Must-Visit Attractions in Miami

Cigars. Coffee. Food. We’re salivating just thinking about a trip into Little Havana. This slice of Cuban paradise will send your senses into overdrive. Stroll down Calle Ocho with a hand-rolled cigar in one hand and a hot, turbo-charged coffee in the other. Follow your eyes, ears, nose or even your hips; they’ll lead you to fresh plates of ropa vieja (Cuban-style braised meat) and live Latin music that’ll keep you dancing well into the night.

Once blank warehouse walls and a city dump, this site has now become the vibrant Wynwood Walls. Good luck finding the perfect selfie, though. These canvases stretch over 80,000sqft (7,432sqm), not including the murals in the garden space, the fifteen roll-down doors and the graffiti pieces dotted throughout the neighborhood. Each mural is stunning, showcasing more than 50 artists from around the world. Come early if you want to get the best crowd-free shots.

You need to try Cuban cuisine in Miami, plain and simple. Versailles is indubitably the most popular Cuban restaurant in town. We won’t waste time telling you about all of the international acclaim it continues to receive. Instead, we’ll let their menu do the talking. The classic Cuban staple ropa vieja, swimming in wine and tomato sauce. Chicharrones topped with Cuban mojo and onions. A famous Cuban sandwich stacked with sweet ham, roast pork and Swiss cheese. There’s nothing more to say.

Spend the day by the Biscayne Bay and spend a little cash while you’re at the Bayside Marketplace. You won’t blow your budget bouncing between Skechers, Victoria’s Secret and Express, but you might do so with a geek out at the comic shop or Disney Store. You can see Miami from above with a ride on the Skyviews Observation Wheel, but we’d suggest doing that before you settle in for a few pints at the Bavaria Haus Beerhall.

Nothing against the classics, but even art aficionados get a little heavy-eyed staring at Renaissance and Neoclassical pieces. The PAMM keeps the creative spark alive by showcasing only 20th and 21st-century pieces. This focus on international modern art offers the opportunity to highlight Miami’s diverse global community. Rotating exhibits showcase art from the African diaspora, the Caribbean and Latin America. As a mirror of the community, PAMM has established itself as a flagship museum in the city.

Monkey Jungle isn’t monkeying around: their Java macaques, Cameroon gorillas, howlers, capuchins and squirrel monkeys roam free without cages. You can follow the jungle trails to each animal’s area and watch them act naturally without human direction or interference. Join a guided tour through the semi-natural rainforest and get up close and personal with a few troops. As if that wasn’t enough to howl over, the vibrant parrots in the Wings of Love geodesic domes are another feature to squawk about.