Most beautiful places in Miami, Florida

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Miami’s South Beach neighborhood features 10 miles of coastline, art deco buildings, and buzzing carnival-like atmosphere. It is a colorful and vibrant section of the city with over 900 unique buildings ranging from nautical-themed hotels to pastel-colored mansions. This district possesses the trendy architectural style of the 1930s and 40s, which was developed following a hurricane strike in 1926. The structural elements in the area include sleek curves, glass blocks, terrazzo floors, neon signs, and porthole windows, reminiscent of the cruise ships that docked in the area.

Some of the notable buildings in the neighborhood are Casa Casuarina – a Spanish-style mansion that was once home of Gianni Versace, and Park Central Hotel – a Hollywood celebrity hangout where legends like Clark Gable and Rita Hayworth were regulars. Today, the highlights in the South Beach area are Ocean Drive Boulevard and Miami Beach. Ocean Drive is home to trendy Caribbean chic cafés and hip nightlife, while Miami Beach is a non-stop people's mecca with hordes of locals and tourists sunbathing and relaxing on the sand.

Though there are hundreds of restaurants and cafes to explore in the South Beach neighborhood, we personally would recommend Orilla Bar and Grill. It is a chef-driven Argentinian steakhouse, located on 5th street in Ocean Drive. With some clever landscape architecture, Orilla feels like a private little jungle with its open northern wall and greenery all around. The establishment is full of miniature palm trees, and a gorgeous mural of a tropical bird covers the walls. The dining space is made up of dark color shades diffused lighting to create a calming and relaxing atmosphere.

The kitchen is run under the leadership of Chef Fernando Trocca, who is an award-winning Argentinian culinary expert. The menu features meats cooked on a charcoal grill with innovative entrees like Wagyu cheeseburger, pan-seared sea bass with garlic sauce, prime rib eye steak with fries, beef empanadas, and tomahawk steak with chimichurri dipping sauce. The restaurant also has a full bar with an extensive selection of wines and craft cocktails. On Friday and Saturday evenings, Orilla Bar and Grill becomes lively with energetic sounds by their resident DJ.

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Located between the sizzling beaches of Miami and the white sands of Key West, Everglades National Park is a swampland covering about 1.5 million acres of area. It is one of Florida’s unique natural features that draws over one million nature lovers and tourists every year. The Everglades is essentially a shallow river flowing out to the ocean, and it is home to alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and birds. You can explore Everglades Park through walking trails, airboat tours, kayaking, and tram tours.

Paddle through the mangrove forest with a kayaking adventure and see wild animals, such as white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, American crocodiles, saw manatees, and bald eagles in their natural habitat. One of the most enjoyable ways to experience the park is on an airboat tour. These high-speed boats take visitors out into the marshes and streams to see all the wild animals. This trip includes a 30-minute ride and an interactive live alligator show at the Everglades Farm. If you are not a fan of speed, take the Shark Valley Tram Tour for a narrated drive through the park in an open-air vehicle.

El Toro Loco Churrascaria is a chain of steakhouses in Florida that started from a food truck and eventually grew into a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The owner, Aldo Espinosa, a Cuban-American chef, started his journey by working at his parent's butcher shop. His passion for barbeques and culinary arts led him to open his F&B chain and meat distribution center with 4 food trucks and 6 restaurant locations serving tasteful food. The El Toro Loco Churrascaria in Kendall is along the way to Everglades National Park, and hence an ideal place to stop for an amazing and meaty meal.

The dining room is adorned with weathered brick and wood on the walls, mahogany Cuban wood tables, and benches upholstered with cowhide leather. Patrons of the steakhouse can relish delicacies, such as manchego croquettes with guava sauce, pork belly cooked in a reduction of teriyaki sauce, different steak cuts like filet mignon wrapped with bacon, picanha, leg of lamb, and tomahawk steak that is cooked rotisserie style. The menu also includes yuca sticks, garlic rice, and feijoada – the perfect sides for any order. Check out their bar menu featuring draft beers, craft cocktails, and different lemonades to accompany your meal.

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The Philip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is one of Miami’s top landmarks for an educational experience. It is an aquarium, planetarium, and science expo all rolled into one. The Frost Museum covers an area of 250,000 square feet with six floors of exhibits divided into four zones. The aquarium is all about the world’s oceans, research on coral reefs, and the Everglades. There is also a three-story water tank that lets you see a range of Florida’s marine life.

The planetarium helps bring an understanding of the solar system and dark matter through interactive displays and shows. In the North and West wings, visitors can learn about the impacts of climate change through an exhibit on hurricanes and also understand the world we live in. It is the ideal attraction for a rainy day, or if you are looking to do something off the beaches. Across all the displays of the museums are interactive and fun viewing areas that are interesting to all ages of visitors.

Located across the street from the Frost Museum of Science, Sagrado Café is a 3200-square-foot space, where you can enjoy baked sweet and savory Brazilian confectionery items to the soundtrack of bossa nova (Brazilian flair) tunes. The café is the creation of Brazilian natives – Taciana Kalili and Vanessa Hida – both Le Cordon Bleu graduates. The café has been designed by architect Marcia Prado by enveloping the eatery in greenery with highlighted yellow tiles, deep teal cushions, and dispersed planters that ornament the dining space. Set in an old industrial area, the rustic exposed brick walls, wooden trusses, and concrete flooring pay homage to the history of the place.

Sagrado serves breakfast all day in the form of açai bowls, customized omelets, and traditional sandwiches such as Jacaranda and tapioca crêpes with cassava root. Other signature menu items include chicken filet parmigiana, penne with shrimp, Brazilian pork bean stew with rice, and beef stroganoff with collard greens. In desserts, guests can indulge in sweet key lime pie, three chocolate mousse, and volcano cake with gelato.

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Coral Gables is a posh area of Miami that feels like a scene from Venice. The district is full of bridges, towers, and small plazas giving it a very European feel, and the caves, grottos, and two waterfalls provide hours of enjoyment for visitors of all ages. Coral Gables, popularly called “City Beautiful”, is filled with European-style homes – Italianate villas, Mediterranean mansions, mini Alhambra design houses, and Moorish architecture shaded by banyan trees and ficuses. You will also find 1920s historic landmarks, like the palatial Biltmore Hotel, Lowe Art Museum, and the stone fountain in De Soto Plaza.

If you are looking for a freshwater swim, then head to the historic Venetian Pool in Coral Gables. The pool is a by-product of a former quarrying operation that used to take place here for the construction of homes in the area. The pool dates back to the early 1920s, and the water is as pure as it gets. The Venetian Pool is fed from an underground spring that makes water crystal clear and refreshing. Each day, the 820,000-gallon reservoir is drained and refilled by the spring.

Caffe Abbracci is a fine Italian eatery that was opened by Nino Pernetti in 1989. It creates an atmosphere of the old world of leisure, where every guest is warmly welcomed. The crowds love coming to this place as much for the status as for the food. The name of the restaurant is Italian for “hugs”, and you will feel the warmth and care that goes with the service and each dish. The upscale fine dining establishment is divided into two sections – a bar with a stained-glass ceiling and an intimate dining room. The decor is like a time warp, with soundproof ceilings and walls insulating your tables from neighboring conversations, making it a perfect place to bring people you enjoy talking to.

The menu features classic Italian dishes, such as beef carpaccio, linguine with clams, meaty lentil soup with dar greens, shrimp sautéed in balsamic vinegar, grilled fish with few drops of lemon juice, creamy mushroom risotto, veal Parmesan, and plates of pasta stuffed with pumpkin and accented with Italian herbs. The restaurant also offers a comprehensive wine list of Italian and international labels to choose from.

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A motorsports' mecca in the south of the city, Homestead Miami Speedway is a 600-acre facility that hosts NASCAR’s championship races. It is a premier hub for fans of high-speed racing. Designed with a hint of art deco influence of the nearby Miami Beach, the Speedway is a distinctly Floridian racetrack that hosts a range of events, such as the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Firestone Indy Light Series, and NASCAR Dixie Vodka 400.

The track boasts a 2.21-mile road course in addition to its 1.5-mile oval and is active for more than 280 days out of the year with different types of racing. Visitors can explore NASCAR Cup garages, the spotters stand, and Victory Lane, and opt for a behind-the-scenes tour. If you want to drive on the track, you can book an auto racing experience or choose the “Fast Lane Friday” event, where street-legal cars compete on the Speedway’s drag strip from 6 pm to midnight. It is an adrenaline seekers paradise and worth visiting for anyone vacationing in Miami.

Located in proximity to the Homestead Miami Speedway, Sake Thai and Sushi Bar is a quaint little eatery that serves some of the best Asian dishes in Miami. At this intimate restaurant, guests can enjoy delicacies from Thailand, Japan, China, and Korea. The decor of the establishment is minimalistic: a small sushi bar and a teppan grill counter, a few outdoor seating tables, and an indoor dining area with red color tones, hanging lights, and black marble table tops.

The menu items here are of huge quantity and high in flavor. Diners of the restaurant can relish scrumptious dishes, such as chicken pad thai noodles with veggies, salmon and tuna maki rolls, teriyaki teppan grilled prawns, egg fried rice with orange chicken, tonkotsu ramen, miso soup, and Mongolian beef with fluffy steamed rice. The restaurant also features a drinks' menu with different types of draft beers, sake, and a few refreshing mocktails.

Miami is a perfect vacation place to discover Latin American culture, marvel at the beautiful architecture, sunbathe on idyllic beaches, and party your night away in one of the high-end nightclubs. From its museums to the streets of Little Havana, there are plenty of things to do in the Sunshine City. With its fantastic stretch of beachfront, Art Deco District, Cuban-influenced restaurants, natural Everglades Park, and happening bars, Miami is more than just a sunny getaway destination.

Are you planning a trip to Miami? What attractions and restaurants are on your checklist? Share your thoughts with our community in the comment section below. And for more ideas, check out our latest articles.