Miami Travel Guide: From Day to Night Life

A city that sits on the Caribbean with Latin influence, year round warm weather, white sandy beaches, a fun nightlife, sporting and cultural spaces. What’s not to love?

Miami was my next stop on my adventures around the US of A. After months of winter in the northern states of New Jersey, New York, Boston and Chicago, it felt amazing to be in the Miami heat… pause for appreciation (or disgust) of the corny sports reference. Miami really surprised me with better beaches than most in California and a nightlife scene that could almost rival that of Vegas.

Here’s some more info to help you plan your trip.

Where is the best area to stay in Miami?

There are many different areas to choose from depending on the style of trip you want to have and what you want to spend your time doing.

South Beach

South Beach is the most lively place to be with a lot of the major nightclubs, bars, dining and entertainment. With a beautiful beach and Lummus Park running alongside it with walking tracks, beach volleyball etc, it’s a fun place to be both day and night. Ocean Drive is filled with famous restaurants, art deco architecture, funky shops, colourful bars and fancy clubs. There is also an abundance of accommodation options being the most touristy part of Miami.

Mid-Beach

Head a little further north to Mid-Beach where the atmosphere is a little more relaxed with still a lot going on. Find more resorts and family-orientated hotels and activities here.

North Beach

North again to North Beach and this area is more residential but still with a nice mix of hotels. If you’re looking for apartment style accommodation you may find the most options here or hostels/hotels with a bit more space. Still close enough to the action and with the same stunning beach but much less chaotic & crowded.

Downtown Miami

The city centre is a great spot to stay if you love to shop, attend museums or have a sporting event or concert on as the main stadiums can be found here.

Key Biscayne

Key Biscayne is a separate island to where South Beach is and the island is much quieter with more of a focus on the nature. Find mangrove forests and areas with wildlife

Things to do in Miami

If you’re wanting to visit a lot of sights, consider purchasing the Go City Pass with entry to 30+ attractions. Here are some other beaches, parks and areas to explore:

Lummus Park

Before you hit the beach, you’ll find this park in the main area of South Beach. Go for a run or walk along the track, hit the outdoor gym or play a game of beach volleyball!

Ocean Drive

This is the place to be at any time of the day/night. Endless restaurants, bars and clubs and street entertainment fill this spot, and if it’s not on the street, one of the restaurants might be putting on a show (I witnessed a mini drag show out the front of one restaurant during the day).

South Pointe Pier

Get stunning views of South Beach from this pier, a nice place to go to end a morning or afternoon run/walk/cycle.

South Pointe Park

After you’ve seen the pier, walk down this small park for beautiful views of Downtown Miami and the harbour.

Lincoln Road Mall

This is a great place to go shopping and wander around. On weekends there are great markets to check out.

Day Trip to Key West

Key West was one of the major day trips you can do from Miami. The drive down on the roads built over the water and across the island chain was stunning in itself. When you get there you feel like you’ve stepped out of America and into Cuba. The shops, hospitality and vibe screamed Caribbean. Although if you want to head here for nicer beaches, you may be disappointed. There were quite a lot of ‘man-mad’ beaches or the one real one I went to was quite rocky.

Consider heading to some of the other Keys or Key Biscayne on a day trip or to spend a few days.

Other day trip options:

• Everglades, Airboat and wildlife tour
• Bahamas by ferry
• Key Largo

North Beach township

A quieter town with a nice main street. The North Shore Open Space Park was lovely to walk through on the way to the beach.

Downtown Miami

Downtown is the financial and commercial centre. It’s a nice city to walk around and has many of the shops, concert halls and sporting arenas. Visit Bayfront Park and ride the Metromover which will get you around Downtown for free and with some great views.

Calle Ocho & Little Havana

I did feel a little uneasy in one neighbourhood though. I’d been told to head to Calle Ocho (8th street in Spanish) for some delicious Cuban food. I decided to head there for lunch and looked on the map to see ‘Little Havana’. Havana. The Capital of Cuba. It must be around there somewhere. It didn’t look too far away so I just started walking. As soon as I crossed a bridge out of Downtown I had an eery feeling. I got stared very obviously stared at, yelled at in Spanish, there were men banging on their window telling me to come into their shop and it was quite unsettling. I was very young, very blonde and very white girl and I am assuming I stuck out like a sore thumb. I walked into a shop quite literally to escape from a few guys who were following me. Some lovely ladies in the shop told me Calle Ocho was very far away and advised me not to walk. They looked at me like I was crazy and explained it was not a safe place, and I eventually found a bus stop to take me back to Downtown.

Comparing North & South Miami Beaches

South Beach

A beautiful beach with soft sand and beautiful blue Caribbean water. It is definitely where all the action is and very picturesque. One day, whilst lying on the beach, along came a beautiful model to have a photo shoot right in front of me. Then along comes some male models right next to her to do theirs. It was an interesting afternoon that’s for sure.

North Beach

I headed to North Beach for something different, but the beach was much of the same really. Beautiful again, but very quiet in comparison so definitely head North fi you want to avoid crowds.

Rating the Miami Beach Clubs

Club M2

Probably my favourite. They had great music, good vibes and dancers/acrobats flying here, there and everywhere. Lots of fun visuals to keep you entertained and dancing.

9/10

Story

A great venue! Massive stage with a big dance floor and many private booths with bottle service (we got ours free with the hostel). They have specific nights for different kinds of music which I loved.

8.5/10

Nikki Beach

A great club for something different. Situated right next to the beach and out the back of the club was a relaxation area (pictured above during the day).

7/10

LIV

This was the one I was really looking forward to, but didn’t get a chance to get to (next time). A more ‘fancy’, exclusive club, even girls must be dressed to the nine’s. One of the more famous ones, I would recommend heading there (or let me know if you’ve been).

Is Miami worth a visit?

To sum it up, I had a great time in Miami! Great nights out, with relaxing days on the beach made for a perfect vacation for me after being in the cold of New York. But it wasn’t all partying and I also really enjoyed a few mornings watching the sunrise on the beach and going for a morning run, exploring the cute cafes/restaurants and heading out on day trips. Miami won my heart.

For tips on how to plan your next trip check out my Travel Planning 101 Guide.