Miami is known for white sand beaches, worlds largest collection of Art Deco architecture, Cuban food and buzzing nightlife scenes. It is a perfect place to escape the cold that envelopes that rest of the country during November-April. If you are flying from Midwest or East Coast, you can be sipping cocktails and laying on the beach/by the pool in as little as 2-3 hours.
I visited Miami for a week and for a short weekend and believe that you can really see and do most things in Miami in 2-3 days before having to venture out of the city for some great day trips. Below are some of our favorite things to do in Miami if you only have a weekend. You can do them all if you are looking to maximize your time in the city or pick a few if you're planning to have a relaxing weekend getaway.
1. Hit up the Beach
It's no surprise that beaches in South Beach area of Miami deserve the #1 spot on things to do in Miami list. The good news is that the beaches are all open to public and usually have life guards on duty to keep you safe. Some of our favorite beaches to visit are Lummus Park and Sand Pointe Park Pier.
Lummus Park is located on the eastern side of the famous Ocean Drive and it's a great place to visit for sunbathing, people watching or playing volleyball. There is a nice promenade that separates the beach from the grassy and shaded area of the park and you will always see someone running there at any time of the day. It is by far the most famous park in the city and has been featured in numerous TV shows and movies.
Sand Pointe Park Pier is 17 acres oceanfront oasis with swaying palm trees and footpath that invites you to enjoy the greenery on one side with ocean views and breeze coming from another side. You can easily spend afternoon here, relaxing on the beach, having a picnic in the grassy areas under the palm trees or strolling on the pier and trying to spot dolphins or manatees in the water. We got lucky and saw a manatee swimming right in front of us in January!
2. Self Guided Art Deco Tour
Miami has the highest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world which gained its popularity in 1930s.
You don't need to book an expensive tour to learn more about the Art Deco architecture in the city. You can download the map from this website that will show you all the key Art Deco buildings in South Beach. We highly recommend starting in Art Deco Welcome Center and then follow this map. You can choose how much time you want to spend on this activity, but it's easy to do while you roam around the city.
3. Visit the Famous Ocean Drive at Night
If you decide to do the Art Deco walk, you will naturally make your way to the world famous Ocean Drive, but we highly recommend to make this place an attraction of its own. This area is one the most iconic Miami places to visit especially at night to see all the neon lights on the buildings and blasting music from countless cafes and restaurants on this strip.
If you only have a weekend a Miami, make sure to spend a few hours dining or going out for a cocktail (or two;) on the Ocean Drive at night.
4. Get a Resort Pass to Pool/Beach Hop in the City
I'm a huge proponent of NOT staying in fancy hotels in the South Beach area and instead save money by staying in boutique hotels. Miami is famous for resort passes that give you access to top notch pool and beach resorts for as little as $25 per day. So instead of spending $300/night on a fancy hotel, spend $80 on boutique hotel and use the money to hop around different fancy hotels and sample their pool and beach scenes and of course cocktails.
The perks of spending money on a resort pass is you can enjoy swim up bars, hot tubs, saunas, large resort style pools, comfortable memory foam beach chairs and cocktail service without spending exorbent amount of money on a hotel room.
You can book a ticket by visiting Resort Pass website. Some of our favorite hotels where we used the pass include Grand Beach Hotel, SLS Brickell and The Confidante. You can also spend a bit more and check out places like Four Seasons and St. Regis.
Extra Tip: Some places allow you to use their beach, pool and spa facilities for free if you book a spa treatment. It can be as cheap as getting a manicure for $30-40. Always call the spa in a hotel to ask about this feature.
5. Check out Art in Wynwood Walls
Wynwood Walls is a large collection of open air installations presented by world famous grafitte artists that transformed a warehouse district of Wynwood into a blooming artsy neighboorhood.We highly recommend visiting the Wynwood Walls and the area at night to explore the art in dimmed light and check out local bars and restaurants in the area.
6. Be Transported to Cuba in Little Havana
Little Havana is a neighborhood in Miami that teems with Cuban culture. Spend a few hours during your trip walking down Calle Ocho to take in the smell of cigars from multiple shops on the street (you can even watch how traditional cigars are made), watch people play dominoes, grab afternoon cortado or fresh batido, hop in one of the clubs to test your skills in salsa dancing. If you get hungry, swing by famous Versailles to grab traditional Cuban food (note: if you are vegan, you will have a hard time finding variety of foods that you can eat in traditional Cuban restaurants, so make sure to eat a meal before exploring Little Havana).
On the last Friday of each month, Little Havana hosts Viernes Culturales, or Cultural Fridays, a monthly gallery night showcasing the cultural arts scene of the neighborhood.
7. Explore the World Class "Secret" Speakeasies
If you are still awake at night after all the exploring you did all day, make sure to check out some of the great speakeasies in the city. Both Joey and I are not into big party scene and much rather prefer indulging in a fancy cocktail in a dim lit room where you can enjoy a conversation and not have to scream in order to hear each other...
There are a ton of different options to choose from when it comes to speakeasies in Miami, our favorite was Coyo Taco. You can combine this with a visit to Wynwood Walls, since it's located in the same area, then grab some delicious tacos and go through a kitchen door that will lead you to the room in the back where you can wind down for the night and enjoy some delicious cocktails.
If you want to research more places, check out this article from Thrillist.
Hope these tips help you plan your next trip to Miami! There is so much to do in this vibrant city that I know we will keep coming back here to escape the cold of Michigan.
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