48 hours in Miami: into the attraction of a sun-kissed urban playground
Florida Miami, Downtown
With epic Florida sunsets, paradise beaches and screensaver Art Deco architecture glowing through the palm trees, it’s always golden hour in Miami. No filter necessary.
America’s most visited city after the Big Apple, Miami is one of the world’s greatest urban playgrounds, welcoming 25 million visitors per year at last count.
The attraction is clear: fabulous fiestas, the world’s edgiest contemporary art, blissful beach time and a dining scene which flits from Cuban to Venezuelan on a single block, it’s all too easy to crush on Miami. Vamos!
Wynwood is to Miami, what Williamsburg is to New York.
The city’s trendiest neighbourhood is a block-to-block medley of quirky cafés, stores and boutiques while its wall-to-wall murals almost make the district seem like an open art installation.
Beyond the kaleidoscopic streetscapes, you’ll discover attractions from Cerveceria La Tropical, a colourful craft brewery, to the Museum of Graffiti, the world’s first dedicated to the art form. Did we mention coffee?
The Salty, home to the most sought-after doughnuts in the city, is the perfect caffeine and sugar fix.
Arguably the quintessential Miami tourism experience, Miami Beach (technically a different city to Miami itself) is the East Coat’s ultimate urban playground.
South Beach is a dreamy palm-lined gridiron of swoon-worthy Art Deco architecture which is home to some of the nation's top clubs, restaurants, and people watching.
Beyond that stunning beach, eclectic attractions include, Miami Beach Botanical Garden, Wilzig World Erotic Art Museum and the Rooftop Cinema Club for movies al fresco.
South Pointe Park which makes a neat spot for a sunset too.
Given Miami’s huge Cuban community, Little Havana is one of the city's most vibrant and most visited neighbourhoods (see our food tips) but for an alternative neighbourhood experience, Little Haiti well merits a spot on your itinerary.
Just north of Wynwood, this kicked-back district is home to a growing Caribbean diaspora and is increasingly wooing tourists with everything from Creole cuisine to its contemporary gallery scene.
A tip? Pick up some old vinyl at Sweat Records or enjoy some hearty Haitian food at Naomi's Garden & Restaurant.
Founded back in the 60s by a family of Cuban fishermen, La Camaronera is a landmark seafood joint and fish market tucked inside a no-frills strip mall in the heart of Little Havana.
The unpretentious local even has a nod in the Michelin Guide, so expect to find a steady line of Miami locals and snowbirds tucking into the restaurant’s menu highlights which include shrimp empanadas, conch fritters and fresh grilled hogfish, a Florida favourite.
Miamians are no strangers to a workout routine, so it’s only fitting that one of its top fast food joints is named, yes, Carrot Express.
This local staple for healthy food on-the-fly first started out in a gas station in South Beach and today has over twenty outlets across the city.
The vibe here is fast-casual and good tunes (think Five Guys with less calories) where you’ll find suits and gym bunnies ordering the likes of organic açai bowls or quinoa and ahi tuna wraps, washed down with delicious cold press juices.
11am in a town famed for its vibrant LGBT+ community can only mean one thing: drag brunches which slay.
Palace in South Beach is home to most revered of them and if you like your Eggs Benedict with a side of block party vibes, it’s a must-visit weekend food-stop.
For $55, you can order between a selection of brunch classics and, crucially, bottomless mimosas, all while enjoying a performance by Palace’s resident queens.
Expect their dance moves to be as dextrous as their lip-synching skills.
If you love to fill your ‘Gram feed with all things aesthetic, and your wardrobe with all things designer, then head to Miami’s Design District, the city’s budget-busting neighbourhood dedicated to fashion.
Bold, blingy and botoxy, the quarter features every luxury brand from Alexander McQueen to Zimmermann lining its streets.
For lunch, head to Palm Square which features the striking Fly’s Eye Sculpture and Mia Market, quite possibly the most bougie food hall you’ll encounter. Be sure to check-out the Institute of Contemporary Art while you’re here too.
Fashion outlets may have outgrown their appeal for Irish travellers in recent years, particularly given the strength of the US Dollar and the proclivity for online shopping.
But you’ll still find them highly popular for those in search of a bargain.
Miami’s nearest Premium Outlets (of Woodbury Common fame) are the Florida Keys Outlet Marketplace, located just 30 miles south of Miami and very conveniently right off the I-95 if you’re heading south to The Keys or Everglades.
Set in Miami Beach’s most famous pedestrian thoroughfare, Lincoln Road Shopping District is a relaxing retreat in the heart of the city.
You’ll find all high street brands from Lululemon to Nike here while if you’re self-catering in Miami, the district’s farmers’ markets is the perfect place to pick up the freshest of tropical produce.
Seeking a vintage find? Lincoln Road’s Antique Collectible Market is hosted bi-weekly every Sunday from October through May and is a great spot to net a vintage treasure.
Fancy living like a local in Downtown Miami? Then check into the popular, and pretty great value, YOTEL located just a few blocks from the waterfront.
The Miami iteration of this iPad generation chain (hola, touch-screen check-ins) features 222 rooms and 231 extended stay residences, or PADS, which make excellent bases for families or groups up to six.
The PADS are clean-lined and roomy with balconies towering over the Miami skyline and all your high-rise neighbours. If you don’t fancy getting sand between your toes, the hotel’s Vela Sky bar also offers a chilled-out roof-top pool.
- From €149. yotel.com/Miami
Tip? You can whisk around Downtown Miami for free aboard the city’s electric Metromover.
The brainchild of Pharrell Williams, and Miami hospitality guru David Grutman, The Good Time Hotel may well be the city’s perfect hospitality collab.
Their new, seriously stylish hotel located in Miami South Beach offers A-lister vibes but without the VIP club stuffiness.
Décor is a delicious blend of pastel-blushed retro chic with bedrooms featuring quirky touches from rotary phones to leopard skin robes… think The Dean with a Barbie box makeover.
Whether you’re looking for downtime or DJ sets, the hotel’s Strawberry Moon bar and restaurant features sublime Meze plates, mouthwatering specialty cocktails and some of the best pool parties in town.
- From €265; thegoodtimehotel.com.
New York has The High Line and this spring, Miami is set to welcome its own much-anticipated outdoors amenity, The ReefLine.
Stretching seven miles along the shores of Miami Beach, the aquatic sculpture park will feature environmentally functioning artworks designed to create an artificial reef and unique snorkelling trail, all aimed to help safeguard Miami’s waters.
Miami Beach also has regular beach clean-ups if you fancy protecting the shores on dry land.
Aer Lingus flies direct from Dublin to Miami twice weekly from October to March with lead in fares from €299 each way via aerlingus.com.
Passengers flying to Miami with Aer Lingus also benefit from U.S. pre-clearance facilities at Dublin Airport allowing you to save time on the ground once you land.
- aerlingus.com
- For more on the region, see MiamiandMiamiBeach.com
- Thom was a guest of Miami & Miami Beach & Aer Lingus.