Coconut Grove

Coral Gables is a distinct city southwest of Downtown Miami and one of the first planned communities in the USA. Real estate developer George Merrick designed it during the 1920s Florida building boom, following the ideals of the City Beautiful movement; it was officially founded in 1925. The original plan prescribed the Mediterranean Revival style, and to this day, tiled roofs, arcades, fountains, and tree-lined streets define its image. Coral Gables bears the nickname The City Beautiful for good reason.At its heart lies Miracle Mile, the commercial street Merrick planned as the main axis. Right next to it, Giralda Avenue has been a pedestrian zone with restaurants since 2017. The Coral Gables Museum, housed in the old police and fire station, tells the city's history and serves as a visitor center.Two buildings from Merrick's era you shouldn't miss: the Venetian Pool, an outdoor swimming pool in a former rock quarry, and the Biltmore Hotel, whose tower, like the Freedom Tower in Downtown, is inspired by the Giralda in Seville. Further south are the University of Miami campus and the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.Best Time: Mornings at the Venetian Pool before it gets crowded, lunch on Miracle Mile, and an afternoon stroll through Fairchild.

Located west of Downtown, Little Havana has been the heart of Cuban Miami since the 1960s. After the 1959 revolution, tens of thousands of Cuban exiles arrived in what were then the Riverside and Shenandoah neighborhoods, many expecting to stay only briefly. By 1970, over 85 percent of residents were Cuban. Since the late 1990s, many people from Nicaragua, Honduras, and other Central American countries have joined them, but most businesses are still run by Cubans.Its main artery is Calle Ocho, SW 8th Street. Here, older gentlemen play dominoes in Máximo Gómez Park, Ventanitas (the street windows of cafes) offer Cafecito to go, and stars on the Calle Ocho Walk of Fame commemorate icons like Celia Cruz and Gloria Estefan. The Cuban Memorial Boulevard features monuments to the fighters of the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion.Little Havana is not a museum district: You come here to eat, drink coffee, and listen. In the evenings, live bands play in bars like Ball & Chain, and on salsa nights, the dance floor is packed.Best Time: Late morning, when games are underway in the Domino Park. On the last Friday of each month, the district celebrates Viernes Culturales with music, art, and stalls on Calle Ocho between 14th and 17th Avenue, from noon until late, with free admission.

Downtown Miami and the adjacent Brickell to the south form the city's center: skyscrapers, banks, hotels, and amidst them, parks along Biscayne Bay. Brickell is named after William and Mary Brickell; Mary Brickell had Brickell Avenue parceled for villas in the early 20th century. From the 1970s onwards, office towers replaced the mansions, and Brickell became one of the largest financial districts in the USA. Today, it's primarily apartment tower residents, and the streets are lively even in the evenings.Much of the action for visitors unfolds along the bay. Museum Park features the Pérez Art Museum with its hanging gardens and the Frost Museum of Science with a large aquarium. Further south are Bayfront Park, designed by sculptor Isamu Noguchi, and Bayside Marketplace with its shops and boat docks. Opposite, the Freedom Tower commemorates the 1960s, when Cuban refugees were registered here.The best part: The Metromover, a free, driverless elevated train. Glide above the streets, see the skyline from above, and get off wherever interests you.Best Time: Museums in the morning, followed by a Metromover ride. Bayfront Park is worthwhile in the late afternoon, and Brickell's rooftop bars in the evening.

Miami is situated in southeastern Florida on Biscayne Bay, with Miami Beach located on a barrier island just opposite. You visit for its beaches, Art Deco architecture, and Cuban-influenced districts.The Art Deco District in Miami Beach is home to around 960 historic buildings, which have been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979. The hotels on Ocean Drive overlook Lummus Park and the beach. In Little Havana, locals play dominoes in Máximo Gómez Park, known as Domino Park, on Calle Ocho. In Wynwood, the Wynwood Walls have showcased murals and sculptures by over 130 artists since 2009; a ticket is required for entry.Miami International is the largest aviation hub between the USA and Latin America. In Downtown and Brickell, the Metromover operates for free. The warm dry season lasts from November to April, and hurricane season from June to late November.

Key Biscayne is an island southeast of Downtown Miami, connected by the approximately 6.5-kilometer-long Rickenbacker Causeway, which opened in 1947 and passes over Virginia Key. The island is divided into three parts: To the north is Crandon Park, in the middle is the Village of Key Biscayne, founded as an independent municipality in 1991, and to the south is the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.Crandon Park originated from a donation by the Matheson family, who operated a coconut plantation here. In 1940, they transferred the land to the County, which in return built the causeway. Today, the park boasts about 3 kilometers of Atlantic beach, a nature center, a marina, and a golf course.At the southern tip stands the Cape Florida Lighthouse. The first tower was built in 1825, set on fire during a Seminole attack in 1836, and rebuilt in the mid-1840s. Surrounding the lighthouse are beaches, hiking trails, and the small inlet of No Name Harbor.The island is quieter than Miami Beach: families, cyclists, and anglers define its character. Among its more famous residents was Richard Nixon, who owned homes here starting in 1969.Best Time: Arrive early in the day, especially on weekends, when beachgoers cause traffic jams on the Causeway. Stay until sunset at No Name Harbor.