Top 10 Things to Do in Miami

The Everglades, just 45 minutes from downtown Miami, is the largest subtropical wilderness in North America — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only place on Earth where alligators and American crocodiles coexist. It spans 1.5 million acres. An airboat tour through the sawgrass prairies is the most thrilling way to experience it; Big Cypress National Preserve offers quieter kayak trails. The Anhinga Trail at the Royal Palm area is exceptional for wildlife — alligators, anhingas, herons, and roseate spoonbills are reliably visible from the boardwalk. Park entry is $40 per vehicle.

Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District on and around Ocean Drive is the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world — over 800 buildings constructed between 1923 and 1943 in Tropical Deco, Streamline Moderne, and Mediterranean Revival styles. The Miami Design Preservation League runs walking tours on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays ($45) that provide the best contextual understanding. Simply walking Ocean Drive, Collins Avenue, and Washington Avenue is free and extraordinary. The neon signs glow brilliantly after dark, offering a free nighttime spectacle.

Crandon Park Beach on the north end is consistently rated among America's top beaches. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park at the southern tip has the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County, the Cape Florida Lighthouse (1825), and a beautiful sweep of undeveloped beach. A bike rental from Miami side makes for a perfect half-day island loop, and the entire ride spans just 7 miles round trip.

The permanent collection focuses on international art from the 20th and 21st centuries with a strong emphasis on Caribbean and Latin American artists. Admission is $24; free first Thursdays (4–8pm) are very popular with locals, attracting over 3,000 visitors per session. The outdoor terraces with Biscayne Bay views are perfect for a drink from the Cielo restaurant inside. Art Basel Miami partner events happen here annually.

Vizcaya is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most extraordinary private estates in America — a 1916 Italian Renaissance-style villa built by industrialist James Deering on Biscayne Bay with 10 acres of formal European gardens. The annual Vizcaya Village art festival in February is worth timing a visit around.

Cuban coffee is Miami's lifeblood — coladas, cortaditos, and café con leche ordered at walk-up ventanillas (windows) throughout the city. A colada ($2–3) is a communal thimble-cup shot of intensely sweet espresso meant to be shared; a cortadito is the single-serve version. The Versailles Restaurant on Calle Ocho is the city's most famous Cuban café and bakery; Islas Canarias in West Miami and El Palacio de los Jugos are the authentic local picks. The ritual of coffee at the counter is as much a social institution as a caffeine delivery system. Compared to the average coffee shop brew, a colada is about 40% sweeter and costs 50% less than a typical latte, making it both a richer taste and a better value.

Coral Gables is Miami's most gracious planned community, a Mediterranean Revival city-within-a-city designed in the 1920s by George Merrick with arcaded streets, ornate entrance gates, and the extraordinary Biltmore Hotel. The Venetian Pool — a 1923 public swimming pool carved from a coral rock quarry and fed by artesian springs — is the most beautiful public pool in America, with grottos, waterfalls, and Venetian-style bridges. Entry costs $15 and advance booking is recommended in summer. The surrounding Coral Gables streets are free to wander.