Miami, Florida

Miami, Florida, United States

Miami boasts glamour, elegance, and a cosmopolitan attitude, and as it is nestled on the Atlantic coast of Florida's most southern tip, this beaming city is also sunny and pleasantly warm all year round. To simply call this metropolis international is an understatement of criminal proportions due to its North American core with a twist of Caribbean culture, a healthy dose of Latin America, a dash of Africa, a touch of Asia, and a hint of Europe. All these elements and their fascinating blend give Miami a vibrant and exhilarating cultural life.

Population:

454,279 (2019)

Currency:

1 US dollar = 100 cents

Emergency Numbers:

Emergency Number: 911
Miami Police Department: +1 305 579 6111

Opening Hours:

Shops and attractions in Miami are normally open Mon–Sat 10am–6pm. Restaurants usually serve until 1am, while bars and clubs (in non-residential areas) do not close until around 5am.

Newspapers:

Miami Herald
Miami Today
Miami New Times
Biscayne Boulevard Times
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The City

Immigration has played a major role in Miami's explosive growth over the last 80 years, and this has naturally had a great influence on the shape of Miami today. Its people make Miami pulsate with a large and vibrant multicultural art scene, while its location at the sea and in the sun has attracted life-indulging pleasure-seekers from all over the world: the lazy beach culture by day gives way to infectious musical rhythms by night.

Miami – in this guide also referring to Miami Beach, which is built on a sandbar across Biscayne Bay – is a city of contrasts: across the street from one of the country's most exclusive nightclubs, visitors in the know can catch a gritty open mic night, and salsa clubs and musical theatre of the highest calibre exist here side by side.

Little Havana and Little Haiti are the centres of Caribbean life in the city, while the Art Deco architecture near South Beach exhibits Miami's heyday in the roaring 20s, mixed with today's latest fashion in dining, wining, living, and clubbing. Miami Beach exudes a celebrity lifestyle, while Miami itself has fast become an international cultural hot spot as a centre of Latin and North American art and gastronomy with inspiration taken from all corners of the world.

Miami has picturesque beaches, exceptional nightlife, plentiful shopping opportunities and delicious dining options. Although there is an abundance of things to do in the city and on the beach, visitors should not pass up the chance of taking one-day excursions to see some of the breathtaking natural surroundings.

Do & See

Miami has unlimited ways to charm visitors, as the city's natural beauty and its surroundings are breathtaking, while its great climate offers chances in outdoor activities pretty much all year round.

While staying close to the city will allow you to enjoy some of the best beaches on the planet, do also explore a little further and visit the wonders of the Everglades or the Florida Keys.

Even though the weather nearly forces you to stroll around in the sun, Miami's architectural past and its vibrant art scene will tempt you to spend some time indoors, and the warmth of the vastly international population will make you want to stay here for good.

And here are some of the best things to do and see in Miami, Florida:

Dining

Like its people, Miami's cuisine is an infusion of flavours. Greatly influenced by the city’s ethnic mix and its location by the Atlantic Ocean, creative chefs have merged Miami’s seafood with Asian, Caribbean, European and South American flavours, and the result is a limitless array of options, ranging from world-class chefs and their fusion experiments to family-run holes-in-the-wall serving up specialties from around the globe. And one cannot leave town before trying the deliciously refreshing local dessert: Key Lime pie.

Below are the best places to eat in Miami, Florida:

Cafes

Coffee culture in Miami is eclectic, and it draws on European, American, and Caribbean influences. As coffee in general, and especially here, is best enjoyed outside in the refreshing breeze while admiring the scenery and passers-by, take an espresso by the sands of South Beach, a cappuccino in Coral Gables, or a cortadito in the heart of Little Havana.

Here are some of the best cafes in Miami, Florida: