What are you going to read in this article :
- Where to stay in Miami ?
- Should you rent a car when in Miami ?
- What to see in Miami ?
- 14 days Roadtrip in Florida
Where to stay in Miami ?
I recommend residing either in Miami Beach, to be close to the beach and places of interest, or in Miami Downtown, which will allow you to easily visit the Wynwood and Little Havana, while remaining a 20-minute drive from the beach.
As the accommodations in Miami beach being are very expensive, I opted for an Airbnb in Downtown. For about $160/night, I had access to this gorgeous apartment in a skyscraper :
Should you rent a car in Miami ?
It is important to note that it is very difficult, and especially very expensive, to park your car in Miami (parking can easily cost you $50 a day in Miami or more)
If you have reserved accommodations on Miami Beach, and you don’t have free parking, I recommend you don’t rent a car and use taxi/uber instead, and rent bikes, for the duration of your stay. You can rent your car when it’s time to hit the road for other cities
What to see in Miami in 1 or 2 days ?
Spend the morning in Miami Beach to enjoy the beach and the more bearable morning temperatures
You can also choose to discover South Beach (SoBe) by bike, either by renting one yourself or with a specialized guide
You can also see Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road, Miami’s iconic art deco avenues, and do some shopping
Make sure you spend an afternoon in the Wynwood district. With a very different atmosphere from the rest of the city, it is the street art and trendy district of the city. We particularly enjoyed :
- The Wynwodd Walls
- The Urban Graffiti Art Museum Miami
- The Boombox buildings : artists have repainted some abandoned buildings into giant ghetto blasters
- Zak the Baker : You can eat pastries and balanced meals at “Zak the Baker”, the best pastry shop in Miami
The tourist guides also recommend to visit Little Havana, but I didn’t have time to go there.
In terms of beaches, you can also walk to Cape Florida, a peninsula at the end of South Miami. There is a lighthouse at the end of the walk and different beaches on the way : Bear Cut Sandbar (for snorkeling), Key Biscayne Beach (you can see raccoons sometimes) and South Pier Beach, supposedly the most beautiful in Miami
And for those who want to try shooting guns (difficult to practice freely if you come from Europe), you can also visit lockandloadmiami.com
a very competent team will teach you how to handle the different weapons available. However the place is very expensive, I recommend you rather visit Shooters World in Orlando or Tampas, more economical but without the personalized coaching. Even your children will be able to shoot firearms (under your supervision)
14 days roadtrip in Florida
this article was describing the 1st step of a 14 days roadtrip in Florida which you can find here