What do you recommend for just one day in Miami in March?

We're departing the middle Keys Saturday morning, & expect to be in Miami about noon. The flight home leaves the next morning. We have a rental car. Hotel's near the airport.

We're a family with teens who enjoy outdoor activites, swimming, beaches, shopping, museums, music, nature & culture. We like finding local mom and pop places to eat rather than chains. The teens enjoy a variety of cuisines.

We'll have been in the keys doing outdoorsy things, so maybe an indoor pursuit would be a nice change of pace.

Any recommendations for the afternoon, a good local Cuban (or other ethnic) or seafood dinner, and an evening activity?

South beach is perfect for that, plenty of shopping, beautiful beach, rental of beach, and great restuarants, lots of fun. The loews miami perfect spot in the middle of everything and on the beach.

Flep,

South Beach is a probable choice for afternoon or dinner. What about little Havana? Is that a place we can stroll at night with teens or not safe at night?

thanks.

yeah but I dont really know much about it, except their is a world famous crab place there. You can definitely explore that area. I always stay in south beach area b/c there is so much to do there.

Little Havana is not a place to stroll in the evening. LH is more of a lower-middle class residential area with lots of commerce on main streets more for locals, like mom and pop grocers and the like.

I would do Coconut Grove or Lincoln Road (S. Beach)for strolling and dinner. In the Grove your teens might enjoy Coco Walk.

We did Little Havana in the evening. It was neat, but we were the only definitely the only non-locals there at the time.

You could go to Bayside in Downtown Miami in the evening. There are lots of restaurants, and across from the Bayside complex is gloria estefan's Cuban restaurant (Bongo's) which turns into a nightclub later at night (only after 11 pm i believe). It gets packed on the weekends.

During the day you could visit South Beach, which is not too far from Downtown Miami.

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My favorite Cuban restaurants are:

1)las culebrinas>yummy food great prices, one of the best. Right by the airport 47 ave and flagler st

2) Bongo's mainly because of the atmosphere, love this place, it's decorated with all cuban drums, tambores, colors,etc, great music if you want to dance.

There's also another "Las culebrinas " at 2890 SW 27th Ave by Coconut Grove

We will be in the same circumstances as this original post - one day and night in Miami after having been diving in the Keys for a week. We have two young teens and would like to stay somewhere in South Beach that is convenient to eating, shopping, people watching, etc. without having to drive once we get there. A travel agent recommended the Fontainebleau, but I see they are undergoing renovations and am also wondering if they are walking distance to everything. Does anyone have a recommendation for a nice hotel in South Beach (Fontainebleau or otherwise)? Also, any additional suggestions for a good restaurant besides what is already in this post would be helpful. Thanks!

South Beach!!! Bayside is too touristy in MHO.