Miami

The jewel of the Gold Coast, Miami combines a rich, diverse culture, colourful art deco surroundings, exclusive boutiques and exciting nightlife with a near perfect year-round climate.

Getting around

To really explore Miami it is almost essential to hire a car. Although there is a Metro-rail service and monorail which affords good views of Miami, both are relatively slow and don't cover many points in the city. However, the South Beach Art Deco District does offer several excellent walking and cycling tours if you'd rather not drive.

Must sees

• Bass Museum
• Seaquarium
• Metrozoo and Holocaust Memorial
• South Beach Art Deco District
• Ocean Drive
• Metro-Dade Cultural Centre
• Freedom Tower

Must buys

Flagler Street in downtown Miami is home to a large bazaar, which is bright, busy and brimming with a variety of outlets and stores. Alternatively, South Beach offers numerous exclusive boutiques and the Bayside Marketplace shopping mall is just off Biscayne Boulevard. For upmarket brands, the Bal Harbor Shopping Mall on Collins Avenue boasts Chanel, Cartier, Gucci, Hermes, Prada and Tiffany, to name but a few!

Must tries

Cuban-style dishes and seafood are prominent including the 'all-you-can-eat stone crab claws'on offer in South Beach and the local speciality of 'wahoo'- one of 500 species of fish found off the Floridian coast. Lincoln Road is a perfect spot to dine outside in the subtropical climate that graces Miami, also perfect for exotic fruits. Locally grown produce such as lychees, mangoes and papayas are commonly used in milkshakes and various types of sauce.

*Please note
If you are travelling to the USA on or after 12^th January 2009, we have very important information from US passport control regarding new entry requirements that you MUST read.  See our USA - Electronic System for Travel Authorisation web page for more details.