Overview to Miami: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
The wonderful Art Deco buildings that line South Beach are very much representative of Miami as a whole: colorful, stylish (if more than a little flamboyant) and utterly iconic. Miami is one of the most vibrant and – for the backpacker especially – rewarding travel destinations in America.
Miami Beach is part sun-soaked playground, part fashion runway; right the way along South Beach (and the world-renowned Ocean Drive in particular), people play sports, pump iron, pose and generally idle around in the sun.
Downtown, meanwhile, is the best place for eating out on a budget. Little Haiti, in the northern part of the city, offers fantastic Cajun cooking and a bustling Caribbean vibe. But it’s Cuban culture that really dominates the city, and nowhere is this more obvious than in Little Habana.
Nightlife-wise, the city’s famous gay scene isn’t the only thing that stands out after the sun sets. Miami is a major center of house music in particular, and the terrace bars and clubs of Ocean Drive, Downtown Miami and Coconut Grove are amongst America’s very best.
Day or night, the cafés of Washington Avenue have a more relaxed vibe perfect for watching the world go by, while the Design District (which runs from NE 5th Avenue to NE 2nd Avenue) is perhaps the coolest urban quarter outside of Manhattan.
But Miami is not completely devoted to just having a good time. The Bass Museum of Art and the Miami Museum of Art are exceptional galleries, with the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and the Historical Museum of Southern Florida offering equally intriguing culture.
Ultimately, Miami can't really be compared to anywhere else. Whether it’s all-night cocktail and music binges you’re looking for, or lazy days on a beach watching the ships slowly cross the blue horizon, the ciyu can provide it all in a way that’s truly unique.