South Beach is the most hip part of Miami Beach, and the most happening part of South Beach is the Art Deco District, approximately one square mile in area. This area is known for its Art Deco architecture - a popular movement from the 1920s to the 1950s that celebrated swooping curves and organic forms. Ocean Drive has a large collection of Art Deco buildings. It is well worth your time to take a walk along this beautiful avenue and go back to a more glamorous time in history.
The Wolfsonian-Florida International University has a great collection of art, from 1885 to 1945, which belong to all the major art movements that flourished during that timeframe. Espanola Way has a collection of different shops, which hawk a wide variety of items, and the street plays host to a weekend market, as well.
The nearby Lincoln Road Mall has a great number of shops, restaurants, and bars. A place that requires more contemplation and reflection is the Holocaust Memorial, located on Meridian Avenue and 19th Street.
2. Coconut Grove
Coconut Grove
The first inhabitants of the Grove were from the Bahamas and Key West. The Grove still has a lot of eclecticism. For those interested in the lifestyles of the rich and famous, you can view estates that once belonged to Sylvester Stallone and Madonna.
There are museums in Coconut Grove that you will want to see as well - both Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and the Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium are located on South Miami Avenue. The Pan Am Terminal, on Pan American Drive, is a fine example of Art Deco architecture. The building is currently the Miami City Hall. You can shop for antiques or have dinner at the Coconut Grove Convention Center, which holds shows and exhibitions.
3. Little Havana
Little Havana
If you wish to taste the culture of a truly passionate people who have left their mark on this city, then head to Little Havana. Cubans who wanted to escape the dictatorial regime of Fidel Castro came to Miami and built their own little town. However, it bears no resemblance to the real Havana. Little Havana is a crowded, dense area of cluttered shops and ramshackle buildings. Here you can see the Plaza de la Cubanidad, a memorial to the cultural influence of Cubans in this city.
There is also Domino Park, on Avenida Luis Muñoz Marín, where you can see old men spending the day playing dominoes. The Brigade 2506 Monument on Memorial Boulevard memorializes the Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961. You can have Cuban coffee and smoke a cigar - hand-rolled by Cuban émigrés in Little Havana.
4. Miami Beach(es)
Miami Beach Skyline
Miami Beach is the longest beach in the world and there are a number of activities for a vacationer to indulge in here. You can sail a boat at twilight - and if the moon happens to be out, then you can see what the "The Moon over Miami" is all about. Key Biscayne is a wonderful place to sail and windsurf. There are any number of free beaches in Miami - and ones to suit all tastes. There is even a nude beach on the northern part of Miami Beach.
5. Nightlife
Lincoln Road Mall
Miami has the reputation of having a happening nightlife. Most of the clubs are along Washington Avenue, Lincoln Road Mall, and Ocean Drive on South Beach. There are clubs to suit all tastes - whether you are a jazz or salsa aficionado. Have a drink at the lobby bars of the art deco hotels - not only will you feel transported back in time, you will also be able to listen to the latest buzz in Miami as well.
6. Cuisine
Caribbean restaurant
In Miami, you can taste a number of different cuisines that reflecting the city's international heritage. Take your loved one to any of the fine restaurants serving the Miami originated New World cuisine. A number of restaurants find culinary inspiration from the islands of the Caribbean. The result, called Floribbean cuisine, is delicious.
7. Water Sports
Jet Skiing
Water is an integral part of life in Miami, as it is in the rest of Florida. If you are a pair of adventure seekers, who get a thrill out of riding the waves, Miami is your kind of paradise. Rent a pair of surfboards and head out to bask in the sun and explore your abilities. Spend the day ensconced in the depths of the ocean, marveling at the marine life, as colorful fishes dart by while you snorkel or deep-sea dive. Boating, windsurfing, yachting, water skiing, and swimming are some of the many ways you can enjoy the water.
Miami is the place where you can have it all - days of lazing on the beach, indulging in culture, staying up late and dancing, or tasting delicious eclectic fare. It is what makes this city more memorable as a vacation spot and it is here that you and your loved one can experience a romantic adventure!
