Explore Miami With Someone Who Actually Lives There

Skip the tourist strip

Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road are built to sell to visitors. The Miami locals love is a ventanita in Little Havana, a backyard bar in Little Haiti, a quieter beach on Key Biscayne. A Local Friend takes you straight there.

Eat Miami's real food

Cuban sandwiches, croquetas and a colada to share, Haitian griot, Peruvian ceviche, Venezuelan arepas, stone crab in season. Miami's best food is Latin American and Caribbean, often in places with no English on the menu.

Plan around the heat and the weather

When to hit the beach, when to be inside, which afternoon storm will pass in twenty minutes, what's open late. Locals plan the day around the sun and the rain without thinking; it makes a long weekend twice as good.

Little Havana

Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street): cafecito from the ventanitas, the dominoes in Máximo Gómez Park, cigar shops, fruit stands and live music on weekend nights. The heart of Cuban Miami.

Wynwood

Warehouses covered in murals, galleries, breweries and bars. Busy at night and on weekends; the street art outside the paid Wynwood Walls is free and just as good.

South Beach

The Art Deco district, the beach and the nightlife everyone has heard of. Walk the Deco buildings in the morning and swim at the quieter ends, south of 5th Street or up past 20th.

Little Haiti

Haitian restaurants, botanicas, colourful murals, the Little Haiti Cultural Complex and some of the city's best small music venues. A side of Miami most visitors never see.

Coconut Grove

Miami's oldest neighbourhood: banyan trees, a bayfront park, sailing boats and a slower pace. Pair it with Vizcaya Museum and Gardens nearby.

Brickell & Downtown

The skyscrapers, rooftop bars and the free Metromover that loops between them. Bayfront Park and the Pérez Art Museum are on the water a few minutes away.

Key Biscayne

Across the causeway: calmer water, a lighthouse at Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and a beach that feels far from the city. Best on a weekday.

December to April is the dry season: sunny, warm and the busiest and most expensive time, with peaks around Art Basel in early December and spring break in March. May to October is hot and humid with short afternoon storms. Hurricane season runs from June to November, most active from August to October; check forecasts and travel insurance if you visit then.

The areas visitors use are generally safe. Watch for overpriced drinks and surprise bills on Ocean Drive — always see a price before ordering. Swim near lifeguard stands and respect the warning flags: rip currents are real. Don't leave valuables on the sand or visible in a car. Some areas near Overtown and Liberty City are best avoided at night unless you're with someone who knows them.

A car or rideshare is the easiest way to get around. The Metromover around Downtown and Brickell is free. Metrorail links the airport to Downtown and Coconut Grove. Brightline trains run to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. Traffic on the causeways to the beaches is heavy on weekends.

Light, breathable clothes, a swimsuit, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. A light layer for the cold air-conditioning indoors. A compact umbrella or light rain jacket for summer storms. Something a little smarter if you plan a night out in South Beach or Brickell.

Spanish is spoken everywhere, often first. In much of the city you can get by entirely in Spanish, and English speakers will hear Cuban, Venezuelan, Colombian and Puerto Rican Spanish in the same afternoon. Haitian Creole is common in Little Haiti and North Miami.

Expensive, especially on the beach. Budget: about $110–170/day before accommodation (Metromover, ventanitas, beaches, a cheap meal). Mid-range: about $300–450/day with a hotel. A cafecito $1–2. A Cuban sandwich $10–14. Dinner $40–70 a head. Many South Beach restaurants add an automatic 18–20% service charge to the bill: check before you tip, so you don't pay it twice.