In order to keep you from being overwhelmed and help you plan your trip, we’ve assembled a list of five of our favorite things to do in Miami Beach. Among them: well-known tourist hot spots and local hideouts; nightlife that’ll spike your adrenaline; museums and artwork that will astound and humble you, and of course plenty to eat (and drink) in between those activities.
Here are five great things to do in Miami Beach.
The Wunderbar and lounge at Circa 39. Photo: Lindsay Wurm.
1. Groove out to some reggae at Purdy Lounge, a low-key dance club with some of Miami’s best DJs spinning Caribbean music as well as old-school hip-hop. Or drop by for their well-known “Chocolate Sundays,” which feature a blender of music genres, cheap drinks, and the weekly Drunken Spelling Bee.
2. Take a tour of the Historic Art Deco District by foot or bike and see more than 800 stunning architectural landmarks from the 1920s and beyond. You can walk yourself through the history or you can take a narrated tour and hear the interesting stories behind the first contemporary neighborhood to be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.
3. Miami Seaquarium, just minutes from downtown Miami, is the place to see dolphins fly, fearsome moray eels lurk in coral reef caverns, and where shimmering schools of exotic fish dance through underwater seascapes. It’s also the only place where you will see the graceful beauty of a Pacific white-sided dolphin and the incredible power of a three-ton killer whale.
4. Stay at Circa 39, located right in the center of Miami Beach, and just minutes away from a number of craft breweries, the trendy arts district, and numerous live music venues., Once you’ve ventured into the city, kick back and relax with a rum cocktail by the pool at Wunderbar and lounge in the highly instagrammable WunderGarden.
5. Order a croque monsieur and a salad with house specialty vinaigrette at La Sandwicherie, a small sandwich bar that packs a punch with its genuine-tasting French food and its fresh smoothies. Some regard this dive as the best sandwich shop in all of Florida.
This article was written in partnership with Visit Florida.
