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Sightseeing Overview
Miami has long been a premier tourist destination, acclaimed for its physical beauty and its excellent climate. Year round, the fabled white-sand beaches and clear blue waters lapping Miami Beach have beckoned visitors to America’s ‘Riviera.’ Others are lured by Miami’s world-class shopping and cosmopolitan dining, its international culture and legendary nightlife.

Miami’s diverse neighborhoods offer a range of activities, from cultural to sporting. Residential Coral Gables is known for its examples of architectural elegance, including the Biltmore Hotel, Fairchild Tropical Garden and the incomparable Venetian Pool, while the bustling Bayside Harbour complex in Downtown Miami offers boat excursions.

The distinctly Latin district of Little Havana, home to the city’s huge Cuban population, has cigar-making shops and is the place to be in March for the lively Calle Ocho Festival.

Over in Miami Beach, South Beach is one of the most-visited neighborhoods, famed for its pastel and stainless steel art deco buildings, where the legendary Ocean Drive boulevard is fringed by Miami’s trendiest sidewalk boutiques, bars and restaurants - the favorite haunts of such local celebrities as Gloria Estefan, Madonna, Ricky Martin and Donatella Versace.

Perhaps Miami’s biggest crowd-puller is its rich multicultural flavor, which gives the city an undeniably unique atmosphere. Just as the rest of America has embraced the rhythms of heart-throbs Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira and other Hispanic music sensations, Miami has long been swaying to a Latin remix of sensuality, salsa and South Beach style, making it one of the most exciting cities in the USA.

Visitors should note that Miami is divided into quadrants. Flagler Street runs east-west, thus dividing the city into north and south sections, while Miami Avenue runs north-south, splitting the city into east and west sections. Most Miami addresses refer to these quadrants.

Tourist Information
Greater Miami and the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau
Suite 2700, 701 Brickell Avenue
Tel: (305) 539 3000.
Website: www.miamiandbeaches.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1800.

There are also Visitor Centers at Aventura Mall, 19501 Biscayne Boulevard, Aventura, and Bayside Marketplace, 401 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, and elsewhere.

Passes
The Miami Visitor Pass offers up to 15% discount at 85 participating businesses and tour operators (website: www.miamibeach411.com/discount_card.htm). The Go Miami Card grants admission to over 40 attractions, activities, and tours. Cards range from one to seven day passes (website: www.gomiamicard.com). Visitors can also contact the Visitors Bureau for promotions, specials and money-saving coupons.

Key Attractions:

Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is the metropolis’ nerve center (the commercial heart of the city), distinguished by its sleek skyscrapers, impressive government buildings and cultural centers, and edged by the Port of Miami, the largest cruise ship port in the world. Brickell Avenue is home to major international banks and businesses, as well as Brickell Village, the area around SW Sixth Street, which has power-lunch restaurants cum buzzing nightspots. On the waterfront, the lively Bayside Marketplace is a popular shopping and entertainment arcade, clustered around a small harbor and abuzz with bars, shops and market stalls. Bayside is the the starting point for several boat tours (see Tours of the City) of Miami Bay. Adjacent to Bayside Marketplace is the American Airlines Arena, a 20,000-person entertainment venue and home of the basketball team Miami Heat. The historic Gusman Center for the Performing Arts nearby hosts the Miami Film Festival and other cultural events under a painted ‘starry sky’ ceiling. Beyond the port, exclusive Fisher Island, accessible only by boat or private plane, is the address in Miami and home to many celebrities.

Bayside Marketplace
401 Biscayne Boulevard
Tel: (305) 577 3344.
Website: www.baysidemarketplace.com Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 1000-2200, Fri-Sat 1000-2300, Sun 1100-2100.
Free admission. 

American Airlines Arena
601 Biscayne Boulevard
Tel: (786) 777 1000 or 777 1237 for customer services.
Website: www.aaarena.com

Gusman Center for the Performing Arts
174 East Flagler Street
Tel: (305) 374 2444.
Website: www.gusmancenter.orgCarnival Center for the Performing Arts1444 Biscayne BoulevardTel: (305) 377 1220.Website: www.pacfmiami.org

South Beach
Glitzy, glamorous South Beach is undoubtedly the trendiest part of town, the place to see and be seen and a magnet for celebrities and fun-lovers who thrive on its cosmopolitan atmosphere, designer shopping, upbeat restaurants and fast-paced nightlife. By day, a young, hip crowd of trendy film-star wannabes, international supermodels, artists, writers, tourists, strollers, strutters and the thriving local gay community all cruise Ocean Drive and the pedestrian-friendly Lincoln Road Mall, with its art galleries, shops, and restaurants - providing the colorful mix that fuels the district’s feverish energy levels. By night, salsa or techno music flows from the many dance clubs onto the busy streets.

South Beach itself, with its white sands, palm trees and dazzling blue sea, stretches from Lincoln Road Mall to South Pointe Park at the southernmost tip (great for surfing, fishing and sunsets). The main access point is Lummus Park, bordering Ocean Drive, a favorite park for in-line skaters and volleyball players. However, the most striking feature of South Beach is its famous art deco historic district - over 800 buildings within 1.5 sq km (1 sq mile), all in the same streamlined architectural style, painted in pastel shades and lit with brilliantly colored neon lights. Even the Burger King on Alton Road is housed in an art deco structure. Tours of the district are offered on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings or Thursday evening and self-guided tour maps are always available at the Art Deco Welcome Center.

Lincoln Road Mall to South Pointe Park

Art Deco Welcome Center
1001 Ocean Drive
Tel: (305) 531 3484.
Website: www.mdpl.org
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 0930-1900, Sun 0930-1800.Free admission. 

Miami Beach
Miami Beach is located on a long slender island connected to mainland Miami by four main causeways. It comprises various coastal towns, each with its own personality - including Surfside, the upscale shopping district of Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles Beach, South Beach (see above) and Golden Beach. Miami Beach’s white sands extend from Lincoln Road Mall northwards to 87th Street, with a scenic boardwalk popular with joggers and strollers, and pastel-colored art deco lifeguard stations dotting the shoreline. A variety of watersports are available, including windsurfing, sailing, jet-skiing and parasailing.

Lincoln Road Mall to 87th Street

Bal Harbour Shops
9700 Collins Road
Tel: (305) 866 0311.
Website: www.balharborshops.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1000-2100, Sat 1000-1900, Sun 1200-1800.
Free admission. 

Little Havana
After Fidel Castro took power in 1959, refugees fleeing Cuba settled just west of downtown Miami, in a neighborhood known as Little Havana. Today, with its 800,000-strong Cuban-American community, this colorful district has a distinctly Latin atmosphere with its Spanish signs, Cuban coffee bars and restaurants, small cigar factories and street-side food stalls, selling such delicacies as baho (Cuban stew) and freshly squeezed juices. Monuments to anti-Castro Cubans line the streets, especially around Calle Ocho (Eighth Street), the liveliest part of Little Havana and the venue for the Calle Ocho Festival, a famous annual spring carnival - America’s largest street party.

Key Biscayne
Linked to the mainland by the Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne combines traditional Florida-style houses with ostentatious mansions belonging to some of Miami’s wealthiest residents. The beaches here rank among Florida’s best - their fine sand and relatively calm seas make them a popular choice for families. Other top attractions include two beautiful parks (Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and Crandon Park) both with magnificent beaches, bike trails and nature walks. Bill Baggs is home to the Cape Florida Lighthouse, built in 1825. The small Crandon Family Amusement Center in the park has an old-time carousel, playground and outdoor roller rink.

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
1200 South Crandon Boulevard
Tel: (305) 361 5811.
Website: www.dep.state.fl.us/parks
Opening hours: Daily 0800-sunset.
Admission charge.

Crandon Park
4000 Crandon Boulevard
Tel: (305) 361 5421 or 7388/5 (Amusement Center).
Website: www.miamidade.gov/parks/parks/crandon_amusement.asp
Opening hours: Daily 0800-sunset (park); daily 1000-1900 (Amusement Center).
Free admission. 

Miami Seaquarium
Located on beautiful Biscayne Bay, the Miami Seaquarium has over 10,000 aquatic creatures on display - including crocodiles, ‘gators’ and seals, as well as fish of every imaginable shape, size and color. Star acts include Lolita, a 7,000-pound killer whale (visitors should sit at least six rows back in the audience to keep dry), Salty the sea lion and TV superstar Flipper the dolphin. The most impressive aspect of Seaquarium, however, is its genuine attempt to preserve and protect marine life. The in-house Marine Mammal Rescue Team is constantly striving to save stranded or injured manatees, dolphins and whales in the waters of South Florida. Other exhibits include Discovery Bay, a natural mangrove habitat used to rehabilitate rescued sea turtles; and the special Manatee Exhibit where manatees are nursed back to health, ready for release into the wild.

4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne
Tel: (305) 361 5705. Website: www.miamiseaquarium.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800.
Admission charge.

Coconut Grove
Located on the edge of Biscayne Bay, south of downtown Miami, Coconut Grove is one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods, with bohemian roots. Settled by a multicultural group of Bahamians and New Englanders, the neighborhood drew artists and intellectuals, who set up summer homes here. Today, it is a trendy district with a bustling village atmosphere, full of colorful galleries, theaters, nightclubs, fine restaurants, hip sidewalk cafés and shops. The main attraction is The Gallery at CocoWalk, a stylish shopping mall packed with restaurants, bars, shops and a cinema. It is also home to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens (see Further Distractions).

The Gallery at CocoWalk
3015 Grand Avenue
Tel: (305) 444 0777.
Website: www.galleryatcocowalk.com
Opening hours: Sun-Thurs 1100-2200, Fri and Sat 1100-2400 (bars and restaurants until 0200).
Free admission. 

Coral Gables
This elegant Mediterranean-style residential district, 16km (10 miles) southwest of downtown Miami, was created by local developer George Merrick during the boom years of the 1920s. Today, it contains some of the city’s finest architecture, set amid broad boulevards, canals and parkland. Some buildings are preserved as historic landmarks, including the stunning Biltmore Hotel, identified by its 15-story tower modeled on the Giralda bell-tower in Seville. The remarkable Venetian Pool, transformed from a mere rock quarry in 1923, has exotic bridges and waterfalls and was the site of many high-society soirées and beauty pageants in its time, as the vintage on-site photographs reveal. Today, it is the only swimming pool on the National Register of Historic Places. Coral Gables is also known for its art galleries, its exclusive Miracle Mile shopping street, its neatly manicured golf courses and some of the best hotels and restaurants in town.

Biltmore Hotel
1200 Anastasia Avenue
Tel: (305) 445 1926 or 1 800 915 1926.Website: www.biltmorehotel.com

Venetian Pool
2701 De Soto Boulevard
Tel: (305) 460 5306/57.
Website: www.venetianpool.com
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 1100-1930, Sat and Sun 1000-1630 (Jun-Jul); Mon-Thurs 1100-1730, Sat and Sun 1000-1630 (Aug, Sep, Oct, Apr and May); Tues-Sun 1000-1630 (Nov-Mar).
Admission charge.

Historical Museum of Southern Florida
This museum offers a fascinating insight into the region’s past. It has a small but impressive collection of hands-on displays, archive material, historical objects and multimedia presentations, which covers 10,000 years of Florida history from the first settlers to the present day.

Miami-Dade Cultural Center101 West Flagler Street, downtown Miami
Tel: (305) 375 1492.
Website: www.hmsf.org
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 1000-1700, every third Thurs 1000-2100, Sun 1200-1700.
Admission charge.

Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium
The nationally renowned Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium, associated with the Smithsonian Institute, features interactive scientific exhibits on physics, electricity, light, sound and anatomy, as well as daily astronomy and laser shows in the adjacent planetarium. It also boasts South Florida’s largest natural history collection and a wildlife center that rehabilitates injured birds of prey and reptiles, and displays more than 175 live animals.

3280 South Miami Avenue, Coconut Grove
Tel: (305) 646 4200.
Website: www.miamisci.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (last entry at 1700).
Admission charge.

Art Museums
The Miami Art Museum displays international art since WWII, complemented by art from other periods to provide historical perspective. Meanwhile, the new Miami Beach Cultural Park has many art institutions, one of which is the Bass Museum. The permanent exhibits of this weighty art museum focus on European works from the 15th to 18th centuries. A new wing, designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, also has an outdoor sculpture garden. The Wolfsonian Museum, affiliated with the Florida International University, was founded by an eccentric world-traveller and Miami native from his own collection of modern design and ‘propaganda arts.’ One-of-a-kind exhibits address 19th- and 20th-century political themes, displaying the arts and crafts that were created to persuade, nationalise or rally citizens. The gift shop sells high-design home decor objects and lovely art books.

Miami Art Museum
Miami-Dade Cultural Center, 101 West Flagler Street, downtown Miami
Tel: (305) 375 3000.
Website: www.miamiartmuseum.org
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1700, Sat and Sun 1200-1700, third Thurs of the month 1000-2100.
Admission charge; free on Sun and second Sat of the month.

Bass Museum
2121 Park Avenue, at 21st Street, Miami Beach
Tel: (305) 673 7530.
Website: www.bassmuseum.org
Opening hours: Tues-Sat 1000-1700, Sun 1100-1700, closed Mon and holidays.
Admission charge.

Wolfsonian Museum
1001 Washington Avenue, South Beach
Tel: (305) 531 1001. 
Website: www.wolfsonian.fiu.edu
Opening hours: Mon-Tues, Sat and Sun 1200-1800; Thurs and Fri 1200-2100. Free Fri after 1800.Admission charge.

Zoos
Miami MetroZoo, just south of Miami, is a state-of-the-art cageless zoo, with over 1,500 animals from more than 310 species roaming the 116-hectare (290-acre) grounds, separated by moats from spectators. Wildlife shows, a petting zoo, tram tours, monorail, gift shops, food courts and a playground provide fun for all the family. MetroZoo has also won a number of awards for its successful breeding of rare and endangered animal species. The zoo’s newest exhibit, Tropical America, is scheduled to open in 2008. It will feature jaguars, anacondas, giant river otters, harpy eagles and stingray touch tanks.

At Monkey Jungle, the humans are kept in caged walkways while the primates roam freely. Here, visitors can see North America’s first colony of wild monkeys, crab-eating monkeys, diving for treats and hundreds of other exotic primates in lush, tropical jungle surroundings. Hundreds of species of native plants were imported from the Amazon to recreate a natural Amazon rainforest environment.

The relocated Parrot Jungle and Gardens, now on its own island between Miami and Miami Beach, is a unique bird sanctuary-cum-botanical garden with more than 1,100 birds and 100 plant varieties, together with alligators, giant tortoises and apes. Spectacular trained bird shows run throughout the day and children can help hand-feed the birds, hold one of the free-flying macaws or play with the animals at the petting zoo. The latest attraction is the Hippo, a 51.2m (168ft) water slide.

Miami MetroZoo
12400 SW 152nd Street (Coral Reef Drive), Richmond Heights
Tel: (305) 251 0400. Website: www.miamimetrozoo.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1730 (last entry at 1600).
Admission charge.

Monkey Jungle
14805 SW 216th Street
Tel: (305) 235 1611.
Website: www.monkeyjungle.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700 (last entry at 1600).
Admission charge.

Parrot Jungle and Gardens
Watson Island, off I-395 MacArthur Causeway
Tel: (305) 400 7000.
Website: www.parrotjungle.com
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800 (last entry at 1700).
Admission charge.

Further Distractions:

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
This magnificent 33-hectare (83-acre) botanical garden is located just south of Coconut Grove. It contains extensive collections of rare tropical plants, a 1,440-sq-m (16,000-sq-ft) conservatory, 11 lakes and lily ponds, and a rainforest exhibit, set among a waterfall and stream. A variety of educational programs and narrated tram tours are available.

10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables
Tel: (305) 667 1651. Website: www.fairchildgarden.org
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1630.
Admission charge.

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Vizcaya is a beautiful Italian Renaissance-style palace set in 4 hectares (10 acres) of picturesque formal gardens, south of downtown Miami on Biscayne Bay. Built as a winter residence for the Chicago industrialist James Deering in 1916, the mansion is modeled on neo-classical designs and its 70 rooms are filled with antique furnishings spanning the 15th to 19th centuries. Tours are available.

3251 South Miami Avenue, Coconut Grove
Tel: (305) 250 9133.
Website: www.vizcayamuseum.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1700; gardens until 1730 (last entry at 1630).
Admission charge.

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