Latin Flavor - Little Havana is one of the best places to experience Miami’s Latin flavor. On Calle Ocho (Southwest Eighth Street), stroll over to Domino Park for some local color. Walk into any of several cigar shops and watch stogies being hand-rolled by skilled torcedores. Little Havana has several wonderful art galleries as well as souvenir shops selling everything from Cuban flags to classic guayabera shirts. A great way to experience the sights and sounds of Little Havana at night is during Viernes Culturales/Cultural Fridays – the neighborhood’s monthly arts and cultural event. And don’t leave Miami without sampling some delicious Cuban food.

Culture Quest - Miami offers endless cultural offerings, from ballet to opera to symphony concerts and gallery nights. Catch a show at the Arsht Center or check out smaller venues around town for modern dance, comedy and theater productions. Museums like History Miami and the Jewish Museum of Florida offer glimpses of Miami’s intriguing past, while art museums like the Miami Art Museum, Frost Art Museum at FIU, Lowe Art Museum, Bass Museum of Art, Wolfsonian-FIU and Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami house dazzling collections of ancient, modern and contemporary art and design. Monthly gallery nights showcase local art while mega art fairs like Art Basel Miami Beach and Arteaméricas bring in art and collectors from around the world.

Vizcaya - Visiting Vizcaya Museum & Gardens is a step back in time to turn-of-the-century Miami. From Newport to San Francisco, wealthy industrialists had the means to create their own pleasure palaces. Some got a bit adventurous, choosing the wilds of Miami to create what is still its most spectacular home. James Deering’s stunning Mediterranean-style villa is filled with art and furnishings. Ten acres of gardens set along Biscayne Bay beckon to be explored. In the winter and spring months, you can take a tour of Vizcaya by moonlight – a truly magical experience.

Tropical Attractions - Miami’s attractions offer something for everyone. Step into Miami’s Garden of Eden at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Swim with the dolphins at Miami Seaquarium, meet and greet exotic animals at Jungle Island, or laugh at the hilarious antics of primates at Monkey Jungle. At Zoo Miami, you will encounter a wild world of over 2,000 animals including fauna from the wilds of South America at the zoo’s permanent exhibit, Amazon and Beyond. Ponder the mysteries of Coral Castle. Miami attractions will dazzle your senses.

Get Wet - Greater Miami and the Beaches are surrounded by water. In Miami, you can dive, snorkel, canoe, kayak, standup paddleboard (SUP), windsurf, or fish to your heart’s content. Miami also boasts the only underwater national park in the country, Biscayne National Park. From the Visitors Center here, you can take a glass-bottom boat tour to glimpse sea creatures undulating across brilliant coral reefs. Some of the very best views of Miami are the ones from the water! Take a ride on the Island Queen tour boat or speed across Biscayne Bay on a Thriller Miami speedboat cruise.

Go Clubbing - Miami’s nightlife is legendary. On South Beach, popular spots include Mynt and LIV. Downtown clubbers head for Space, Grand Central or Bardot. Lose yourself to swirling lights and house music or catch a live act. One tip: Call ahead to get your name on a guest list so you’re not stuck standing in line. Then put on your dancing shoes and explore Miami’s night clubs! For some Latin flair, try out Hoy Como Ayer, La Covacha or Yuca. Miami nights are full of possibilities.

Find a Festival - With Miami’s year-round sunny weather, there’s always a festival somewhere. Throughout the year, you can check out art shows, food and wine fests, ethnic pride celebrations and much more. Browse a list of popular annual events in Miami and Beaches and get ready to have fun!

Lunch: Eat Up Our Culture - Head to the Miami Design District for 18 blocks of interior design showrooms, galleries, high-end clothing stores and design studios. It's also a fun place to grab lunch if you’ve already developed an appetite. On the way out, be sure to pay a quick visit to the much-ballyhooed Wynwood Walls, a tribute to top international street artists. Bursting at the seams with style of a different kind is Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, a mansion offering a magnificent display of European splendor, nestled within 10 acres of Renaissance Italian- and French-inspired gardens. Or you can always stop by for a quick view of the Biltmore Hotel, the 1920s centerpiece of “The City Beautiful”, also known as Coral Gables. If you skipped lunch before, take a short drive to Coconut Grove for window shopping and an outdoor meal at GreenStreet Cafe. Or try or a selection of ceviches, a favorite local dish incorporating cold seafood marinated with citrus, at Jaguar Ceviche Spoon Bar & LatAm Grill.

Afternoon: Little Havana, Big Shopping Opportunities - Afterwards, even if your Spanish language skills are rusty, head to Little Havana for hand-rolled cigars and steaming cups of café con leche (coffee with milk). Sip and stroll over to Domino Park to eavesdrop on the older generation of Cubans playing dominoes. Ready for more shopping? Head back to South Beach for Lincoln Road and nearby Española Way, offering a great mix of name-brand stores and a number of small boutiques, their shelves loaded with everything from steamy Miami fashions to vintage finds. Your visit wouldn't be complete without a peek in the windows of the various art galleries, too, including ArtCenter / South Florida and Britto Central.

Evening: Dinner and a Show - Head back to your hotel for a quick "disco nap" and wardrobe change. For a taste Miami’s famous crustacean, stop by the legendary Joe’s Stone Crab for dinner. This seasonal eatery is extremely popular and often crowded, so arrive prepared to wait (or go to Joe’s Takeout next door if you are in a hurry but craving a Key lime pie and stone crab fix). Otherwise head back to Lincoln Road for dinner at Meat Market, a sultry steakhouse and the ultimate place to see and be seen. (Want to treat yourself? Consider heading to Azul for elegance or Barton G. for novelty. The budget conscious can have a blast at Burger & Beer Joint, instead.) If you don't already have tickets to a show at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, stop by Mango's for a wild time. It's impossible to miss the leopard-spotted, spandex-clad dancers out front of this Ocean Drive hot spot. When you’ve had enough of that salsa scene, walk down a few blocks to the Clevelander for a drink or two by the outdoor pool.

Late Night: Nightclubs, Nightcaps & Nibbles - Energy levels still high? No trip to Miami is complete without a visit to a nightclub. Those with incredible stamina rush to Space or any number of mega-clubs downtown, but the 25-plus crowd can be mostly found at chic places like the celebrity hangout Mynt, SET and LIV (all located on South Beach). Call ahead to get your name on a guest list—otherwise you'll be stuck standing in line. Should your stomach call out, hit Pizza Rustica, which is open until 3 a.m. or sometimes even as late as 6 a.m. They offer the perfect spicy snack to end a zesty day in paradise.