The 12 most exciting things to do in Miami

In its skyscraper-strewn cityscape, Miami offers a fantastic mix of things to see and do, with many alternatives for children and couples, some of which are free to explore and enjoy. Miami offers visitors a diverse range of indoor and outdoor activities, from luxurious to intellectually stimulating. With our list of the top tourist attractions in Miami, you can plan your trip and discover the best locations to go.

Miami Beach

Miami Beach is a blend of lively entertainment districts, quiet neighbourhoods, and vast stretches of soft-sand beaches.

South Beach, with its pastel-colored buildings and Art Deco Historic District, is a tourist hotspot. This is an upscale tourist area featuring a variety of hotels, seaside restaurants, shopping, and sunbathing opportunities.

The most popular avenue in this neighbourhood is Ocean Drive, which runs along the shore and features several stunning Art Deco structures. Collins Avenue runs parallel to Ocean Drive one block inland.

Miami Riverwalk

This Miami River pedestrian walkway allows you to enjoy the cityscapes of Downtown Miami from a fresh perspective and at your leisure. You can begin your tour downtown at Bayfront Park or at the Riverwalk Metromover stop.  Around November, the Miami Riverwalk Festival will offer a variety of cultural performances. With city lights glittering on the water’s surface, the Riverwalk is also enjoyable in the evening.

Little Havana

Little Havana is the symbolic and cultural capital for Cuban-Americans in Miami, located just west of downtown Miami. With its vibrant atmosphere and excellent food, the neighbourhood attracts a large number of visitors.

The main thoroughfare is Calle Ocho (8th Street). Maximo Gomez Park, popularly known as Domino Park, is a peaceful location to hang out and play dominoes or chess. It is located at the crossroads of Calle Ocho and 15th Avenue. El Pub is recommended by travellers for its authentic Cuban food and low prices, and the Versailles restaurant is also recommended. Consider Lung Yai Thai Tapas for a change of pace from the neighborhood’s signature flavours. The Calle Ocho Music Event takes over Miami for a week in March, attracting thousands of visitors for a major street festival celebrating Carnaval with music, food, and dancing.

SuperBlue

A massive 50,000-square-foot art space dedicated to immersive media creation. When there are so many so-called Instagrammable installations going around, it’s difficult to get excited about something that promises to be experience or immersive, but that’s not the case with Superblue Miami. With its professionally selected exhibition, which contains brand new pieces by some of the art world’s most important artists, the revolutionary endeavour challenges perceptions, heightens the senses, and overall wows. 

Zoo Miami

With over two thousand animals, Zoo Miami seems to be the only sub-tropical zoo in the continental U.S. It is located southwest of downtown. The zoo’s cage-free enclosures are meant to resemble natural ecosystems and allow species that ordinarily interact to coexist in comfortable surroundings. The experience at Zoo Miami is more akin to a nature safari than a traditional zoo because of its innovative and humane design. Animals interact with each other in the same way they would in the wild at Zoo Miami. Visit several park parts, including Asia, Africa, Australia, the Amazon, and more, to take a virtual voyage around the world. Zoo Miami has something for everyone, whether you have children of your own or are just a huge kid at heart, which is why we think it’s a terrific destination to visit. Visit the Gold Coast Railroad Museum, which is immediately next door.

Wynwood Walls

Wynwood is a hip Miami neighbourhood recognised for its artistic atmosphere. In the last decade, this neighbourhood has transformed from a drug-infested enclave to an artist’s sanctuary. The Wynwood Walls are a great example of how things have changed. What was once an industrial yard has been transformed into an outdoor museum thanks to the efforts of Wynwood developer Tony Goldman. Artists from all over the world were invited to add their mark on the walls in whatever way they wished. The end result was a lively, varied collection of art in several styles and mediums. The painters on the walls are switched frequently, so you’re unlikely to see the same ones twice. The walls are open to the public Monday through Friday and are free to view.

Art Deco Historic District

This architectural style, which was popular in the 1930s and 1940s, dominates the fashionable South Beach neighbourhood.

These unique structures were erected in a range of pastel colours and with large neon lettering following a devastating hurricane in 1926.  Most of the hotels and restaurants have been restored to their former glory.  Awnings on the lower tiers of these structures provide shade for outdoor dining areas along a number of major thoroughfares. Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue are the two main thoroughfares in the area.

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens used to be a wealthy Miami businessman’s estate. This lovely mansion in Miami’s Northeast Coconut Grove neighbourhood looks like an exquisite Tuscan villa. It has ornately decorated interiors brimming with art and treasures. The tranquilly of the enormous Italian Renaissance gardens is enhanced by shady walks beneath big trees. It overlooks Biscayne Bay and is surrounded by native woods.

Everglades

Many visitors to Miami take advantage of the opportunity to see the Everglades, Florida’s tropical wetlands with stunning sawgrass grasslands and mangrove-forests estuaries. Airboating, a propeller-powered device that skims quickly over the grassy waterways, is a terrific way to explore the Everglades. Various stops allow you to appreciate the natural splendour. Alligators can be seen along the trip, and their nesting grounds are close by. You can even hold a young gator and talk to local handlers when you return to the base.

Crandon Park

The northern part of Key Biscayne is known as Crandon Park. Before being donated to Miami-Dade County on the condition that it be used as a public park, the key was a coconut plantation. With so many activities to choose from, it’s easy to spend several days exploring the park’s offers. The huge Crandon Park is home to a tennis centre with 26 courts, a golf course, a marina, and a beach.

Visiting the key during low tide, when you can walk out into the ocean and marvel at the myriad tidal pools, has been recommended by previous visitors. The quality of the beaches in Crandon Park, which include palm trees and white sand, particularly impressed visitors.

Jungle Island

Jungle Island is one of Miami’s most popular tourist destinations. It was originally known as Parrot Jungle and even hosted Winston Churchill in 1946. It is located on Watson Island.

A petting zoo or inflatable water slides are good options for younger children. At the Nerf gun combat stadium, older kids can zoom down ziplines and settle any sibling disputes. The SuperFlight Aerodium, an outdoor wind tunnel, is for individuals who want to experience the freefall thrills of skydiving. Jungle Island enthrals park visitors with a sense of adventure and discovery through interactive experiences.

South Beach and Downtown Miami are only a few minutes away from The Jungle.

The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, at 83 acres, is one of the country’s largest of its sort. The Fairchild is sure to be one of the most calming sites on your to-do list, thanks to its abundance of tropical plants and other stunning vegetation.

You can take a free 45-minute narrated tram tour, which recent visitors recommend, to view the highlights, but then you’re free to wander about the gardens as you like. The butterfly garden and the subterranean garden are recommended by previous guests. They also recommend that you set aside plenty of time to simply enjoy the park’s natural splendor and give the docents good grades.