Miami is a city that struck me by total surprise. Perhaps the reason it took me so long to visit was due to all of the misconceptions that I had made about Miami. After a little bit of coaxing from a friend that lives there, and maybe a longing for some warm sunshine and sea, I finally got to see what the “Magic City” is all about. My takeaway now is that I barely feel satisfied with how much I was able to do and see in a week there. I’m not sure if it was being ill during half of it or the sheer fact that there is just so much to do there, but one week feels incredibly underwhelming. The energy in Miami is ongoing and there are things to do at any hour at any place. I was lucky to have a Miami local as a guide – a friend so full of life and energy, which is exactly the vibe that Miami has. With all of the things happening in the city of Vice, you could go crazy trying to do everything. You could read tons of blogs and make endless lists, or you can make things easier on yourself and scroll down to read the 4 things that I think you absolutely must do while in Miami.
Walk the entire beach to see each of the different lifeguard towers
The first thing I always do when I get to any beach town is get myself to the shore and put my toes in the water. Miami was no exception. Having the beach in walking distance is the definition of vacation for me, so staying in South Beach (which I highly recommend over downtown or north Miami) was a blessing. I can’t explain exactly how I envisioned Miami Beach to be, but what I can tell you is that I was wayyy off. It’s truly lovely! I mean you have all of the elements – soft sand, the salty sea, beach umbrellas, and the hot hot sun. Besides the famous Miami skyline behind you, there is one particularly cool element to Miami Beach that is worth touring – the lifeguard towers.
Most of the towers have been re-done after many were destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. Each one is different from the next in not only colours and patterns, but also in design and shape. Many different architects including William Lane have worked on them. Lane’s designs are some of my personal favorites.
Take a tour
There is a lifeguard tower at every block number. Start at 1st street and make your way up, or vice versa! Take pics of your favorites, and don’t forget to wear sunblock!! The Miami sun in STRONG. Seeing the towers will be a great way to spend time at the beach, but also see some of Miami’s Art Deco culture at the same time! For more pics check out this blog post dedicated to the towers.
Hit up Lincoln Road for Happy Hour & shopping
After your day at the beach, it’s likely you’ll have an appetite and want to cool down with a drink. My advice is to skip the restaurants on Ocean Drive, which runs along the beach. Instead, head over to Lincoln Road which runs perpendicular from the ocean between 16th and 17th street.
Lincoln Road is a large pedestrian road lined with shopping and restaurants. You’ll find a mix of high-end boutiques and your usual stores like Sephora and Victoria’s Secret. Nestled between the stores are many bars and restaurants with outdoor seating, making it the perfect place to catch a happy hour and buy yourself something on your trip. Since this entire road is lined with restaurants on either side, I’ll make it easier for you and tell you now that the best happy hour is at Balans.
Balans – 1022 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach 33139
Why it’s great
From 4-8pm they offer $5 glasses of wine (including sparkling wine), $7 cocktails, $4 beers, and food items for $7. You can’t beat these prices in South Beach, trust me – I tried! Their cocktails are really nice and the proportions of food are plentiful. I loved this happy hour so much that I enjoyed it more than once.
Check out the walls at Wynwood
You might have heard about the Wynwood Walls if you’ve done any kind of search on what to do in Miami. Personally I had no idea what my friend meant when she suggested I go there. I looked up the address on google and saw that it is a collection of murals painted by artists from around the world. That was enough for me to check them out.
The walls are in a specific walking gallery that is free and open to the public, however, Wynwood itself is a neighbourhood boasting tons of artistic flare and character. You won’t just find murals in the gallery, but all around the area. I felt like I was in a more colourful and cleaner version of Brooklyn. Miami has that kind of magic. You get these mixed emotions as if you’re experiencing other familiar places with a twist. There are a lot of lively places to get a bite in Wynwood, as well as some delicious bakeries.
An ideal morning in Wynwood
Start your day in the Wynwood area with some delish pastries for breakfast
The gallery walls open to the public at 10:30am, leaving you some time in the morning to get started with yummy pastries and coffee. You’ll get a good feel for the area and it’s vibrant vibe as you sip your caffeine. Here are two places that I recommend for breaky:
Zak the Baker – Your French pastry fix in Miami. The building itself is a mural, so it’s a bright start to your day in Wynwood.
The Salty Donut – A small batch craft donut shop that is rated one of the best in the US. Since I live in Paris and donuts are few and far between, you know I found this place to be a dream come true!
Head over to the Wynwood Walls
Walk the outdoor gallery and also check out the indoor temporary galleries. Until July this year there is a replica gallery of all of Kobra’s murals from around the world.
Don’t stop at the gallery! Explore the Wynwood neighbourhood and take in the wall art that is everywhere!
Eat all the Cuban food
It is no secret that Miami is home to many Cubans and reflects a great deal of Cuban culture. In my opinion, one of the best ways to experience a culture is to try the food. Some might say that Cuban food is Miami food now – there’s a plethora of it everywhere! Miami became the home for many Cuban refugees once Castro came into power in Cuba. Most of them first migrated to Little Havanna – the heart of Miami. The area is famous and still vibrant today, however, you don’t have to be in Little Havana to find incredible Cuban fair.
Cuban food is a glorious blend of Spanish, Caribbean, and even Portuguese cultures. If you enjoy any of these foods, you’ll understand immediately why Cuban food is every so present all over Miami – ummm it’s delicious!
In terms of what is best to order, that can be overwhelming. I wanted to try the most popular items and the restaurant had a dish with small portions of three classic dishes, Lechón Asado, Ropa Vieja, and Pollo Havana with rice, black beans, salad, and sweet plantains. Let me tell you now that this should be shared!!
My review
My personal favorite of the meats was the Lechón Asado – roasted pork leg slow cooked in mojo. Mojo is made up of oil, garlic, citrus, and pork fat, so this dish is very similar to carnitas. That’s probably why I loved it so much. Carnitas for life.
The Ropa Vieja was my second favorite number and not by much less. It is a braised then shredded flank steak stewed in mojo.
The Pollo Havana was the third meat dish on my sample platter. On the regular menu you can choose white or dark meat chicken. I think I would love this dish so much with dark meat. It’s topped with a special gravy that is super delicious and makes it better than your average chicken dish.
All in all, this was clearly WAY too much food, but all of it so delicious. You could also go for a famous cuban sandwich if you’re not in the mood for sharing.
I don’t have a special recommendation on any particular Cuban places (literally there are so many and your chances of getting a bad one are small). This meal was from Havana 1957 which has numerous locations in South Beach, including Lincoln Road and Espanola Way.
So much to do… so little time
It’s clear that Miami has a lot going on – from its art scene to its club scene, and all of the places to eat, drink, and shop in between.. it’s no wonder a week flew by for me. During half of my trip I was quite unwell. What I thought was just jet lag and then maybe dehydration turned out to be an inner infection. Yikes. Despite not feeling my best, and missing out on a lot of the places I wanted to see, it’s clear to me that I wouldn’t have been able to do it all in a week anyway.
Miami is truly a magic city, offering up something for anyone at any time. Whatever your purpose for visiting Miami, these four things should definitely be on your itinerary.
I personally cannot wait to go for round two! Have you been to Miami? Comment below!
Until next time,
Tamara ♡
