Most tourists come to Miami to soak up the beaches, see celebrities and hang out in clubs. However, the city has many interesting sights, which can be combined into a full-fledged cultural program.
According to iamaccepted, one of the most impressive places is the Vizcaya Villa in Coconut Grove. This is a whole architectural and landscape complex with luxurious well-groomed gardens and unusual buildings. The villa itself, once owned by businessman James Dearing, was built in the Mediterranean Renaissance style with Baroque elements. In the 70 rooms of the mansion, you can admire the original interiors, antique furniture and European antiques.
A more modern cultural and architectural value of Miami is the mansion of Gianni Versace, the founder of the legendary Fashion House. Here, spectacular handmade frescoes and a 16-meter pool with solid gold mosaics have been preserved.
A sad but touristy detail: Versace was shot dead on the steps of his own mansion.
Coral Castle can be considered one of the most unusual tourist places in the vicinity of the city. Once it was built by the Latvian emigrant Edward Lidskalnin alone. In fact, the castle is a complex complex of many megaliths, the weight of which reaches 30 tons. How exactly the eccentric author managed to build this structure is still unknown.
One of Miami’s recognizable symbols is the bright yellow Freedom Tower, built in the Mediterranean Revival style. Today, the Museum of Modern Art and the offices of Miami-Dade College are based here.
The Everglades National Park is a 30-minute drive from the city ( website ). It occupies almost a fifth of the territory of Florida, here you can go kayaking and canoeing, go fishing, go on a themed ecotour.
Fans of wildlife are also welcome in the Fairchild tropical botanical garden with an area of 34 hectares. Its pride is a unique collection of rare plants: palms, cicadas, lianas and flowering trees.
There are many interesting museums in Miami. The most piquant exposition is at the World Museum of Erotic Art ( website ), where even the furniture is made in the form of “those” parts of the body. The Perez Museum of Art has an excellent collection of exhibits from Africa, America and Western Europe, dating back to the past and present centuries. Miami Design District is an entire design district with numerous art galleries under brightly painted facades ( website ). Former warehouses today are a favorite haunt of the Miami bohemia.
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- Sunbathe under the hot Florida
- Admire the city from a helicopter.
- Go on a lion safari.
- Surf the waves on a surfboard.
- Proceed along and across Lincoln Road.
- Count the megaliths at Coral Castle.
- See the sunken statue of Christ at a depth of 6 meters.
- Meet a celebrity at a restaurant on Collins Avenue.
- Stand on the steps of the Versace mansion and stay alive.
Miami for kids
A very rich entertainment program awaits the little guests of Miami. It’s worth starting with a visit to the Miami Zoo , the only tropical zoo in the United States. Its territory is divided into 4 thematic zones: “Africa”, “Asia”, “Amazonia” and “Australia” with the corresponding landscapes, flora and fauna.
Miami’s exploration of nature continues at Jungle Island ( website ), where you can admire exotic animals and birds in their natural habitat.
Parrot Jungle has more than 1100 birds, Monkey Jungle has hundreds of funny monkeys, and Lion Country is the real South Africa with lions, rhinos, giraffes, antelopes, zebras and elephants.
The Miami Children’s Museum ( website ) is also a must-see. There is everything here so that the kids can feel like adults: a miniature bank, a supermarket, a TV studio, a cruise ship, a fire and police department. With older children, you can take a day trip to Cape Canaveral with the famous Space Center. Kennedy. It is from here that American spacecraft are launched and controlled.
Weather in Miami
Miami has eternal summer: the Gulf Stream ocean current flows only 24 km from the coast of Miami, which makes its climate warm and mild. The maximum probability of hurricanes and storms is in July-August.
Cuisine and restaurants in Miami
In Miami, cuisines of the peoples of the world are represented in a variety: from Russian to Japanese. Numerous cafes and restaurants are located both on the coast and in the very center of the city. The most respectable establishments with rather high prices are concentrated on Collins Avenue and Lincoln Road. It is here that there is a chance to meet the stars of world show business, and simply wealthy people who want to have a good rest and eat delicious food. Local restaurants serve American, Japanese, Creole, Italian and Latin American cuisines. There are many fashionable establishments on the island of Brickell Key – in the recreation center of the Brickell area. Here you will be offered dishes of Greek, Mediterranean, Asian, Brazilian cuisines, as well as excellent seafood. Prices in prestigious establishments are about 85 USD for dinner per person.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, all trendy restaurants are full, so you need to book a table in advance.
More democratic cafes are located on Washington Avenue and Miracle Mile. There are many inexpensive pizzerias and small cozy bars. Local establishments serve not only classic American burgers and steaks, but also exotic treats based on traditional recipes from Thailand, Vietnam, Argentina and Peru. In small eateries you can have a bite for 5-10 USD, in a mid-level cafe – for 20-40 USD.
Miami has long been chosen by the Cuban diaspora, so you should definitely try the national dishes of Cuban cuisine here: baked bananas, turtle meat and, of course, the world-famous boiled lobsters with lemon.
Seafood lovers should go to Miami towards the end of summer: from August 8, the lobster season opens here. At this time, they are not only the most delicious and fresh, but also the cheapest: only 4-5 USD per piece.
