Miami offers a good mix of things to see and do among its skyscraper-strewn cityscape, with plenty of options for families and couples, some of which are free to access and enjoy. A great way to tune into the city’s busy foot traffic is by doing the Miami Riverwalk, which allows you to take in the views of the city at your own easy pace. A unique cultural scene that Miami is most famous for is Little Havana. This neighbourhood offers vivid Cuban sights, sounds, and flavours.
Great family attractions just a short drive out of Downtown Miami includes Jungle Island. This theme park is filled with activities like ziplines and a petting zoo. Shoppers will love the Bayside Marketplace overlooking Biscayne Bay, and night owls looking for a great clubbing scene are well catered for with the cool rooftops and hip nightspots available. Check out these things to do in Miami to help you make the most out of your visit.
What are the best things to do in Miami?
1. Miami Riverwalk
This pedestrian walkway along the Miami River allows you to take in Downtown Miami’s urban landscapes from a different perspective, and at your own pace. You can start off at either end of the Riverwalk, be it at the Bayfront Park just north of the downtown area, or at the Riverwalk Metromover station near the Government Center. Come around November and you can expect a host of cultural shows held through the Miami Riverwalk Festival. The Riverwalk is also pleasant in the evening, with city lights shimmering on the water’s surface.
2. Wynwood Walls
Strolling through Wynwood is a feast for the eyes. One of Miami’s most hip and happening districts is home to Wynwood Walls, an outdoor gallery of colourful murals and dazzling street art. Besides the Walls, you can also find the Wynwood Doors, featuring around 176 ft of roll-up storefront gates adorned in strokes and splashes of colour in similar fashion. The area’s main open green space serves as the centrepiece, featuring successive artworks from different international artists each year
3. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is the former estate of a rich Miami businessman. This beautiful estate in Miami’s Northeast Coconut Grove neighbourhood is reminiscent of an idyllic Tuscan villa. It has lavishly furnished interiors filled with arts and treasures. It is now open to the public as a historical site. The extensive Italian Renaissance gardens are tranquil, with shaded pathways under large trees. It’s surrounded by native woodlands and overlooks Biscayne Bay.
4. Everglades
Many visitors to Miami enjoy the chance to explore the Everglades – the tropical wetlands of Florida with its scenic sawgrass prairies and mangrove-forested estuaries. A great way to explore the Everglades is by airboat, a propeller-powered craft that skims swiftly over the grassy rivers. Various stops enable you to take in the beauty of nature. Wildlife sightings along the way include alligators with their nesting grounds nearby. Back at the base, you can even get the chance to hold a baby gator and chat with local handlers.
5. Little Havana
If you’re looking for a unique cultural scene in Miami, Little Havana can be a great destination. This lovely neighbourhood just west of Downtown Miami is home to the famous Calle Ocho strip, where most of Miami’s best Cuban restaurants can be found. Besides dining and shopping, Little Havana teems with art, and you can enjoy strolls along streets with brightly painted bins, statues, and murals. Beautiful Latin music can be heard throughout the area, with the aromas of coffee, fresh unlit Cuban tobacco, and grilled chorizospermeating the air.
6. Jungle Island
You can reach the manmade Watson Island with around 10 minutes’ drive east from Downtown Miami, along the MacArthur Causeway. It’s home to Jungle Island, a family-oriented eco-adventure park filled with a good variety of activities. Younger kids can find a petting zoo or slide down inflatable waterslides. Older kids can zoom down ziplines, and settle any sibling rivalries at the Nerf gun battle stadium. An outdoor wind tunnel, the SuperFlight Aerodium, is for those willing to experience the freefall sensations of skydiving.
7. Zoo Miami
Officially known as the Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens, Zoo Miami is Florida’s largest zoological park. Established in 1948 and having undergone significant expansions in the ‘80s, the zoo now occupies over 750 acres in the neighbourhood of South Miami Heights, an hour’s drive southwest from Downtown Miami. It’s home to over 3,000 animals from Asia, Africa, Australia, the Amazon River basin, and Florida’s own Everglades region. Kids will love the petting zoo, as well as the chance to feed the giraffes at certain times