Miami, the city in the United States, not the one on the Gold Coast, is known by several blockbuster terms - the Magic City, the Capital of Winter Sun (certainly for visitors who take cheap flights to Miami to sit out the harsh Northern Hemisphere winters), the Playground of the Ultra-rich, the Epicentre of Chic Beach Culture, the Gateway to Latin America and the Cruise Capital of the World.
It's little more than 100 years old, but the former swamp and wilderness has scrubbed up nicely. Miami is situated in Southeast Florida, between the Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean. It's composed of several distinct neighbourhoods. The downtown is compact, packed with glittery skyscrapers, shopping malls and eateries. Many tourists will set themselves up on the Miami and South Beaches, sunbathing during the day and hitting the superclubs at night.
Coconut Grove is a beautiful, bayside village renowned for its international sailing regattas, and the popular Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. Coral Gables has tree-lined boulevards, winding roadways and green spaces. It's known as the City Beautiful.
Perhaps most famously, Little Havana is the cultural and political capital of Cuban Americans. It's an electric district marked out by a strong street culture and a "talky" interest in the arts, culture and politics. Màximo Gomez Park is one of the most popular meeting places for Cuban Americans, the domino-playing locals have gifted it the nickname Domino Park.
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Miami has a Tropical climate with hot and humid summers and warm winters. The average annual temperature is 24 degrees - 19 in January, 27 in July. Rain showers and thunderstorms are a frequent occurrence between June and November.
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Peak Season:
Late November through April is high season. This takes in Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and Presidents' Day Weekend and the Spring Break weeks in March and April. Art Basel Miami Beach is on in December and attracts art lovers from around the world.
Off Season:
June through September are quieter months, due to the hot and humid weather.
Shoulder Season:
May, October and November are shoulder months.
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From Miami International, there are several ways of getting downtown. The Rental Car Center houses almost 20 companies and a shuttle connects the centre with the airport.
Hotel shuttles will pick up their guests from the upper departure level of the airport. There are also taxis and SuperShuttle vans available on the ground level of the terminal.
Miami-Dade Transit operates the Airport Flyer, an express bus that travels to Miami Beach. The local bus service is Metrobus and it can be picked up directly across from Customs, on the Ground Level of Concourse E.
Metromover, a free, fixed-rail system service, and Metrorail round out the public transport options for travellers.
From Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International there are shared vans and cars (provided by the Go Airport Shuttle service) and taxis. There's also a train that links the airport with Miami International.
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Given Miami's layout, walking is not really an option, nor is biking (except for along Miami Beach perhaps). However, the downtown core is easy to get around (with the Metromover). South Beach and Coconut Grove are also pedestrian friendly. If you are going to stay at a resort or is staying in one neighbourhood you won't need a rental car.
Taxis are readily available, if fairly expensive. Rates start with the meter at about $2.50 and it's $2.40 per mile.
Getting around Miami by public transport - Metrobus and Metrorail - is a breeze. The network is extensive, reliable and cheap, with fares of about $1.50. The Metromover is focused on the downtown area. There are 20 stations situated every two blocks. Best of all, it's free.
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- South Beach (SoBe) is the art deco district, home to more than 800 pastel-coloured buildings that were spruced up in the 1980s. It's also the place to go watch the beautiful people.
- Miami caters for culture lovers too. Must-sees include the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Miami Art Museum, the Coconut Grove Playhouse and the Miami Symphony Orchestra.
- Spanish Market - the Española Way Market sells everything from flowers to jewellery.
- At full moon, drummers congregate on Miami Beach (between 85St and 79th St) to hold a drum circle party.
- The Cape Florida Light (south end of Key Biscayne, Miami-Dade County) is a popular attraction. The lighthouse dates from 1825 and stands 29 metres high. Climb the 118 steps to the top from where there are great views of the harbour and city skyline.
- The Shrine of Our Lady of Charity stands near the Bay of Biscayne. It was built in 1966 by the Cuban people in honour of the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre (Virgin of Charity), their patroness.
- A cafe Cubano will wake you up. It'll cost about $1 on street corners. Strong and sweet, it's a cafecito. If you take it with milk it's a cortadito.
- The Museum of Latin American Art will offer an insight into Latin-American culture. Admission is $9 (children under 12 free) and the museum is open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11am-5pm and Thursday 11am-9pm.
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Miami International Airport(MIA) (website: www.miami-airport.com) The airport is located 15km west of central Miami.
Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International (FLL) (website: www.broward.org) The airport is located 40km north of Miami and 8km from the beaches of Fort Lauderdale.
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