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Your ultimate guide to Miami Beach

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Jen KaretnickOct 22, 2021, 20:01 IST

Your ultimate guide to Miami Beach — Founded in 1915, Miami Beach is a world-famous city filled with luxury hotels and renowned cuisine.Bernhard Lang/Getty Images
Miami Beach is home to energetic nightlife and historic architecture.
There are many hotel, restaurant, and activity options when planning a trip to this sunny destination.
Miami Beach: Just those two words evoke steaming sun, sexy beaches, exuberant nightlife, celebrity chefs, mixologists offering their talents, stunning hotels, culture and arts, and shopping opportunities - all encased within historic art-deco, Miami Modern, and Mediterranean Revival architecture.
It's amazing to think that only a couple of decades ago, Miami Beach - specifically the historic neighborhood South Beach - was known as "Heaven's Waiting Room." Today, the city has earned itself a different nickname: the "American Riviera." The name hints at a playful paradise where it's impossible to experience the city all at once - especially as the pace and demand create new venues and opportunities for entertainment. The best way to explore Miami Beach is to follow the lead of the roughly 3.5 million annual visitors - by returning again and again.

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Getting to and around Miami Beach

Getting to and around Miami Beach — Miami International Airport hosts more than 100 airlines. aimintang/Getty Images
Founded in 1928, Miami International Airport (MIA) is the leader in flights to and from Latin America and the Caribbean. In fact, the transit hub hosts more than 100 airlines and is the nation's third-busiest airport for international airports. About 60% of those who visit Miami arrive via MIA, which is about 13 miles from the heart of South Beach.
Alternatively, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is only about 29 miles north of South Beach. The hub serves 135 domestic and international destinations. With 12 rental-car agencies on the property, both locals and tourists find this to be a terrific alternative when flying into and out of the region.
While Florida is a long state, many visitors also drive to Miami Beach. It takes 8 1/2 hours from the Florida-Georgia border to get to Miami Beach. But during the winter season, it's common for travelers to stay for weeks or even months in this warm haven. For a longer journey, having a car makes sense.
Alternatively, you can take the Amtrak Auto Train to several stations in Florida, such as Orlando or Kissimmee. From there, you can drive just a few hours to Miami Beach.

Where to stay in Miami Beach

Where to stay in Miami Beach — Kimpton Surfcomber Miami recently underwent an extensive renovation, resulting in a lush, outdoor vibe as well as a stunning interior. Jen Karetnick for Insider
The municipality of Miami Beach comprises both man-made and natural barrier islands between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. To reach the city from mainland Miami, you can cross a variety of causeways, or long bridges.
When people refer to Miami Beach, they sometimes picture only the South Beach portion. The 2.5-square-mile area is the southernmost region and features the art-deco historic district, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. From south to north, Miami Beach goes from South Pointe to 23rd Street. When traveling west to east, the city has Sunset Harbor, Lincoln Road — a famous, outdoor walking mall — and the beachside boulevard Ocean Drive, where many art-deco hotels are.
If you wish to stay on Ocean Drive — which is often the scene of a nightly street party but has direct beach access — a few options will separate you from the crowds. The Betsy South Beach is a genteel hotel with jazz piano in the lobby and arts programming every night of the week. We also love the Yabu Pushelberg-designed rooms at Hotel Victor South Beach.
Off Ocean Drive, we take delight in a trio of dog-friendly Kimpton Hotel properties: the recently and lushly renovated Surfcomber; the generously spaced Angler's, which is in one of the few Mediterranean Revival buildings; and the boutique Palomar on the trendy west side of the island in Sunset Harbor.
For welcoming your pups as well as a wealth of activities — like rooftop tennis and basketball — and celebrity sightings, the W South Beach is a win-win-win.
The entirety of Miami Beach extends much further north than its perceived boundaries. The city includes informal communities such as North Beach and Mid-Beach and ends at 63rd Street, where the town of Surfside — followed by Bal Harbour — begins.
If you're looking for luxury vacation spots outside the South Beach area, particularly with family in tow, try The Miami Beach Edition. This hotel features entertainment such as bowling in the basement. And Faena Hotel Miami Beach is chock-full of arts, dining, and entertainment, including the occasional skating party.
If you're searching for low-key elegance and wellness, though, we recommend the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort.

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What to eat in Miami Beach

What to eat in Miami Beach — Nobu is a world-renowned Japanese restaurant in Miami Beach. Romain Maurice/Getty Images
In general, Miami is known for its Cuban fare and variety of Latin American and Caribbean cuisines — including Argentine and Venezuelan. It's also a hot spot for chefs and mixologists from all over the globe. And, of course, with the ocean nearby, seafood — especially stone crabs at the historic Joe's Stone Crab — is mandatory. A local tip: The fried chicken is also delicious. And if you don't want to wait two hours in line, order from Joe's Take Away and organize a beach picnic.
You can't go wrong with any of the hotels mentioned, which offer everything from a carnivore's repast at Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann (Faena Hotel Miami Beach) to a rustic Emilia-Romagna feast at Osteria Morini (Kimpton Hotel Palomar South Beach). In fact, a lot of the restaurants mentioned are also in hotels that vary from the historic and renovated to the newer and funkier, such as the Moxy.
Miami Beach also features a world of Michelin-starred talent. Kosushi Miami's exquisite sushi menu and cocktails merge Brazilian and Colombian influences. At SLS South Beach Miami, The Bazaar by José Andrés incorporates stunning molecular-gastronomic Latin American and Caribbean bites. And a little further north, check out Thomas Keller's The Surf Club Restaurant (just technically over the Miami Beach border in Surfside) at the historic Four Seasons at The Surf Club, as well as Hakkasan at Fontainebleau Miami Beach for outstanding Chinese cuisine. And right next door, Nobu Miami in the Nobu Hotel Miami Beach offers world-class seafood (Nobu Hotel Miami Beach is a boutique section of the Morris Lapidus-designed Eden Roc Miami Beach).
Rooftop dining and drinking have become especially popular, lofting guests into the balmy Miami skies across a variety of restaurants and lounges. Try Mila's Mediterranean and Japanese menu, Serena's Mexican dishes at the Moxy Miami South Beach, and Peruvian-influenced Japanese on Watr at the 1 Hotel's rooftop.
At Juvia, try a mix of French, Japanese, and Peruvian — but check out the Champagne bar and sunset-dinner menus as well. Smoke hookah at Voodoo Nightclub & Rooftop Lounge, and don't miss Sky Yard at the top of the Lincoln Eatery, a popular food hall.
For strictly local talent, get to know married chefs Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, who run Stiltsville Fish Bar. We also admire chef Jeremy Ford — who meticulously maintains Stubborn Seed — as well as chef Bee's (his formal name is Piyarat Potha Arreeratn) NaiYaRa Thai & Sushi. Further north, at 27 Restaurant & Bar and Broken Shaker, both in the Freehand hotel, Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi were the first ones to revolutionize the Magic City drinks industry with their cocktail sleight of hand.
For more casual eats, roam Miami Beach's food halls: Lincoln Road Mall and Time Out Market. And feel like a real Miamian by ordering a beer at the long-running Abbey Brewing Co. and a tropical sorbet at The Frieze. Head to Charlotte Bakery for Venezuelan-Argentine croquetas and empanadas, and find a mojito or Cuban coffee just about anywhere — but try Mas Cuba Cafe if you're taking a museum break at The Bass.

Activities in Miami Beach

Activities in Miami Beach — SoundScape Park is home to performances, movies, and morning yoga. Marina113/Getty Images
While the sand and water are the biggest attractions in the Miami Beach area, sometimes you need to get the kids out of the sun. In between Miami Beach and the mainland, the Miami Children's Museum is an excellent, interactive place to do just that.
In fact, those looking for brain-tuning cultural activities will find no shortage. Museums include The Bass, which features an eclectic mix of contemporary art and antiquities, and the Wilzig Museum Building, which houses an erotic collection of images. In the South of Fifth neighborhood, you can visit the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. There, exhibits might include anything from Judith Leiber's purses to a Barbra Streisand display.
While the Miami City Ballet is housed on Miami Beach, performances are generally at one of the three tricounty performing-arts centers. The unique training orchestra, Miami Beach's New World Symphony, holds concerts at its New World Center headquarters and broadcasts them outside via Wallcast Concerts. You can watch the performances and occasional movies via Wallcast at SoundScape Park. Bring chairs, blankets, and a picnic to make a night of it. In the mornings, there's a yoga series in the park.
For more physical activities, such as tennis, football, soccer, running, and aquatics, head to Flamingo Park. For more outdoor music performances, check out the North Shore Park Band Shell.
If you prefer sedentary sights, Lincoln Road is a great place to people-watch. And if you like to browse shops, this district is one of the biggest spots for popping in and out of boutiques. For more of the same, head to Collins Avenue between 5th and 10th streets. There you'll find name-brand boutiques including Guess, Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, and Kenneth Cole. But for the pricier designer and department stores — and even more eye-popping observation of the clientele, which dresses to impress — head just past the Miami Beach border to Bal Harbour Shops, an open-air mall that has traditionally been one of the highest-selling shopping centers in America.

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Advisories to know before traveling to Miami Beach

Advisories to know before traveling to Miami Beach — Ocean Drive is often the scene of a nightly street party with direct beach access. Pgiam/Insider
While most restaurants, attractions, and activities have resumed operations, it's always best to call or consult a website before arriving at a venue. Some, like Jungle Island, have taken the opportunity to reinvent themselves or are in the process of reopening.
Festivals such as Art Basel in Miami Beach and South Beach Wine & Food Festival have resumed, as have outdoor concerts like Miami Music Week. You may be asked by private organizations to show proof of vaccination.
Masks and social distancing are not mandatory outdoors but encouraged in large crowds.
Masks are mandatory in all indoor facilities, whether or not you have been vaccinated or have natural immunity from COVID-19. Employees and visitors are all required to wear masks unless they are actively eating and drinking.
The Miami Beach Trolley is operating at a reduced service level and with a high frequency of interior vehicle cleaning. The trolley operates daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. at approximately 30-minute intervals along each route. Passengers on board may be asked to disembark for sanitization purposes. Hand sanitizer will always be available for passengers on all trolley vehicles. All passengers must wear masks over their noses and mouths when boarding, disembarking, and during travel.
Check Miami-Dade County's service announcements for complete Metrobus transit updates.
For COVID-19 testing, visit the parking lot on 17th Street and Convention Center Drive. It operates daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You do not need an appointment. While it offers a single booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, you must be a Miami-Dade County resident to receive the shot.
Please note that for all safety precautions concerning the pandemic, it's best to check in with local Miami Beach government policy here, which may differ from county and state policy.

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