Miami and Miami Beach

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Miami and Miami Beach - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

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  • 1. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

    With 83 acres of lakes, sunken gardens, a 560-foot vine pergola, orchids, bellflowers, coral trees, bougainvillea, rare palms, and flowering trees, Fairchild is the largest tropical botanical garden in the continental United States. The tram tour highlights the best of South Florida and exotic flora; then you can set off exploring on your own. The 2-acre Simons Rainforest, which is complete with a waterfall and a stream, showcases tropical plants from around the world. The conservatory contains rare tropical plants, including the Burmese Amherstia nobilis, flowering annually with orchidlike pink flowers. The Keys Coastal Habitat, created in a marsh and mangrove area in 1995 with assistance from the Tropical Audubon Society, provides food and shelter to resident and migratory birds. 

    10901 Old Cutler Rd., Florida, 33156, USA
    305-667–1651

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $25
  • 2. Matheson Hammock Park

    Kids love the gentle waves and warm (albeit often murky) waters of this beach in Coral Gables suburbia, near the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. But the beach is only part of the draw—the park includes a boardwalk trail, a playground, and a golf course. Plus, the park is a prime spot for kiteboarding. The man-made lagoon, or "atoll pool," is perfect for inexperienced swimmers, and it's one of the best places in mainland Miami for a picnic. Most tourists don't make the trek here; this park caters more to locals who don't want to travel all the way to Miami Beach. The park also offers a full-service marina. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: swimming.

    9610 Old Cutler Rd., Florida, 33156, USA
    305-665–5475

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $5 per vehicle weekdays, $7 weekends
  • 3. The Biltmore

    Bouncing back stunningly from its dark days as an army hospital, this hotel has become the jewel of Coral Gables—a dazzling architectural gem with a colorful past. First opened in 1926, it was a hot spot for the rich and glamorous of the Jazz Age until it was converted to an army–air force regional hospital in 1942. Following World War II, the Veterans Administration continued to operate the hospital until 1968. The Biltmore then lay vacant for nearly 20 years before it underwent extensive renovations and reopened as a luxury hotel in 1987. Its 16-story tower, like the Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami, is a replica of Seville's Giralda tower. The magnificent pool is reportedly the largest hotel pool in the continental United States.  Because it functions as a full-service hotel, your ticket in—if you aren't staying here—is to patronize one of the hotel's several restaurants or bars. Try to get a courtyard table for the Sunday champagne brunch, a local legend.

    1200 Anastasia Ave., Florida, 33134, USA
    855-311–6903
  • 4. Venetian Pool

    Sculpted from a rock quarry in 1923 and fed by artesian wells, this 820,000-gallon municipal pool remains quite popular because of its themed architecture—a fantasy version of a waterfront Italian village—created by Denman Fink. The pool has earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places and showcases a nice collection of vintage photos depicting 1920s beauty pageants and swank soirées held long ago. Paul Whiteman played here. Johnny Weissmuller and Esther Williams swam here, and you should, too (note: children must be at least 3 years old and 38 inches tall). A snack bar, lockers, and showers make these historic splash grounds user friendly as well, and there's free parking across De Soto Boulevard. Call before visiting to confirm that renovations (which closed the pool in late 2022 through early 2023) are complete.

    2701 De Soto Blvd., Florida, 33134, USA
    305-460–5306

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $21
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  • 5. Zoo Miami

    Don't miss a visit to this top-notch zoo, 14 miles southwest of Coral Gables in the Miami suburbs. The only subtropical zoo in the continental United States, it has 320-plus acres that are home to more than 2,000 animals, including 40 endangered species, which roam on islands surrounded by moats. Amazon & Beyond encompasses 27 acres of simulated tropical rain forests showcasing 600 animals indigenous to the region, such as giant river otters, harpy eagles, anacondas, and jaguars. The Wings of Asia aviary has about 300 exotic birds representing 70 species flying free within the junglelike enclosure. Kids love visiting the meerkats and participating in the thrice-daily camel feedings at the Critter Connection exhibit.

    12400 S.W. 152nd St. (1 Zoo Blvd.), Florida, 33177, USA
    305-251–0400

    Sight Details

    Rate Includes: $23
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