Alpinia Travel

Welcome to this new blog post! A colorful, vibrant city with a fantastic beach, modern skyscrapers and the best weather – that’s how many people imagine Miami. But is it really like that? That will be clarified in this blog post. You will also find sightseeing inspiration for the city.

A quick stop in Miami

I spent five days in Miami in the summer of 2024, while I was on a road trip through the southeastern United States. The weather wasn’t entirely on my side. The first four days there were occasional heavy rains and gray clouds covered the sky. However, that didn’t stop me from exploring the city.

The dream city of Miami

For many, Miami is the absolute dream city in the USA. Admittedly, my expectations were correspondingly higher and unfortunately they were not fully met. Miami didn’t convince me as much as I thought it would. Lots of construction sites, run-down areas just two corners from downtown and generally less colorful than expected. An exception to this is South Beach. We’ll get to that later. Although the city is not one of my favorite cities in the United States, there are still some beautiful sights.

History and Miami downtown

The name of the city comes originally from the Indian word Mayaimi, which means big water. With this word they described Lake Mayaimi (today Lake Okeechobee). The Mayaimi Indian tribe lived there. After Jacksonville, Miami is Florida’s second largest city and a huge part of the residents speak Spanish as their first language.

Along with other northern coastal cities such as Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and West Palm Beach, Miami forms a metropolitan area of ​​over 6 million residents known as the Gold Coast.

Seen from above, the city center looks much more spectacular than from the ground. At night you can see the countless lights of the city stretching to the horizon. If it’s not raining or cloudy, you can watch a beautiful sunrise – the sun shining through between the skyscrapers.

Kaseya Center and Freedom Tower

The Kaseya Center is a multi-purpose hall in downtown Miami. Among other things, there are home games of the Miami Heat basketball team from the National Basketball Association (NBA), whose fan shop is also located in the arena. Concerts and other events are also organized regularly.

Right next to the hall is the Freedom Tower, which was unfortunately closed due to renovations at the time of my visit. In the tower you will find a museum with contemporary art. In addition, it is used as an office for various disciplines of the arts associated with Miami Dade College.

Bayside

At the Port of Miami is the Bayside Marketplace – an open-air shopping center. In addition to clothing and souvenir shops, you will also find several restaurants and cafes – and even a Ferris wheel. There is a relaxed atmosphere and great views of the downtown skyscrapers.

Miami River Walk

Not far from Miami Bayside is Bayfront Park, where you can meet many wild squirrels. Anyone traveling with a dog has the option of going to the dog park at the south end of Bayfront Park.

The River Walk also begins at the end of the park. The path leads along the Miami River among the modern skyscrapers. It is a relatively small landscaped path that winds through the city center. It’s a scenic path with lots of palm trees.

Brickell Key

Brickell Key is an artificial island off the mainland of the Brickell district. Some of the largest buildings in the city are located on the island.

The triangular island is connected to the mainland by a single bridge. Since Brickell Key is so small, it doesn’t take long to walk around it. There are lots of plants and palm trees on the island that grow next to the sidewalks.

Wynwood Walls

There is no shortage of creativity in Miami. The Wynwood Walls is the city’s famous graffiti district. These street art murals come from artists from all over the world.
Art enthusiasts can also visit the Wynwood Walls Museum, located right there, to learn more about the history of the graffiti district. Otherwise, you can walk along the blocks with the murals for free.

Little Havana

Little Havana is the Cuban heart of Miami. Among other things, you will find Latin American art galleries, restaurants and of course numerous souvenir shops. It’s easy to forget that you’re still in the US, not Cuba.

There are all kinds of Cuban coffee and other specialties from the country. An interesting attraction is the „Domino Park“ on Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street). Locals meet there to discuss all sorts of things over a game of dominoes. You can find many open cafes with live Latin American music, which also contributes to a special atmosphere.

Cape Florida Lighthouse

The oldest structure in Miami-Dade is located on an island: the Cape Florida Lighthouse. It was first built in 1825, but had to survive a lot. Including dozens of hurricanes, an explosion of lantern oil and gunpowder, and much more.

Today the lighthouse is a cultural monument. To get there you have to pay an entrance fee to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, where the lighthouse is located. Right next to the Cape Florida Lighthouse there is a beautiful sandy beach, with a small roped off area for the turtles to bury their eggs.

A group of wooden stilt houses located south of Cape Florida is called Stiltsville. You can see those houses from the coast at the lighthouse. Supposedly Stiltsville was built to accommodate gambling, which was legal a mile offshore.

Hobie Island Beach Park

On the way from the Cape Florida Lighthouse back to the mainland you drive over another island, Virginia Key. There are several parking spaces right next to the street that belong to Hobie Island Beach Park. You can walk a little along the palm trees on the beach, see lots of coconuts lying around and spot some ibises, and admire a great view of Miami.

South Beach and Ocean Drive

Probably the most famous part of Miami is South Beach. Photos of this part of town dot the internet and this is the Miami most people imagine. That’s why it’s correspondingly touristy. The streets of South Beach are very colorful and eye-catching, with lots of plants and palm trees.

The world-famous street is Ocean Drive, where many films and series such as „Bad Boys“ and „Miami Vice“ were filmed. Additionally, you can see many well-known Art Deco hotels along Ocean Drive.

Lummus Park

East of Ocean Drive is Lummus Park, where you can see some iguanas among the palm trees. At Lummus Park you can also see the iconic Clock Thermometer („South Beach Clock Tower“) of the city. However, a lot of tourists tend to gather there and it can take a while until it’s your turn to take photos.

South Pointe Beach

The long beaches of South Beach stretch between skyscrapers and the sea. South Pointe Beach, which is located at the southern tip of this district, is particularly recommended.

Right next to the beach is the South Pointe Park Pier, which offers a good view of this part of Miami. A few steps away is a park of the same name. In addition to beautiful walking paths, you can also find a cafe in South Pointe Park.

By the way, don’t be surprised if a shadow appears in the water close by while swimming. Manatees are very curious animals and like to hang around people in this area. But they are completely harmless.

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Thank you for reading this blog post! I wish you a nice day and see you soon!

Zsofia