Miami & Miami Beach
Miami is known as the "Capital of
Latin America," and for good reason. This large urban
area boasts the largest Latin American population in the
U.S., and is the business center for the whole region.
With its large number of Cuban émigrés,
Miami provides a unique cultural mix, influencing the
dining and entertainment scenes.
Miami Beach is still the most
popular area for visitors, with its many hotels including
many restored art deco masterpieces in the South Beach
area. Originally made of sand dredged from the bay, Miami
Beach is now a long sandbar, lined with hotels,
restaurants, and shops.
What to See & Do
Beaches come to mind, when thinking about
how to spend a vacation in Miami. Miami Beach -- with its
long stretches of ocean beach, and Key Biscayne, are the
preferred places to while away a day sunning, swimming
and engaging in water sports. If you're staying in Miami
beach, you'll have only a short walk to the nearest
beach. Many hotels have their own beach space.
And while you're in Miami Beach, be sure to
take in the action in South Beach. This area,
originally popularized in the 1930s with the many small
art deco hotels, is an active area for people watching,
dining, and night clubbing. The hotels have been
restored, and boast bright colors. People stroll (or
skate) along Ocean Drive. It's as busy at night as in the
daylight hours.
Little Havana is a popular
destination for visitors to the area. Cuban restaurants
and shops are hereto explore. It helps if you can speak
Spanish. Many of the business people are unilingual. No
other place in the U.S. can you sample Cuban culture in
such a close-up way.
Vizcaya is an historic mansion
looking out on the waters of Key Biscayne. The expansive
gardens are spread across 30 acres, including a fine
formal garden filled with fountains. The house, with 70
rooms, is an art museum, containing many rooms filled
with paintings, cultures, and antique furniture.
Admission for adults is $8.00, for children, $4.00.
Guided tours of the home and gardens are available. For
information, call (305) 250-9133.
A fine day trip leads south to Key
Largo, the nearest of the Florida Key, and to John
Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park. This underwater park is
perfect for divers who enjoy looking at the abundant
wildlife under the surface.
Miami and Miami Beach Hotels
Fine hotels and hundreds of motels stretch
along the coast from south of Miami to Fort
Lauderdale and Boca Raton. The most desired hotels
for the young, hip, and famous are the art deco gems in
South Beach, where classic small hotels have been
refurbished and given modern touches. The night scene in
Miami Beach lives up to its reputation with most of the
action in South Beach.
Miles
and miles of great beaches.
