At Sand Castles Miami Beach, we thrive to electrify out guests experience. This post was created to provide a comprehensive list of things to do on and around Miami Beach!
With that, we say...
Welcome to Miami Beach! We hope that you enjoy your stay and find time to try the many attractions our community has to offer! To help whet your appetite, we’ve included some suggestions here for your consideration –
Neighborhoods to Wander
1) South Beach / Lincoln Road – from the southernmost tip of Miami Beach to about 20th Street and from Ocean Drive to Alton Road, there’s lots of interesting architecture, funky shops and restaurants galore! The Wolfsonian Museum has an eclectic collection of Americana! Check the schedules for the New World Symphony, the Colony Theater, or the Theater of Performing Arts (the former Jackie Gleason Theater)! They offer music, dance, poetry, comedy; a wonderful assortment of culture! If you’re looking for a movie, try the theater on the corner of Lincoln Road and Alton Road
2) Coconut Grove – across the Intracoastal Waterway and south of the City of Miami, Coconut Grove sits along Biscayne Bay. Beautiful areas to stroll, have lunch or dinner, shop, or sip a drink and watch the day go by! There’s even a comedy club at Coco Walk. You can have a casual outdoor meal at Scotty’s Landing right along the water, eat at Monty’s Stone Crabs (a mainstay for years upon years), or try the Chart House or Jaguar. Lunch or Sunday Brunch at Greenstreets is always a delight!
3) Coal Gables – home to the University of Miami (“it’s all about the U!), beautiful architecture, incredible trees and a walkable downtown, Coral Gables also boasts the Biltmore Hotel where Bill Clinton has stayed and played golf. The Biltmore has two critically acclaimed restaurants, Fontana, & Cascade and one the largest swimming pools imaginable where Esther Williams performed. Downtown Coral Gables has a large selection of highly rated restaurants offering everything imaginable. If you enjoy getting lost in a bookstore, Books and Books is a renowned, independently owned bookstore which features a café, almost daily guest authors and a beautiful patio to sit, read, and relax
4) Downtown Miami – the Miami Art Museum, Museum of History and the public library are all located on Flagler Street. You’ll find lots of shops for clothing and electronics, a Macy’s and if you’re looking for jewelry, you must go to the Seybold Building where you’ll find store after store, floor after floor, selling baubles to thrill! If you’re hungry, try Ceviche 105 for great Peruvian Food at reasonable prices, or First and First for a southern lunch followed by homemade baked goods or ice cream! Also downtown, right of Biscayne Bay, is the Bayside Marketplace. Bayside houses restaurants (including Hard Rock Café), shops and a dock where you can catch a sightseeing boat! Just north of Bayside is the American Airlines Arena, home of the National Basketball Associations, Miami Heat. This start studded team features Dwayne Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh. Depending on the night, you can catch a great concert at the Arena! Just on the north side of downtown is the Adrienne Arsht Center, which offers Broadway shows, classical concerts, and more.
5) The Design District – home to great home furnishing design shops and award winning restaurants, this is a wonderful place to have lunch and wander. Try Sra. Martinez for tapas or Michael’s Genuine Food where you’re likely to run into a celebrity at any meal!
6) Wynwood – home to art galleries, this neighborhood rocks during Art Basal in early December each year. Home to restaurants and clubs, this neighborhood rocks in the evenings all year long!
7) Mid Town – a new area just north of the City of Miami with more shops and restaurants
Sightseeing –
If you’re looking for something a little closer to nature than architecture, shopping and restaurants, try the Everglades! Home to national parks and also to Native American reservations, you can go for airboat rides and swamp buggy rides and see alligators.
1. Shark Valley (where there are no sharks and no valleys!) is on Southwest 8th Street, also known as Tamiami Trial. It has a 15 mile loop which you can travel by bicycle (they rent them there), foot or trolley. Half way around is a tower where you can see far across the Everglades. The alligators abound, so be prepared! Just so you know, this is about an hour and one-half from Miami Beach.
2. Further west, but on the same road, about half-way across the Everglades is the Clyde Butcher gallery. This small building houses the photography of Clyde Butcher a naturalist whose photographs of the Everglades are the breathtaking! The ride alone is fascinating as it’s the original two-lane road between the east and west coasts of South Florida; the only thing between your car (or motorcycle!) and the Everglades is a guard rail! When the weather is cool, you’ll see plenty of alligators and beautiful birds. After the drive, the Clyde Butcher gallery is icing on the cake.
3. West of Fort Lauderdale, off of I-75 (the continuation of 595 West, just south of the Fort Lauderdale Airport) is Billy Swamp Safari. This is located within the Miccosukee reservation. It has alligators, birds of pretty, snakes, a Florida panther and a Florida black bear. At Billy Swamp Safari you can take an airboat ride or a swamp buggy ride!
4. South of Downtown Miami lies Vizcaya. Home of the industrialist, John Deering. Vizcaya’s home and gardens area beautiful step into the past.
5. What about Fairchild Gardens?
6. Eco-Adventures – the Miami-Dade County Parks and Recreation Department offer kayaking, canoeing, and bird-watching.
7. Golf – If you’re looking to ‘hit the links,’ the closest courses is on the Alton Road, just north of 17th Avenue. If you’re a serious golfer and want to try and tame the famous Blue Monster, head over to the Doral Country Club which boasts five courses including the Blue Monster (which hosts a nationally televised tournament every spring!) Key Bescayne has one of the prettiest golf courses around, but beware of the many water hazards! The Bitmore Hotel in Coral Gables has a course which has hosted Bill Clinton more than a few times!
Shopping –
Aside from the stores you’ll find wandering the Beach and neighborhoods listed above, you may want to try any of the large malls listed below:
1. Bal Harbour Shops – Collins Avenue and 95th Street, Bal Harbour is home to every fabulous upscale designer imaginable. Two Stories and out of doors, this is a beautiful place to shop.
2. Merrick Park – located just off Dixie Highway in Coral Gables, also outdoors, Merrick Park is the Gables answer to Bal Harbour!
3. Aventura Mall – about 25 minutes north of Miami Beach, Aventura has everything from the extravagant to the simple, including movie theatres.
4. Sawgrass Mall – west of Fort Lauderdale, this is the largest outlet mall around.
Sports –
If you want to catch some football, basketball, or baseball, you can choose between collegiate (University of Miami Hurricanes play all three) or professional. Home to the Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Florida Marlins, or go north into Fort Lauderdale to see the Florida Panthers ice hockey team!
Gambling –
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is about 45 minutes north and offers gambling, restaurants, shopping and concerts. The Magic City casino also has gambling and great concerts. Gulfstream (about 30 minutes north) has gambling , restaurants, shopping all year long and, from January to April each year, live horse racing!
Restaurants –
In Miami Beach, there’s something for every price range and every appetite. To help, we’ve included some suggestions and menus.
Breakfast –
Canyon Ranch
Lunch/Dinner –
Ice Cream –
The Big Freeze
