15 Best Things to Do in Miami, Florida

Aerial view of Oleta River State Park, with skyline of Miami in distance — Visiting Oleta River State Park, Florida’s largest urban park, is one of the best things to do in Miami.

Often referred to as the Capital of Latin America, Miami has a myriad of cultures spread across the city, creating pockets of opportunities for visitors. Having traveled the world while calling Florida home since the late ’90s, I’ve spent the decades with my Cuban American husband going well beyond the spring break or South Beach vacation tropes (with its water fun and nightlife) to better understand the city’s many dynamic layers.

Funky art installations, Latin and Caribbean foods, art deco buildings, and tropical oases, are just a few highlights to add to your agenda next time you’re in Miami.

Family on lawn at Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden (L); closeup of colorful, swirling glass sculpture in garden — Sculptor Dale Chihuly is one artist who has had work showcased at the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Founded in 1936, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens is named for botanist and plant explorer David Fairchild, and its 83 acres sport more than 3,400 tropical plant species from all over the world.

Events year-round make it a place worth multiple visits, like the annual mango festival in July that offers the chance to taste hundreds of varieties of the tropical fruit. You can stroll for hours through uncrowded grounds while experiencing a tropical butterfly garden, habitats reminiscent of the Florida Keys, pretty waterways where ducklings frolic, and even the occasional wild crocodile.

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

Completed in 1916, this antique-filled villa on Biscayne Bay was the home of the early 20th-century industrialist James Deering and is now a National Historic Landmark. The house was modeled after historic villas and country estates in the Veneto region of northern Italy.

The heart and main living area of the house is the Courtyard, which was originally open to the sky. Garden designer Diego Suarez, who had worked in Florence, designed the gorgeous formal gardens with classic Italianate flair, but modified for the heat and humidity of southern Florida. Thousands of varieties of orchids flourish in the greenhouse, while subtropical trees, palms, and low hedges highlight the property’s layout.

Mayfair House Hotel

Hidden in plain sight on a main retail drag in Coconut Grove, Mayfair House Hotel greets you like a secret Eden in the middle of the city. Fountains bubble and tropical greenery spills from layers of balconies in a quiet interior courtyard setting.

The art nouveau property has 179 guest rooms, 18 suites (some with private balconies), and a gorgeous rooftop pool and rum bar with views overlooking Biscayne Bay. The best brunch spot in all of Coconut Grove is the hotel’s Mayfair Grill, with passionfruit spritzes, cinnamon toast on buttered brioche, and a to-die-for broken eggs (huevos rotos) piled with crispy shoestring fries and Iberico ham.

Biscayne National Park

Visitors are often surprised to learn there’s a national park within eyeshot of downtown Miami’s skyscrapers. Being 95 percent covered by water, Biscayne National Park sprawls across Biscayne Bay and the northernmost islands of the Florida Keys chain. The best way to enjoy the park is via the water, as it’s popular among divers, snorkelers, anglers, and boaters.

The Biscayne National Park Institute offers a range of guided boat and snorkeling tours that depart from Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove and include outings to Boca Chita Key offshore and the collection of wooden houses in Biscayne Bay known as Stiltsville. At the park headquarters, further south in Homestead, you can explore exhibits, partake in guided walks, or stroll on your own along the boardwalk over shallow waters into the bay.

Little River Neighborhood

Named for the river running along its northern edge, this up-and-coming Miami neighborhood just north of Wynwood and Little Haiti is a local favorite for its lack of pretensions and welcoming independent bars and restaurants. Beer lovers flock to Off Site Nano Brewery for its micro brews and minimalist vibes, while Magie is a low-key neighborhood wine bar full of vintage sofas that feels like hanging in a friend’s living room. The coffee-loving crowd converges at specialty roaster Imperial Moto Café, and the Citadel has a happening rooftop bar and food hall that is busy all day as well as late night.

People under hanging exhibit of boats at Perez Art Museum — Pérez Art Museum Miami has nearly 3,000 works of art.

Pérez Art Museum Miami

The Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), located off Biscayne Boulevard, offers world-class exhibitions, outdoor sculptures, and spaces for art, relaxation, and dining. Before entering the three-story Pérez Art Museum Miami, you meander along a walkway past cruise ships and several acres of meadows, before coming face-to-face with the striking vertical greenery of the Hanging Gardens, designed by Patrick Blanc. The exhibitions here often skew political and thought provoking, with a focus on international art from the 20th and 21st centuries.

For a breezy meal on site, try the sprawling terrace at the museum’s Verde, with waterfront views and excellent fish tacos and pizzas.

Pathway leading to beach with many white sun umbrellas — Miami’s South Beach is one of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods.

South Beach

For a taste of Miami’s essential beach life, cross the bay from downtown Miami to South Beach. This area is known for the art deco hotels lining Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue, glittering nightlife, and see-and-be-seen vibe.

The long stretch of beach, starting with South Pointe Park and its 450-foot pier at the top of historic Washington Avenue, is a fine place to take in the postcard-ready image of Miami and enjoy the sunset over the cityscape. This is where you’ll find some of Miami’s top-tier nightlife and award-winning restaurants, not to mention great people-watching and luxury-car spotting.

Oleta River State Park

Oleta River State Park is Florida’s largest urban park. It’s in North Miami Beach and covers more than 1,000 gorgeous acres that span mangrove-lined waterways and marshes, offering kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking. Just a half-hour drive from downtown Miami, the park is cut through by the Oleta River and lapped by Biscayne Bay, with so many nooks and crannies to check out you could easily return again and again.

The park is also known for its beautiful beach area with picnic tables and grills, where groups like to settle in for the day on weekends. It even has air-conditioned cabins to rent for an overnight stay.

Interior of suite, with wood floors and Japanese art on white walls — Teak wood stars at the Asian art deco Setai Hotel.

The Setai Miami Beach

This luxury beachside hotel has been a mainstay for nearly two decades now and only seems to get finer with time. East meets west at the Setai Miami Beach, where rooms are furnished in teak woods and an Asian art deco design. When you’re ready to take a soothing break from Miami’s high energy, head to the deluxe Valmont spa, where you can have a massage, facial, or guided meditation with panoramic ocean views.

Of the property’s three on-site restaurants, the newest is Japón, which is getting all the buzz of late thanks to its incredibly lavish interior and Japanese dishes prepared with freshly sourced seafood.

A few people on long green bench among palm trees — Bayfront Park is a great place to take a breather in downtown Miami.

Bayfront Park

For one of the best spots to take a breather in downtown Miami, Bayfront Park has 32 acres of green space, including venues such as the Klipsch Amphitheater and the Tina Hills Pavilion. From the beach you can watch dolphins jump and play while luxury yachts pass through Biscayne Bay, and you’ll also have views of the cruise ships and marina. Come for the Fourth of July fireworks or the New Year’s Eve countdown, two of the popular community events here.

Cape Florida Light

The Cape Florida Light, in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on the tip of Key Biscayne, is the oldest lighthouse in the state. It’s a newly restored 95-foot white-brick tower, sitting atop sand and rocks and attracting plenty of visitors to climb up to the top for the view of downtown Miami and the Atlantic Ocean. The park also includes a replica of the lighthouse keeper’s 1825 cottage.

For a secret sunset spot nearby, visit the Cleat, hidden within the state park on No Name Harbour. The restaurant’s excellent watermelon sangria and ceviche perfectly pair with its toes-in-the-sand atmosphere.

Little Haiti

This vibrant neighborhood is just north of Wynwood and the Miami Design District. It’s a wonderful place to experience a strong Afro-Caribbean culture and tradition, as well as some independent galleries, street murals, and cool bars.

On the third Friday of every month, the Little Haiti Cultural Complex puts on Sounds of Little Haiti, a concert series showcasing local bands, dance troupes, and some of the biggest names in Haitian Creole music. Don’t leave the neighborhood before checking out the Mache Ayisyen Caribbean marketplace, which replicates the Iron Market in Port au Prince.

Biltmore Hotel Miami

The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables is a National Historic Landmark that dates to 1926—in fact, many visitors take a tour of the property without even staying there. The Biltmore is a classic, with a central tower that was modeled after 12th-century Giralda tower in Seville, Spain. The grandeur is hardly subtler inside, with antique chandeliers and columns everywhere. The hotel has more than 270 rooms, 150 tropical acres, an 18-hole golf course, and one of the largest swimming pools in the USA; it sparkles across 23,000 square feet.

Past guests of the property range from Al Capone and Judy Garland to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, for a sampling. Free tours led by guides with the Dade Heritage Trust are offered on Sundays at 2pm.

Design District

While the call of the beach is powerful in Miami, world-class art, architecture, and shopping lure travelers to the Design District. Marc Quinn’s acrobatic Myth Fortuna sculpture of Kate Moss and Fernando Botero’s iconic Maternity are among the eye-catching installations on display in the neighborhood’s plazas and along its palm-lined streets.

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami opened here in December 2017, and top galleries include Maman Fine Art. When it comes to the art of fashion, major brands are well represented: Versace, Bvlgari, Harry Winston, Miu Miu, Prada, Acme, Golden Goose and Max Mara are among those with a presence here.

Tables of foursomes playing games at Domino Park — Máximo Gómez Park is also known as Domino Park.

Little Havana

Calle Ocho or Little Havana is where all things Cuban and Latino come together in Miami. Can’t-miss spots include Máximo Gómez Park—if you play dominoes and have the patience to wait for a spot at a table, you will be in on the hottest game this side of the Florida Straits. (Or just watch as all ages face off for hours and hours.) Travelers can also visit the Calle Ocho Walk of Fame and read the names of Latin stars such as the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, along the star-studded sidewalk.

Trying the food here is also a must. The gourmet Cuban sandwiches at Sanguich de Miami have earned cult status as well as Michelin’s Bib Gourmand recognition. And be sure to finish the night at Little Havana ice cream spot Azucar, serving tropical flavors like guava and dulce de leche.

GiAnna Wyatt contributed reporting.

Terry Ward

Terry Ward is a Florida-based travel writer whose work appears in CNN, National Geographic, Lonely Planet, and the Washington Post, among many other outlets.

Art Deco, White-Sand Beaches, and Live Music: 15 Can’t-Miss Things to Do in Miami

With the right itinerary—and a strong cafecito or two running through your veins—you can fit in a bit of it all in Miami.