48 hours in Miami
Explore Art Deco gems on a whistlestop tour of Florida’s coolest city
Florida’s most enticing city is a pleasure-driven blend of beaches and pool parties, with vibrant art and Art Deco architecture thrown in for good measure.
EVENING
After you’ve checked into your hotel, head out for cocktails in
Miami Beach, an area that boasts nearly 16km of golden sand.
In South Beach, its heart, Juvia (juviamiami.com), may not look much from the outside – the bar and restaurant at 1111 Lincoln Road is actually perched above a car park. But take a lift to the ninth floor and you won’t be disappointed – a vast roof terrace opens up from which you can drink in the impressive Miami skyline.
If you want to eat at Juvia, there’s a sushi’ n’ steak-style menu but you can get better-value food by grabbing a cab to nearby Purdy Avenue.
Stiltsville (stiltsvillefishbar.com), a new restaurant with a bleachedout interior, is usually packed with locals. Don’t miss the shrimp and grits, or the sunset views.
MORNING
Flat and designed on a grid, South Beach is easy to navigate – you can happily while away a couple of hours exploring Art Deco buildings on Ocean Drive while watching the vintage cars cruise up and down. The boardwalk takes you past all the candy-coloured hotels.
The Kimpton Angler’s Hotel (anglershotelmiami.com) has bicycles for guests to borrow and provides towels and umbrellas. The beach is a couple of blocks away. When you get peckish, stop off at
Big Pink (mylesrestaurantgroup.com) on Collins Avenue. This diner is open from 8am until late, and serves vast portions of comfort food. Pay $15 for pancakes and waffles, smothered in syrup and bacon, and endless refills of coffee.
AFTERNOON
Get a taste for the super-rich Miami lifestyle with a boat cruise around the dazzling blue waters of Biscayne Bay. In 90 minutes, you’ll be able to see properties owned by rapper Puff Daddy, and Oprah Winfrey’s holiday home on the exclusive Fisher Island.
EVENING
Wynwood, just over the bridge in downtown Miami, is now the trendiest part of the city, and the everchanging selection of street art is mesmerising. Start at The Wynwood Walls (thewynwoodwalls. com) and then wander around the streets and galleries.
The area is also home to one-off boutiques and bars, and some of Miami’s hippest restaurants. Try the Wynwood Kitchen & Bar (wynwoodkitchenandbar.com) and hang out with the locals.
MORNING
In recent years, South Beach has embraced the pool party and the best way to get the vibe is to start with a weekend brunch. The Delano Hotel (morganshotelgroup.com/ delano/delano-south-beach) has been at the centre of Miami’s party scene since it opened in 1995. At weekends, its swimming pool is dotted with giant inflatables. The party maintains a mellow vibe, with waiters delivering drinks to your sunlounger. If you want something a bit more low-key, The Confidante (theconfidantemiamibeach.hyatt.com), at 4041 Collins Drive, also has direct access to the beach through a gate. Day passes to the pool start at $40 with resortpass.com, while the hotel’s Bird & Bone restaurant serves great-tasting Southern food.
AFTERNOON
Miami is hot in winter (about 82F) and steamy in summer (in the 90s), so a good way to cool off is to visit the city’s best museum – the Perez
Art Museum (pamm.org) in Biscayne Bay.
It specialises in Latino and Caribbean art, and the building’s modernist architecture is a draw in itself.
Grab a bite to eat at the museum’s Verde restaurant – an indoor and outdoor affair with canopies – then take a stroll around the sculpture garden.
EVENING
It’s at night when Cuba’s influence on Miami is most obvious. Take a short hop by taxi to Little
Havana, another history-soaked area, with chess competitions in the park, Cuban coffee bars and cigar lounges.
It’s also the home of Ball & Chain (ballandchainmiami.com), one of the city’s oldest and best-loved bars. It stretches out to a courtyard at the back – Billie Holiday, Chet Baker and Count Basie all performed here in the 1940s and 1950s.
Music continues to be a crucial part of the offering along with Cuban-Caribbean food and powerful drinks. It’s a place to linger and absorb the soul of Miami.