South Beach is one of the most popular places to visit in Miami with its beaches, art deco architecture, luxury hotels, shops, restaurants and night scene.

   

We visited Miami and spent most of our time in South Beach to attend the annual Art Basel Fair, but also found a few interesting sights in Miami City.

   

Sharing our growing list of favorites in Miami – where to stay, dine & what to do!

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DO

SOUTH BEACH

  • Ride or Walk the South Beach Boardwalk:  There are several pathways along South Beach to cycle, run, walk.  Be sure to visit South Pointe Pier where you’ll find a 17-acre park.  COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach gave us bicycles to cycle the waterfront and we did this every day during our stay!

  • Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue:  Both of these main streets in South Beach have shops, restaurants, cafes and Lummus Park with a beachfront promenade.
  • Art Deco Historic District:  Located in the South Beach neighborhood is the Miami Beach Architectural District.  We walked from 5th to 15th along Ocean Drive and were fascinated by the colorful Art Deco Buildings.

   

  • The Bass:  The Bass is a museum with art in a historic art deco building and garden sculptures.
  • Art – Art Basel!  The Art Basel Art Show takes place once a year, and visitors can see modern and contemporary artwork from leading galleries around the world.  We attended the 2018 show at the Convention Center and spent hours viewing paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, films and more in the main exhibition hall.  It’s a great place to people watch to and observe the latest fashions as attendees pass by.

   

MIAMI

  • Wynwood Walls: Take a walking tour of this unique neighborhood where artists have painted street art and colorful graffiti on huge walls of buildings.  There are several blocks of wall murals, so you can opt to ride in a buggy cart with a guide for a small fee with Wynwood Buggies. 

   

  • Miami Design District:  The Design District has stunning modern architecture, upscale art galleries and high-end luxury stores.  If you have time visit the Institute of Contemporary Art.  Don’t Miss!  There’s public art in the alleyways and courtyards like Fly’s Eye Dome, a geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller.

   

  • Little Havana:  There’s a neighborhood in Miami near Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) called Little Havana where you can find delicious Cuban cuisine, art galleries, parks, cafes with Cuban coffee, and live Latin music.

BISCAYNE BAY

…Just a short drive from Miami and you’ll find Biscayne Bay with sailing clubs and marinas along the water.

  • The Coconut Grove neighborhood stretches along the shore of Biscayne Bay.  If you’re looking for fashionable shops, go to CocoWalk Mall.  There are beautiful parks, trees and sidewalk cafes along the waterfront.
  • Vizcaya Museum:  Also located at Biscayne Bay, is the iconic Italian-style Villa Vizcaya.  Today it’s a museum with gardens in a lovely setting.

DAYTRIPS!

  • Key West:  Located 3.5 hours drive from Miami, Key West is at the southernmost point of the Florida Keys archipelago. Stroll along Duval Street and visit Mallory Square where you’ll see pastel colored houses and buildings.  Stop at the former home of Ernest Hemingway and visit the museum.  Take a photo at the Southernmost point in the USA!  Key West is reachable via the Overseas Highway.  It’s only 90 miles north of Cuba!  Scuba divers and snorkelers love the coral reefs here, but beach goers have a hard time finding a good beach.

STAY

COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach Hotel:  Located in the heart of Miami Beach historic district is an Art Deco historic building that dates back to the 1930’s.  Today it’s the COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach Hotel that has been elegantly restored into a luxury design hotel.

We checked into the lobby and were enamored by its contemporary design with shades of pastel pink and sea-foam green.

   

There are 74-rooms Our King Ocean Suite, room 711, had a wraparound ocean view.  Our light-filled room offered ample living space with a sitting room separate from the bedroom, and a spacious bathroom.   The sleek modern interiors were designed by the Italian designer Paola Navone.

   

During our stay, I had a COMO Shambhala 60-minute signature massage.  Visit the spa and you’ll find a range of holistic treatments at COMO Shambhala Urban Escape.  And a post-treatment bonus are the bite-size health power cookies.  Don’t Miss!  Guests have access to the rooftop hydropool and steam room.

   

Photos courtesy of COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach Hotel

DINE

Lure Fishbar:  Located in the historic St. Moritz Tower at Loews Miami Beach Hotel, we dined at an seafood brasserie called the Lure Fishbar.  The restaurant’s interior design was influenced by the Queen Mary and resembles a luxury cruise liner.  You can dine inside this beautiful décor, or al fresco with ocean views of the Atlantic.

   

Photos courtesy of Lure Fishbar

Executive Chef/Partner Josh Capon and his team present a menu with surf & turf options and nautical-themed cocktails.  Start your evening with the Anne Bonny, an adventurous play on a spicy margarita and ode to the Irish lady-pirate made with Milagro Silver tequila, habanero pepper, pineapple.We ordered the catch-of the-day and an array of Miami-inspired appetizers and seafood delicacies from the raw bar, crudo and sushi bar with flavors like pineapple salsa, shallot mignonette and jalapeño ponzu.  Don’t Miss!  The Crispy Rice Cakes with spicy tuna tartare, wasabi aioli and crispy nori, and the Grilled Whole Daurade with watercress, grilled lemon and agrodolce entrée.

Next visit, we will order signature items like the Classic Lobster Roll and the notorious Lure Burger “Bash Style” topped with American Cheese served fully loaded with secret sauce, caramelized onion, bacon jam and shaved pickles.

The service at Lure Fishbar is impeccable!  Head Server Dennis and other servers were masterful with tending to our requests before we could even speak them.

Traymore Restaurant at COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach:  If you seek healthy cuisine, you’ll want to have breakfasts here every day.  Our server shared, “COMO prides itself on their signature COMO Shambhala Cuisine concept, where they source organic, Floridian produce from land and sea, working with the freshest ingredients that are rich in living enzymes, vitamins and minerals.”  Don’t Miss!  The fresh juices and blends.  My favorite is called the “Waterfall” with cucumber, parsley, celery, fennel, pear & mint.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner too, with choices like classic Floridian dishes and American favorites.  Or order from your poolside cabana –the freshly made cerviche is divine!

Don’t Miss!  Traymore Gin Bar’s dedicated Gin Club serves Miami’s best premium and super-premium gin drinks created by Oz & Alexis, their talented mixologists, featuring over 30 artisanal gins, in a bright and contemporary space at COMO Metropolitan Hotel.

   

Few others to share on our growing list of favorites…

  • Yardbird Southern Table
  • Lola’s Surf Cantina
  • Porto Sagua
  • Cleo’s

Miami, Florida

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Global Adventuress thanks COMO Metropolitan Hotel for partially hosting our stay and Lure Fishbar for hosting the fabulous seafood dinner!

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