About to finish my USA trip with a week in south beach Miami -things to do

shadowcomplex

I'm heading into the final week of my trip of the states , I've already been in Dallas , New Orleans and Vegas . 6 nights seems like a lot on this area so other than partying what other things can I do ? Also I heard south beach is quite rough , is this true ?

iusedtoknow

I'd rent a car, go down south to the Keys for a few of the days - they're pretty beautiful

Palmy

South Beach is worth having a look at, but one day and a night will be enough. Miami is pretty rough compared to a lot of other places in Florida and you have to be care full where you drive. Spend a night in Miami and then head down to Key West for a few days. It takes about 3-4 hours to drive from Miami.
I was very disappointed with Miami when I first went, and living here in Florida going on three years I haven't been back. I would rather go to Fort Lauderdale,45mins North from Miami.

rossie1977

south beach isn't rough, parts of miami are for sure but south beach and the downtown part of miami in and around the american airlines arena down toward bayfront park is easily one if not the cleanest parts of big city america. if you have already been to vegas and new orleans then southbeach will be a breeze and then some. the tourist areas of both of those are much much rougher and seedier than southbeach.

outside partying and lying on the beach you can take in a basketball game given the heat are the best team in the nba right now. you can visit seaquarium, take a cruise or a speedboat http://www.thrillermiami.com/ there are also numerous companies offering half day tours to the everglades.

orlando is a 4 hour bus trip of 40 minute flight away. if you haven't been its worth a couple of days

InTheTrees

iusedtoknow wrote: »

I'd rent a car, go down south to the Keys for a few of the days - they're pretty beautiful

This.

ProudDUB

Miami isn't rough. The area around the airport certainly is, and like any other large city, there are other dodgy parts. But to say that the entire city is rough is just not true. The City of Miami and Miami Beach (where South Beach is) are two different places. The South Beach area that caters to tourists specifically is perfectly fine. It is free from the social ills that afflict some of the poorer neighbourhoods in the city itself. If you are renting a car at the airport, odds are the rental agency will be in one of those dodge neigbourhoods, so care has to be taken leaving them. That is where most of the horror stories associated with Miami come from. But if you pay attention to the directions you are given when you are leaving, you'll be fine.

In South Beach, there are the beaches, (obviously) some decent shops and outdoor restaurants on Lincoln Blvd, all the art deco buildings and historical architecture if you are into that kind of thing, hip sea front restaurants and cafes on Collins Ave and night clubs, if you are a clubber. A bit further north (about a 15 min drive) up Collins Ave is the mega hotel the Fontainbleu that featured in the Bond movie Goldfinger. That's about it for Miami Beach/South Beach.

The city itself has the Bayfront Park area in downtown that is great for hanging out/shopping/eating. It is also where the boats leave that do the tours of the harbour. They take you out to see all the private islands where the mega rich have their mega mansions and mega yachts on. You can only see them from the water. The tours are great craic and the guides are great at telling you who lives where.

Vizcaya House and Gardens and Fairchild Tropical Gardens are both about an hours drive from the city. Think of them as Miami's version of Powerscourt House and Gardens or Wesport House. They are both very, very well worth a day trip, if you are into that kind of thing. You could do them both in a day if you start early enough, but remember it gets dark early there, as it is so close to the tropics. A tour of the Everglades is a good idea too, but you would need a whole day for that.