TrekAmerica’s City Guide to

MIAMI

MIAMIOVERVIEW

DON’T MISS!1. MIAMI BEACH You can’t miss the white sand beach stretching along Miami’s coastline, but it’s not all about sunbathing. It’s also amazing for people-watching as locals work on their tanned, toned beach bods.

2. SOUTH BEACH Don’t confuse South Beach with Miami Beach. SoBe is so much more than just sand! Drinks � ow non-stop as the sun sets on hot days, and even hotter nights get going.

3. LINCOLN ROAD � e centre of Miami’s shopping scene, Lincoln Road’s shopping is legendary, as are its bars. It’s not cheap though. Take plenty of money and prepare to spend it all!

4. TAKE TO THE WATER Forget a tame little pedalo ride… � is is Miami! Go � y boarding, parasailing, jet skiing, paddle boarding, Hobie Cat sailing or just hop on a party boat for sunset drinks.

5. LITTLE HAVANA � e closest you can get to Cuba without actually going there, Little Havana plays host to a huge Cuban expat community, o� en smoking cigars and playing dominoes.

6. PATRICIA AND PHILLIP FROST MUSEUM OF SCIENCE Re-opening in the summer of 2016, you won’t want to miss this brand new, state-of-the-art facility.

7. LET’S PLAY BALL Floridians love baseball, and you simply have to take a visit to Marlins Park baseball stadium to experience it for yourself. Tickets are fairly cheap, but eat before you go!

8. SHOOT A GUN If shooting an automatic weapon is on your bucket list, then this is your chance at Lock & Load (North Miami Ave). Take your pick from the AK47, SCAR 17, M429 LMG and the Barrett .50 caliber.

9. BAYSIDE MARKET PLACE Over a hundred shops and restaurants, an open air market and live Latino music every night; Bayside is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Miami.

10. VIZCAYA MUSEUM & GARDENS It’s bizarre to discover a European-style palace in this beach lovers’ paradise, but this Italian Museum & Gardens on the Biscayne Bay is straight out of a fairytale.

Party in the city where the heat is on! You’re in Miami, home of beaches, bars and babes, where it’s all about seeing and being seen. Even the buildings are showy, with the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in America and some knock-out five star hotels to lust after.

Even if your budget doesn’t stretch to five stars, you can still have the celebrity experience (and maybe even spot one or two real ones) in Miami’s thriving club scene. Feast on Caribbean-inspired cuisine and practice your Spanish with a local (about 4 in 10 people here speak Spanish, but don’t make the mistake of thinking they can’t understand English!). Forget Walt Disneyland; Miami is Florida’s real playground, and you’re about to find out why.

Art Deco District

The Wynwood

Miami Beach

Ocean DriveLittle

Havana

Atlantic Ocean

Best Selfi e SpotsOcean Drive – � e Art Deco buildings and vintage cars driven by models with tiny dogs are all perfect camera fodder.

South Beach – A sel� e with a lifeguard next to his brightly painted watch post just screams ‘I’m in Miami!’

Lincoln Road – Not just a shopping street, but one of the best places to people-watch and maybe snag a celebrity sel� e.

1. The Art Deco district – Take a stroll past the Art Deco buildings in South Beach to admire the glamorous 1920s style hotels, especially along Ocean Drive where Miami’s elite cruise in classic cars to match. Take your camera for insta-ready shots.

2. The Wynwood – Filled with art galleries, shops, salons, bars and cafes, as well as some of the best street art in the city, the Wynwood is a must-do. � ey host regular art walks and on the 2nd Saturday of each month the place turns into a block party, with live music and entertainment.

3. Free museum days – � e Wolfsonian-FIU museum is free every Friday a� er 6pm, the Pérez Art Museum is free the second Saturday of each month, and the Museum of Contemporary Art o� ers free live jazz on the plaza at 8pm. on the last Friday of each month.

4. Free yoga by the waterside – Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami hosts free classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. � ere’s also free yoga on Saturday mornings in Coconut Grove at Kennedy Park, and Wednesday and Saturday evenings at Margaret Pace Park.

5. Viernes Culturales (Cultural Fridays) – On the last Friday of every month from 7pm, Little Havana’s Calle Ocho between 13th and 17th Avenues transforms into an open-air gallery, with artists, sculptors, and musicians � lling the sidewalks with their creations and concerts.

Talk like a local

Spanishisms like ‘porfa’ (shortened from ‘por favor’) and ‘que cute’

(when something is really cute) are found everywhere. Miamians also

like to use the word ‘super’ wherever possible, as in ‘those shoes are

super cute’, or ‘that girl is super hot’!

THINGS TO DO FOR FREE

Cuban, Puerto Rican and Haitian in� uences bring colour and � avour to every dish in Miami, and you’ll � nd plenty of establishments throughout the city willing to show you what Miami’s food scene is all about.

Our favourites:1. Versailles – � e most famous restaurant in Little Havana, Versailles seats over 350 people but manages to maintain its authenticity, as well as serve the tastiest Cuban food in town. Try a Cuban sandwich with a side of croquetas and café con leche.

2. Yardbird – � is South Beach institution focuses on good old fashioned soul food, like chicken and wa� es, mac and cheese, and shrimps and grits, but delivered in an upscale and pretty impressive way. Meals are huge so aim to share!

3. Pubbelly – On the west side of Miami’s peninsula and with one of the best sunset spots in town, this pork-obsessed gastropub serves small tapas-style plates and is a great place for a couple of sundowners. Don’t go if you’re starving though, as you’ll probably spend a small fortune!

NightlifeWe could write an entire guide to nightlife in Miami, there’s so much choice! For those a� er a wild night, one of South Beach’s bars or clubs will do the trick. Mango’s on Ocean Drive serves amazing cocktails, Nikki Beach literally fronts onto the beach, and mega-club Icon has loads of rooms, each with unique vibes, all of them guaranteeing you an incredible night.

It wouldn’t be Miami without a Cuban inspired night out, and some of our favourite haunts include Bongos Cuban Cafe, Hoy Como Ayer and La Covacha, which spin the best salsa, merengue, bachata, and reggaeton hits into the small hours. For an alternative, low-key night out, head to one of the up-and-coming dive bars which serve cheaper drinks and have a quieter, more relaxed feel. Our top pick is the Abbey Brewing Company.

Don’t forget your ID, as entry is strictly over 21s!

GETTING AROUND

way. Meals are huge so aim to share!

Base yourself in South Beach and almost all of the attractions, bars and clubs will be in walking distance. If you don’t fancy the walk, there are plenty of taxis around which will take you anywhere you want to go, and they run on meters so no need to worry about negotiating prices.

FOR THE FOODIES

Watch out forYou’ll see ticket touts giving out wristbands for free entry and drinks to clubs. A wristband can mean a free drink, but there’s no guarantee of free entry as most clubs have a cover charge.

Always double check your bill in restaurants to see if it already includes service. Tourists are

o� en fooled into ‘double tipping’.

Don’t take buses at night. Always take a licensed taxi, and make sure you know

your hotel’s address so you can get home safely.

� e City of Miami Trolley service is a fun and free way to get around the city, and runs pretty much all over town from 6.30am until 11pm daily (Sunday has a reduced service). It even has its own app (called Miami Trolley) which � nds routes and stops near you, and even tells you when the next one is due to arrive!

� ere are lots of bus routes all over town too, but bus travel isn’t recommended as it’s slow and can be unsafe, especially at night.

tells you when the next one is due to arrive!

MAY – Cinco de Mayo (5th of May) brings � estas to the whole city, with celebrations of Mexican heritage and plenty of drinking!

JUNE – Summer Shorts Festival. No, not the shorts you’re thinking of. � is festival is a showcase of hilarious short plays all month long.

JULY – � e fourth of July is celebrated all over the country, but Miami does it fair justice with huge � reworks displays in Bayfront Park and Miami Beach.

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER – Miami Spice restaurant festival runs for 2 months, and you can dine in some of the city’s best restaurants for reduced prices!

Contact details – website and international Tel no in the footer.

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Tour Leader � p“If you’re feeling up for it, rent a pair of in-line roller blades and cruise up and down the Promenade o� Ocean Beach. And if you get hungry, make sure to get a Cubano sandwich - a delicious Cuban specialty that features ham, roasted pork, Swiss cheese and pickles. Muy delicioso!”

FESTIVALS & EVENTS APRIL TO SEPTEMBER

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