Miami Travel Guide

Those who follow me on Instagram @DailyCatL know I recently spent a few days in Miami. My husband and I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary and we as a family celebrated Father’s Day. Miami Beach is one of my all-time favorite destinations, New York City and Positano being the other top contenders. I posted My New York City Bucket List here and an Amalfi Coast Travel Guide here.

In today’s post, I’ll focus on answering questions and sharing with you how we spent our time in Miami this time around. Miami is such a lively, upbeat place with some of the most incredible beaches you’ll ever see, some of the freshest seafood you’ll ever taste and some the most welcoming, diverse people you’ll ever come across! The entire place is simply buzzing with unbeatable energy! Here is my Miami Travel Guide …

The Best Time to Visit Miami

This is an easy one. You can visit Miami all year round! It all depends on what you want to do. You can certainly use the beach all year round, but I’d say the water reaches comfortable, refreshing temperatures between April thru October. It gets hot and humid during the summer, but the winters (typically November thru March) are incredibly mild and breezy. If you’re coming for a walking tour than you might want to keep that in mind. Also, hurricane season here in Florida is June thru the beginning of November.

Do You Need A Car?

Unlike New York, Miami is a spread out city, so chances are you’ll use a car at some point. Some hotels offer shuttle services, there’s lots of ubers and taxis, or you can opt to use your own car. Typically, the hotel will valet and you’ll pay a little extra a day to have your car parked in their lot. There are also inexpensive parking lots throughout the city making it very convenient to find a spot.

Where To Stay

There really is so much waterfront in Miami that if you’re coming for the beach then definitely get a hotel on the beach. There are lots of reasonably priced ones. South Beach in Miami is a very popular and busy area. My family and I usually stay at the Ritz Carlton in Bal Harbour. I love staying in Bal Harbor for several reasons. First, it’s not very crowded and it’s very family-friendly. The Ritz in Bal Harbour is located on the beach. It has its own beautiful private beach with complimentary lounge chairs and umbrellas. And lastly, its proximity to restaurants downtown and South Beach. Bal Harbor is considered North Miami and it’s within a 20-30 minute drive from downtown Miami, South Beach and Aventura Mall (more on this later in the post).

What To Do

I don’t even know where to begin. There really is something for everyone and every pocket. Some of the things you won’t want to miss are: the beach, restaurants, shopping, art galleries and museums!

The Beach

You must go to the beach! I will however say that the sand is not as white and pretty as the sandy beaches of Sarasota or St Pete (which I’m grateful to call home for these past 7 years). If you follow me on Instagram than you’ll have seen lots of photos of these two other beautiful places in Florida. But the water in Miami is breathtaking! It’s the most pristine and serene aqua blue! So soothing to the mind and soul! And you must watch the sun setting over the ocean! It’s a festival of vibrant pink, orange and purple melting into the night sky. Truly a sight to see!

Restaurants

The food is definitely something you’ll want to indulge in! There are a variety of different cuisines to choose from, the majority of which feature fresh local seafood and ingredients. Below I’m sharing with you my favorite restaurants (in no particular order):

Artisan Beach House Restaurant & Sunset Lounge (located in the Ritz Carlton in Bal Harbor) – serves trendy American food in a chic, beachy setting with beautiful water views. Their avocado toast sprinkled with chia seeds, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese is always an easy pick for me. As is their oat milk cappuccino. My son adores their chocolate chip waffles and orders them every time we get breakfast there.

Watr (located within 1 Hotel South Beach) – this restaurant resides on the rooftop of 1 Hotel South Beach. The 360 panoramic city and ocean views are incredible. The food is quite unique as well, a mixture of Peruvian and Japanese dishes served in the most elegant yet fairly casual setting. White cabanas and lush, green trees accent this cool rooftop restaurant.

Habitat (inside 1 Hotel South Beach) – is THE perfect brunch spot! It’s trendy and chic, serving contemporary Spanish cuisine made with sustainable local ingredients.

Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann (at Faena Hotel) – Grill Master Fracis Mallman was featured on the highly popular Chef’s Table on Netflix. He serves Argentine food (mostly seafood and steak cooked in an open-fire kitchen) and exquisite wines! Everything on the menu is simply delicious and bursting with flavor. We celebrate our 10-year wedding anniversary there and enjoyed a memorable meal featuring a delectable spread of appetizers and empanadas, fish for me and steak for my husband, as well as a decadent chocolate ganache profiterole for dessert. The upscale interiors remind me of something out of an Ernest Hemingway novel. They’re lavish and grand with massive porcelain tigers and live palm trees. There are candles burning throughout the place and light jazzy, Latin American music playing in the background. The service is excellent, some of the best I’ve ever experienced in my life. We’re definitely going back soon!

Mandolin (located in the Miami Design District) – is a quaint 1930’s bungalow-style house. They serve some of the best authentic Greek food I’ve ever had here in the States in the most charming, cozy garden with twinkling lights. You really can’t go wrong with anything on their menu. I celebrated my birthday there last July with a group of about 15 people and everyone had an incredible experience. I will say parking can be a bit tricky in that area, so you might want to consider taking an uber or a cab.

Le Sirenuse (located in the Four Seasons Hotel) – If you’ve been to Positano in Italy, chances are you found your way to Le Sirenuse. It’s probably one of the most Instagrammable spots in Positano because of the incredible views it offers, see my Positano Travel Guide here. Le Sirenuse in Miami offers Italian classics and cocktails in a chic, waterfront setting. I recommend trying it for brunch, as their dinner items can get quite pricey.

Byblos (located in South Beach) – is a cozy, colorful spot serving authentic Middle Eastern food using local ingredients. The meals are meze and family style, primarily meant for sharing. Everything on their menu is unique and incredibly tasty.

Shopping

Aventura Mall is probably the best place to shop in Miami and one of the top shopping centers in the United States (the 3^rd largest mall in the U.S). They feature a mix of over 300 luxury and high-street brands and 50 eateries and restaurants. There really is something for everyone and every pocket!

For those interested in luxury shopping, the Shops of Bal Harbour (a high-end mall) are right across the street (so walking distance) from the Ritz where we stayed. I love strolling around as the interiors and décor are spectacular. They feature lots of lush exotic plants and massive gold fish swimming in the ponds.

Beauty and Spas

I haven’t really got a chance to try any beauty treatments in Miami yet, but my Miami friends recommend the Ritz Carlton Spa and Glo Bar Skincare. Both places specialize in facials and body care for men and women.

Art Galleries

The Miami art scene can be described as incredibly colorful, bursting with galleries that showcase iconic and emerging local and international artists. The following are galleries I’ve heard about and that I’m hoping to visit soon:

• Avant Gallery (located inside the EPIC Hotel) – displays contemporary photography, paintings, sculptures and furniture.
• Rubell Family Collection (located in Wynwood) – is one of the biggest private contemporary art collections owned by the famed Rubell Family (co-owners of NYC’s famous Studio 54).
• Artechouse (located in South Beach) – is a digital art gallery where you can go up and touch the art!

Museums

Art galleries, museums, hotels:

• Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science – is a family-friendly science museum with a mind-blowing planetarium, art installations, laser shows and interactive presentation of the human microbiome.

• Miami Children’s Museum – is one of my son’s favorite spots. It has lots of interactive exhibits and play areas, giving children the opportunity to learn thru hands-on experiences. Remember that big piano Tom Hanks plays with his feet in the movie Big? They have one at this children’s museum.

Have you been to Miami yet? If you have, please leave me your recommendations in the comments below.

What I’m wearing in the photos:

Light Blue High-Waisted Pants currently on sale here

Pink Denim jeans on sale here

White shirt with eyelash detail on sale here and white gauze shirt here

Pink High-Waisted Shorts on sale here

Straw Hat here

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