a variety of sports equipment and playing forms.

By the way, about bicycles: to ride around the park, you don’t have to buy your own bicycle; you can rent one here in the park at an automatic rental station and pay with a bank card. The rental cost, if I'm not mistaken, is $20/hour. And if during the day (in the photo) the bicycle parking lot is usually full (well, who would want to ride a bicycle in 35 degree heat), then in the evening it’s not so easy to find a free bicycle (at least I wasn’t lucky), it’s so nice take a ride along the park alleys in the evening, when the heat subsides and you can freely breathe the fresh sea air.

And finally, for beach lovers, there is a sandy beach stretching into the distance along the shore.

True, the road from the park to the beach passes through some strange place: a strip of land overgrown with weeds and fenced with a strange fence. If you look at it from the side of the park, you would never think that there is a beach behind it, and what is even more of a surprise for you is that this beach is equipped.

And only information signs on the border of the “green strip” tell us that we should not be afraid of the unkemptness of this place and that we need to go further to the ocean, where a civilized city beach with strict visiting rules awaits us. What struck me was the limited opening hours of the beach - from 5 am to 12 am. The beach is closed at night. True, I don’t quite understand how the “closedness” of the beach is controlled here (after all, there are no gates or serious fences here, and it’s very easy to climb over the existing fences), unless police regularly patrol the beach in search of violators.

The beach made a mixed impression on me.

I really liked it: the beach infrastructure is quite developed - on the beach there are services for renting umbrellas, sun loungers, awnings, a cafe with water and light snacks (if you want to have lunch, you need to go to Ocean Drive or other areas of the city).

I really liked the lounger - a double bed with a soft mattress and a lift-up pillow. A great way to relax comfortably on the beach. If I decided to spend at least a few hours on the beach (so as not to regret wasted money), I would choose just such a sunbed.

All beach equipment is rented for 1 day from morning to 17:00. Unfortunately, I no longer remember the exact cost of rent, but I remember that for about $50 a day you could provide yourself with a decent vacation on the beach without having to carry umbrellas and chairs or get sunburned under the scorching sun.
By the way, all rental offices close at 17:00, so after this time you can either sit on the sand on a towel or stock up on your own beach equipment.

That is why, when I looked at the beach in the evening, I did not see any visitors in sun loungers or under awnings. At best, you could find umbrellas and folding chairs bought at the shopping center. Most of the visitors simply lay on the sand.

By the way, about sand. The sand itself is beautiful: fine white sand with rare inclusions of shells. It is, of course, worse than in the neighboring resort of Miami - Vero Beach, where there are no shells in the sand at all, but much better than on many beaches in Turkey, Italy, Spain and other countries - leaders in beach tourism. However, the calm attitude of Americans towards cleanliness on the beach is striking: if, for example, in Italy and Spain, sand on public beaches is sifted through a net every day by special machines, here in the morning a woman walks with a plastic bag and a stick with a sharp tip and collects especially large garbage. Not a large one, it seems to bury itself in the sand. Therefore, you can easily come across cigarette butts and scraps in the sand. And the Americans themselves are not very worried about maintaining the cleanliness of the beach: several times we were able to observe how large companies left the beach, leaving mountains of garbage behind them, although it was not difficult to carry them to a garbage can located 10 meters from their vacation spot.
The mountains of seaweed washed ashore and lying at the water's edge do not paint the beach.

The undoubted advantages of this beach include a serious security system: observation posts are installed throughout the beach, at which lifeguards equipped with modern technology are on duty throughout the entire operation of the beach. I think I have never seen such a beach security service before.

The rescue service has its own headquarters, located here behind the “green strip of unkemptness.”

And a special parking lot for company cars.

What was unpleasantly surprising: I spent the whole week looking for toilets and changing rooms on the beach and couldn’t find them. The only working hypothesis, in my opinion, is that this infrastructure is located in the building of the headquarters of the rescue service (where exactly there were public toilets, I don’t know about separate locker rooms, I didn’t check). A very strange infrastructural solution: not only is the headquarters located far from the edge of the sea, you also had to guess that you need to change clothes there. Although, I think there is an explanation for this. For example, some environmental requirements. I don’t know... But for spoiled visitors to the convenient beaches of Turkey, Spain and a number of other countries, this decision seems unsuccessful. Showers for rinsing off sea salt are located quite far from the water’s edge, which is also inconvenient, but at least these are easy to spot on the border of the park and the “green unkemptness.”

So, on the one hand, the general impression of the beach consists of fine sand, good security service and excellent sun loungers (if you are willing to pay for them, of course). On the other hand, it is determined by the feeling of “uncleanliness” of the beach, the absence (or rather, the need to make an effort to find) toilets and changing rooms, and the inconvenient location of the shower.

However, you forget about all this lack of infrastructure when you look at the ocean, watch in the morning the majestic sawfish or nimble turtles burrowing into the sand.

Miami-Dade, on the Atlantic coast. Numerous beaches, clubs, restaurants and fashionable shops attract partygoers from all over the world. But Miami is not only an ideal city for entertainment, but also the most important financial and economic center of the country. This is where international banks, large corporations and famous recording and television studios are based. Another interesting feature of the city is the composition of the population: about 70% of local residents are Latino.

Tourists flock to Miami to relax and unwind on the golden beaches of the Atlantic, dance in nightclubs, surf and wander through the fashionable galleries of famous artists and photographers. The never-ending resort town, where skyscrapers and business centers rub shoulders with beach houses and celebrity villas, is sure to have something special for every traveler.

How to get to Miami

There are several ways to get to Miami. Delta flies daily through New York and American Airlines through Chicago. Flights with connections in European cities are also possible: Air France via Paris, Lufthansa via Frankfurt and British Airways via London. In the latter case, you will need an overnight stay in London and, accordingly, a British transit visa.

The cheapest offer is from Turkish Airlines with a transfer in Istanbul. The cost of direct flights increases several times: for example, Aeroflot organizes flights from Sheremetyevo.

Communications and Wi-Fi

There are several major cell phone carriers in Miami: T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T, MetroPCS, and Spring Nextel. The first two are the most popular: they offer profitable calls and high-speed mobile Internet. To save money, it is better to purchase a local prepaid SIM card immediately upon arrival. The cost of a minute of conversation depends on the tariff: the higher the tariff, the cheaper the calls. For 130 minutes of calls within the US, 25 USD is usually enough. You can buy a SIM card not only at a mobile phone store, but also at almost any supermarket.

There are payphones all over Miami that feed on 0.25 USD coins. For international calls, it is worth buying a calling card; the most popular are Pingo, Comfi or ClonCom. Vending machines for telephone cards are installed right at the airport.

Free Wi-Fi is available in many public places, beaches, hotels and chain restaurants. However, in some places you will have to pay for the Internet: for example, in the Starbucks coffee shop - almost 10 USD per day. Lists of free Wi-Fi hotspots in Miami can be studied on the Internet in advance.

Go Miami Card

Go Miami Card holders have access to 35 of the city's top attractions and tours. The benefit is obvious: you don’t need to purchase separate tickets for each place, spend extra money and stand in long queues.

The price of the Go Miami Card is 79 USD for 1 day, while the total cost of admission to all prepaid attractions exceeds 1000 USD.

You can purchase a subscription on the official website. The card gives you priority entry without queuing and comes with a free guide with a list, descriptions, addresses and opening hours of all attractions included in the package. Among the most interesting places to visit with the Go Miami Card are Villa Vizcaya, the aquarium, the zoo, and the Coral Castle. Cardholders can also take a Biscayne Bay cruise or safari, rent a bicycle, ride a water taxi, visit Miami's top museums or enjoy fun at amusement parks.

Beaches of Miami

The best beaches in Miami are located in the municipality of Miami Beach, separated from the "big city" by Biscayne Bay. Most of them are sandy, clean and free.

Crandon Park Beach is an ideal place for parents with children. A sand spit stretches along the entire coastline, numerous attractions await young visitors, and shops, cafes and convenient picnic areas await adults. It’s also comfortable to relax with children at Virginia Key Beach with its modern play complexes.

There are almost no changing cabins on the beaches of Miami Beach, but there are showers and toilets.

The most famous place in the area is South Beach. It is located between 5th and 21st streets and always attracts local fashionistas, photographers and tourists. The most party part of South Beach is Lummus Park, equipped with several sports grounds and perfect for lovers of active recreation. Here you can rent water sports equipment, play beach volleyball or go cycling, and in the evening relax in the many bars and restaurants.

Rental points for sun loungers (from 9 USD) and umbrellas (about 12 USD) on the Miami coast are open until 17:00. You shouldn’t go to the first one you come across: it’s better to walk along the entire beach and compare prices.

The oldest beach in the city, founded at the beginning of the last century, is Matson Hammock. An artificial lagoon and dense mangroves form a very picturesque landscape. People come here not only to sunbathe, but also to surf: the shallow water and spaciousness especially attract beginner surfers.

Haulover Beach is the best nude beach in all of Florida. Bill Baggs Cape State Park offers fishing, canoeing, kayaking and fine dining. The calmest beaches are on the territory of the North Shore Park, but there is an entrance fee (1 USD).

Diving in Miami

The main features of diving in Miami are artificial coral reefs (one of the best in the world) and many sunken ships. There are 10 artificial reef dive sites: 5 located between Miami-Dade and Key Biscayne, and another 5 between Key Biscayne and Monroe. The best is under 130 feet of water two miles east of Sunshine Island.

The wrecks in Miami are in perfect order. Judge for yourself: about 30 sunken ships, 3 oil platforms and a couple of sunken American tanks.

Scuba diving courses are offered at the South Beach Dive and Surf Center (website) and a certificate is issued at any level upon completion. There are other large diving centers in the city: Active Divers Association (website), Undersea Hunter (website), Diga Dive Club, etc. The average cost of a dive is from 30-40 USD, equipment rental is from 5 USD, dive guide services - from 35 USD.

Experienced divers will love the unique John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (website), located east of Key Largo. The land part occupies only 5% of its area, the rest is an amazing underwater world with bright corals, schools of tropical fish and a three-meter statue of Christ, sunk at a depth of 6 m.

Surfing and kiting in Miami

Today, surfing has become an integral part of the life of Miamians. And this is not surprising: absolutely all conditions for comfortable boarding are created here. The mild climate, warm water and almost never-ending waves are an ideal picture for all fans of this fashionable sport. There are several beaches in Miami that offer great surfing: South Beach, Lummus Park, South Point Park, Matson Hammock (beginner's paradise), and North Shore.

The best time for surfing is considered to be from September to May, when the water temperature is optimal. In summer, the sea warms up to +32 °C, so skiing promises to be too hot. Beginning wave surfers can use the services of a private instructor; the average cost of such pleasure is about 100 USD per lesson.

You should not surf in unfamiliar places: experienced surfers will always tell you where it is safe and where there are no sharks.

Another very popular sport in Miami is kiting. Almost windsurfing, but with an important condition: a kite fluttering above the athlete standing on the board is used as a driving force. The best beach for kiting is Sandy Beach, located between 23rd and 29th streets in the South Beach area. Anyone can learn to kitesurf: for example, lessons at the Miami Kiteboarding school (website) will cost from 75 USD per hour.

Miami Hotels

In Miami, it is most profitable to purchase items from American brands: Victoria’s Secret, Guess, DKNY, Converse, Lacoste, Ed Harley, etc. In other countries they are sold at significant premiums, but here at very attractive prices. Otherwise, prices are comparable to Moscow, with the exception of sales periods. From December to January, as elsewhere in the USA, the real shopping madness begins here: discounts up to 70%.

Miami cuisine and restaurants

Miami offers a variety of cuisines from all over the world: from Russian to Japanese. Numerous cafes and restaurants are located both on the coast and in the very center of the city. The most respectable establishments with fairly high prices are concentrated on Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road. This is where you have a chance to meet the stars of world show business, and just wealthy people who want to have a good rest and eat delicious food. In local restaurants you can taste American, Japanese, Creole, Italian and Latin American cuisine. There are many fashionable establishments on the island of Brickell Key - in the recreation center of the Brickell area. Here you will be offered dishes of Greek, Mediterranean, Asian, Brazilian cuisine, as well as excellent seafood. Prices in prestigious establishments are about 85 USD per dinner per person.

On Friday and Saturday evenings, all the trendy restaurants are crowded, so you need to make a reservation in advance.

More democratic cafes are located on Washington Avenue and the Miracle Mile. There are many inexpensive pizzerias and small cozy bars. Local establishments serve not only classic American burgers and steaks, but also exotic treats based on traditional recipes from Thailand, Vietnam, Argentina and Peru. In small eateries you can have a meal for 5-10 USD, in a mid-level cafe - for 20-40 USD.

Seafood lovers should go to Miami towards the end of summer: lobster season opens here on August 8th. At this time, they are not only the most delicious and fresh, but also the cheapest: only 4-5 USD per piece.

Guides in Miami

Entertainment and attractions

Most tourists come to Miami to soak up the beaches, see celebrities, and hang out at the clubs. However, the city has many interesting attractions that can easily be combined into a full-fledged cultural program.

One of the most impressive places is Villa Vizcaya in the Coconut Grove area. This is an entire architectural and landscape complex with luxurious, well-kept gardens and unusual buildings. The villa itself, which once belonged to businessman James Deering, was built in the Mediterranean Renaissance style with Baroque elements. In the 70 rooms of the mansion you can admire original interiors, antique furniture and European antiques.

A more modern cultural and architectural value of Miami is the mansion of Gianni Versace, the founder of the legendary Fashion House. Spectacular handmade frescoes and a 16-meter swimming pool with mosaics made of pure gold have been preserved here.

A sad but tourist-attracting detail: Versace was shot dead right on the steps of his own mansion.

Coral Castle can be considered one of the most unusual tourist places in the vicinity of the city. It was once built single-handedly by the Latvian emigrant Edward Leedskalnin. In fact, the castle is a complex complex of many megaliths, the weight of which reaches 30 tons. How exactly the eccentric author managed to erect this structure is still unknown.

One of the recognizable symbols of Miami is the bright yellow Freedom Tower, built in the Mediterranean Revival style. Today it is home to the Museum of Contemporary Art and the offices of Miami Dade College.

Everglades National Park is located 30 minutes from the city (website). It occupies almost a fifth of Florida's territory. Here you can kayak and canoe, go fishing, and go on a themed eco-tour.

Fans of wildlife are also welcome at the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden, which covers an area of ​​34 hectares. Its pride is a unique collection of rare plants: palm trees, cycads, lianas and flowering trees.

There are many interesting museums in Miami. The most piquant exhibition is at the World Museum of Erotic Art (website), where even the furniture is made in the shape of “those” body parts. The Perez Museum of Art has an excellent collection of exhibits from Africa, America and Western Europe, dating from the past and present centuries. Miami Design District - an entire design district with numerous art galleries under brightly painted facades (website). The former warehouses are now a favorite spot for Miami bohemians.

9 things to do in Miami

1. Sunbathe under the hot Florida sun.
2. Admire the city from a helicopter.
3. Go on a lion safari.
4. Climb the wave on a surfboard.
5. Walk up and down Lincoln Road.
6. Count the megaliths at Coral Castle.
7. See the sunken statue of Christ at a depth of 6 meters.
8. Meet a celebrity at a restaurant on Collins Avenue.
9. Stand on the steps of the Versace mansion and stay alive.

Miami for kids

Young guests of Miami will also enjoy a very rich entertainment program. It's worth starting with a visit to the Miami Zoo - the only tropical zoo in the United States. Its territory is divided into 4 thematic zones: “Africa”, “Asia”, “Amazonia” and “Australia” with corresponding landscapes, flora and fauna.

Miami's nature experience continues at Jungle Island (website), where you can admire exotic animals and birds in their natural habitat.

Parrot Jungle has more than 1,100 birds, Monkey Jungle has hundreds of cheerful monkeys, and Lion Country has real South Africa with lions, rhinoceroses, giraffes, antelopes, zebras and elephants.

The Miami Children's Museum (website) is also a must-see. There is everything here for kids to feel like adults: a miniature bank, a supermarket, a TV studio, a cruise ship, a fire department and a police station. With older children, you can take a day trip to Cape Canaveral with the famous Space Center. Kennedy. It is from here that American spacecraft are launched and controlled.

Weather in Miami

Miami has eternal summer: the Gulf Stream ocean current flows just 24 km from the coast of Miami, which makes its climate warm and mild. The maximum probability of hurricanes and storms is in July-August.

Orlando to Miami

Towards evening, we packed our suitcases, which had increased to four, loaded into the car and said goodbye to our father. Orlando is a city of lakes and Disneyland, malls and outlets, the city where my father lives... We walked to our hearts, relaxed and shopped for 5 years ahead. Goodbye Orlando, off to Miami!

We arrived in about 3 hours. On the way we made a stop at the Plaza. There are quite a lot of such plazas along the road, where you can refuel and have a snack.

Fort Lauderdale Clubs

We stayed in the neighboring town of Fort Lauderdale with a friend, which is 30 minutes away.

Upon arrival, we immediately went to the center of Fort Lauderdale, where we visited the local clubs and bars, of which there are over a hundred. There is no particular pathos in the establishments; there are a lot of young people who drink absolutely everywhere.

Among the places we visited we remember:

America's Backyard (100 Nugent Ave, FL 33312)

Cyn (111 SW 2nd Ave, FL 33301)

Vibe (301 E Las Olas Blvd, FL 33301)

Miami: beach and clubs

Miami and Miami Beach are two different cities, and if the first is a business city with its own business centers and houses, then the latter is an island where there are beaches, hotels, a promenade with cafes, drinking establishments and numerous clubs. Our friend took us here the next morning, having previously given us a ride past the places where large parties were planned that evening.

Having bought a swimsuit and sunglasses, we went to sunbathe and swim. Just like last time, I was looking forward to the beaches of Miami, imagining how there would be girls with size 3 bikinis and flat stomachs all around, and with them there would definitely be men with a 50-centimeter bicep and all 8 cubes. And just like last time, I saw a lot of tourists, a lot of Russians, the same as on any other beach. Eh...these are the stereotypes that American cinema instills in the human brain.

What else can be said about Miami Beach. This is a wide beach with palm trees and several streets parallel to it. There is a bar on a bar, a club on a club, cafes, a lot of tourists and a lot of young people. Some are walking, some are drinking, some are driving back and forth along Ocean Drive, showing off their cool cars.

Airplanes are constantly hovering in the air, pulling behind them huge advertising banners telling where the party will be today.

Prices in cafes and restaurants are Moscow prices. I highly recommend the Nikki Beach Club (1 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139), which is recognized as an icon of the daytime party along the coast for its legendary Sunday brunch with dancing, shows and bubbles.

After spending the whole day at the beach, we headed back to pack up and get ready to check out Miami's nightclubs for crazy stuff.

Last time I was at the Mansion, I remember there was good music, a huge dance floor and great Long Islands.

Well, let's get to start a party! In the morning, a friend immediately showed us LIV, the same Mansion and Space. She singled out the latter with great caution, warning that he was in a very dangerous area. Well...she was damn right, but more on that later.

So, we arrived at the Fontainebleau hotel, because... it is in it that the promoted LIV is located. It is considered to be the best club in Miami. By the way, it seems there is the same one in Monaco. Face control and dress code, in my opinion, are serious, everything is as it should be. In front of the entrance there is a square fenced off with ribbon, around which party-goers stand and wait to be chosen to go inside. We were noticed almost immediately and, presenting our Russian license, we entered without difficulty. Entrance cost $80 per person! Perhaps it’s only more expensive in the Bahamas. It always seemed to me that in a normal establishment you don’t have to pay for admission, well, apparently American policy is a little different. Club LIV consists of two floors: on the second there are lounge areas and a bar, on the first there is a dance floor, tables, another bar and a stage. High ceilings, great sound system, large room. Everything is very bright and enchanting, the people around are beautiful and well dressed. The DJ plays very high-quality techno, and girls dance next to him on stage, performing various shows. From time to time, fireworks and huge balls fly out, which people throw above their heads among themselves throughout the hall. Everything here seems to be filled with pathos and glamor. You feel like you're at a good party. The DJ seems to be dancing along with the vacationers, as if he senses what they need and doesn’t let them rest for a minute. The prices are, of course, atas. Not just Moscow ones, but I don’t even know which ones. They drank the Jägermeister first. I didn’t remember the exact price, because it was different everywhere, that is, at first they poured it for us for $39, at another bar for $44, and somewhere else for $50. It felt like they were looking at you and setting a price. I saw a bottle of champagne on the menu, ATTENTION, for $150,000!!! Guard!

Around 3, we realized that we needed to change the picture, and decided to see what kind of hot Space this was. After the car was parked and parking was paid, we were immediately offered magic pills for $10 from an African American who was riding around there on a bicycle. Having sent him further, we headed towards the entrance. $40 per person and we're inside. There are only 2 floors: on the first there is an incomprehensible hip-hop party, on the second there is tin. When you get up, you immediately see a crowd of people in glasses who are incredibly sick. The music is damn cool. Let's go dance! After dancing for a while, you begin to realize what kind of place this is. You pay attention to what is happening to whom, and when you find out that the establishment is open 24 hours, then in the end you realize that the club is full of crap. Now it’s clear where we ended up. The music and atmosphere are really conducive to dancing. But everyone rests differently, so if you find yourself here, I’ll write what you need to pay attention to. 1) Don’t let your drink out of sight, that is, if you put it on the bar counter and turned away, then forget about it, better take another one, in such hot places there are people who can easily add something bad to it or mix it with something bad. 2) If you come with a young lady, then be next to her, and if she needs to go to the toilet, then escort her and wait; near the toilets I have more than once noticed girls in prostration, whom some guy skillfully picked up and led with him. 3) There are a lot of hucksters, at some point it seemed to me that there were more of them than just partygoers, so be careful too. We started talking with some guys and very soon, almost everyone around knew that we were tourists from Russia. There were many offers from different people to go to another place, hotel, home, etc., etc. At some point, we got the feeling that they wanted to slip us something, add something to us, take us somewhere, or go out with us. The most vivid memories from this place are the music and the moments when explosive techno plays, a ball of smoke is released onto the dance floor, and we dance together, it feels as if we have flown somewhere far away and there is no one nearby. Actually, once again after releasing such smoke, I grab my girlfriend by the hand and simply run out of this fiend of hell. We quickly approach the car, and what do you think? Next, 4 guys of Latin American appearance come out and quickly follow us. We jump into a taxi and leave. Just fucked up. If you ever go to a space club, be careful, wear glasses and keep your mouth shut.

If your main focus is sunbathing, swimming, and just having fun at the beach, this list of the best beaches in Miami will come in handy. You will definitely feel comfortable on these beaches.

Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Photo: Depositphotos

Even though South Beach is the first place that comes to mind, many people simply don't realize that it is quite an expensive area. At the same time, in Miami there is a division into beaches for youth parties (like Lummus Beach on Ocean Drive), for families (Crandon Beach and Virginia Key on Key Biscayne) and even nudists (Halover Beach).

1. Hobie Beach(Hobie Beach), Key Biscayne

This beach is also known as Windsurfer Beach, as it has been favored by surfers for the past two decades. Excellent reputation and reasonable prices. In addition, it is suitable for holidays with four-legged pets.

2. Fort Lauderdale(Fort Lauderdale)

Known as the “Venice of America,” Fort Lauderdale is also a city of fashion and art, but most importantly, a place with great beach culture. On the shore there is a long promenade area and numerous vacationers.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Photo: Depositphotos

3. Virginia Key(Virginia Key Beach)

Virginia Key was once the only beach in Miami that African Americans could use. Today it is one of the best areas for picnics and swimming, as well as various events, including music festivals.

4. Oleta River (Oleta River State Recreation Area)

The parkland on Biscayne Bay is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Kilometers of walking paths, as well as trails for cycling, canoe and kayak rentals. Picnics and barbecues can be organized here literally every weekend.

5. Matheson Hammock(Matheson Hammock Park)

Matheson Hammock Park, near the harbor of the same name, is full of many long-lived trees and beautiful landscapes. For guests there are hammocks and picnic areas by the bay. Ideal for kiteboarders. As an added bonus, there is a wonderful view of downtown Miami across the bay.

6. Holover(Haulover Beach Park)

There is an endless amount of entertainment for visitors, including tennis and golf, as well as surfing and kite flying. There are also many hiking trails and fishing areas. Haulover has something for everyone. Miami's only public beach where swimsuits are optional.

Haulover Beach Park. Photo: Depositphotos

7. Sunny Isles Beach(Sunny Isles Beach)

A beautiful pier and immaculate beaches away from the chaos of Miami Beach are located in Sunny Isles, often called “little Moscow” due to the large number of Russian-speaking residents and visitors. You can spend a whole weekend here with many restaurants, cafes and other establishments, as well as park areas for children.

8. Crandon Park(Crandon Park)

Along with beautiful beaches, you can find areas for picnics and walking, as well as stalls with various products, including souvenirs. A special family recreation center also offers various attractions and an outdoor roller skating area.

Crandon Park Beach. Photo: Depositphotos

9. Lummus Park(Lummus Park Beach)

Lummus Park Beach is one of the main beaches on South Beach. An extremely picturesque area with numerous tourists for active recreation and, of course, photography. In addition, if you happen to be there with children, there is a playground at the entrance for the little ones - aged 2 to 5 years.

10. Bill Baggs (Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Beach)

“Cape Florida,” as Ponce de Leon called it in the 16th century during his first Spanish expedition, is located in the eastern part of Key Biscayne, next to an ancient lighthouse. An ideal area for family relaxation, cycling or a relaxing afternoon tea. Fishing, canoeing, kayaking and snorkeling are available for all park guests.

Well, why is everyone so eager to relax in? What is so “anointed” there? Here's the reason: summer there almost all year round, mild climate, tens of kilometers of sunny beaches and entertainment for every taste! It’s hard to imagine that just a hundred years ago, the most popular beach in Miami Beach was simply a swamp, and three hundred years ago, pirates and smugglers Blackbeard and Jean Lafitte hid their treasures on its territory. Today, this is the location of the most respectable hotels and modern skyscrapers, in which reputable financial corporations of the world have “settled”, a fashionable resort and the capital of the cruise business.

The Atlantic pearl of the USA, with stunning tropical parks, where tourists will find a lot of discoveries and adventures, a clean city with a special atmosphere, and in which everyone feels safe. Everything about it is designed to enjoy life under the scorching Florida sun. That's why millions of tourists come to Miami!

When to go?

It is generally accepted that everyone goes to sunbathe on the beaches and swim in the Atlantic Ocean, that expensive cars, hotels and restaurants are everywhere here. This is partly true. But when you come to Miami, you won’t spend all your time on the coast and hang out in nightclubs at night. There are many other interesting sights and places worth visiting and seeing.

Let's start with the fact that winter is considered the best season to visit: it is not so hot, there are no heavy rains, comfortable weather to look around and run through the main must-sees, and in the evenings sit late with a cup of Cuban coffee in a cozy cafe, throwing a sweater over your shoulders. In summer, on the contrary, during the day the city is empty, everyone is busy with work, and tourists don’t even want to walk in the heat.

"Manhattan" Miami

City within a city. This is often practiced in many American cities. So. IN Miami city(City of Miami), which is located on Biscayne Bay, is where the financial and commercial life of the entire city is in full swing. This is the area Downtown, a kind of “Manhattan”, with banks, offices, headquarters of famous companies, as well as wonderful parks, museums, shops and theaters. This part of the city is full of high-rise buildings (more than forty skyscrapers), climbing to the observation decks of which you can admire the city and the vast ocean. By the way, unlike the skyscrapers of Chicago and New York, most of them contain apartments that house the city's wealthy population.

Another quarter smoothly “flows” from it - Brickell, in whose expensive hotels wealthy people usually stay. Nearby - Brickell Key Island with a magnificent park and luxury apartments. To move from one area to the island, you need to cross the spacious embankment at Miami River. There you can sit in a cafe away from the bustle of business districts.

Did you know that most of the population of Miami are Latinos and they speak Spanish? There is a specific area in the city, the population of which is mainly Cubans. It is the most populous in Miami and is famous for the fact that people honor their ethnic traditions: they have their own Latin American theaters, museums, and national holidays, for example, the Cuban carnival Calle Ocho.

During the day, here you can browse through the handicraft souvenir shops or sit in some dining establishment that serves hot Cuban guys and sizzling brunette beauties. But we don’t recommend going to Little Havana in the evening. You can easily become a victim of a robber (at best).

Favorite tourist areas

The most attractive from the point of view of tourists are the neighborhoods (City of Miami Beach) and South Beach(South Beach). Restaurants, clubs, all kinds of hotels, shops, entertainment venues, and, of course, snow-white beaches - everything is located here. For little money in the city you can rent a car or a moped to zip around the city or visit South Beach (as a beach). But by renting a yacht or pleasure boat, you can go out to sea and take a ride around the bay.

It is popular among tourists, built in the 20s of the last century in precisely this architectural style, without an elaborate form, with houses painted in pastel colors and decorative balconies and roofs, an area with a special culture and its own character, so to speak, a precious stone in Florida necklace.

The tourist attraction of Miami is (Ocean Drive), along which there is a string of luxury hotels, respectable restaurants serving the famous Miami cocktail, along which tall palm trees sway in the wind. It's never quiet in this place. It is also known throughout the world for the fact that the emperor of high fashion, Gianni Versace, was killed at 1116 Ocean Drive, at the entrance of his mansion...

The street where shoppers around the world go in Miami is (Lincoln Road). In mega malls and boutiques of famous brands, you can easily come face to face with some pop star or other celebrity, and it’s even great to skimp on small days, because... The stores regularly offer discounts and promotions. In general, there are quite a lot of mega markets and shopping centers in Miami. Among them is the main shopping center Bayside Marketplace(Bayside Marketplace), the third largest shopping center in the United States Aventura Mall(Aventura Mall) with cinema and restaurants, open-air shopping center Falls(The Falls) is the location of more than a hundred stores of famous brands.

Miami Parks and Preserves

For lovers of nature and exotic animals, we advise you to go 70 km from Miami to the (Everglades) - real tropics with mangroves and jungles, where wild monkeys, parrots and Florida panthers live, with swamps where crocodiles live, with lakes where they swim manatees.

Not far from the city is Jungle Island Watson, which is home to an incredible number of birds: from macaws to penguins and flamingos, as well as animals such as tigers, kangaroos, orangutans, baboons, skunks. Anyone who wants to visit Africa while being in Florida can go to Lion Safari and look with your own eyes from the jeep at walking elephants and lions, rhinoceroses and zebras, monkeys.

A little far from Miami is the most. He's one of the best in this country. Animals are provided with conditions as close as possible to their natural habitat. The zoo is divided into four zones and they are named Australia, Africa, Asia and Amazonia. Between them, tourists travel by train on a monorail.

In Miami itself, there is the first in the United States (on the island of Virginia Key), the collection of which includes a large number of sea creatures living in Florida, as well as open-air shows with killer whales and dolphins.

Miami Attractions

In addition to natural parks and beaches, Miami has plenty of museums and galleries to visit. Among these is an antique villa Vizcaya Museum(Vizcaya Museum) in a mangrove forest, with an Italian garden with fountains and pools, with rooms decorated in the style of the 15th-19th centuries, South Florida Historical Museum, Bass Museum of Art, Museum of Design, Contemporary Art, Children's Museum and Jewish Museum of Florida.

Take an evening stroll along Collins Avenue, where Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston walked, where Pugacheva and Kirkorov like to stroll. Here the fun continues all night, and the streets calm down only in the morning.

Check out American Airlines Basketball Arena to attend one of the NBA games with Miami Heat fans. Get on the board and learn how to ride a wave (Miami Beach is #1 in America for surfing). Watch the sun set on one of the superb beaches along the Atlantic coast. After all, a real pearl of Florida, what about Florida, all of America! Then you will understand exactly why everyone is so eager to relax in Miami!

Dear reader, if you have not found the information you are interested in on our website or on the Internet, write to us at info@site and we will definitely write useful information just for you

To our team and:

• 1. get access to discounts on car rentals and hotels;
• 2. share your travel experience, and we will pay you for it;
• 3. create your blog or travel agency on our website;
• 4. receive free training on developing your own business;
• 5. get the opportunity to travel for free.

You can read about how our site works in the article