This is a very unique city with so much to offer! My husband, Robin, and I flew in here for a cruise and we decided that since we were already here we should stay an extra day in Miami, Florida. We ended up with a little over 24 hours because our cruise came back so early in the morning so we spent from 11:00 am on Feb. 26th till 4:00 pm on Feb. 27th in Miami.
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WELCOME TO MIAMI!
So you’re in Miami, congrats, now what? We weren’t sure either but using the internet and suggestions from our friends we had an AMAZING time. Like seriously, this itinerary is a recipe for a great time.
We got off our cruise at about 9 am and then had to wait to figure out car rentals and picking cars up, etc. Thats why I am saying our day started at 11:00 am. We rented a car off of “Turo” which is like Airbnb but for cars, its cheap and easy. This was my first time using it but I would definitely recommend it. Now here’s what we did in the order we did things.
Everglades Safari Tour
We went out in a group of about 20 and got to explore the everglades on a giant fan boat. The boats are really fun and of course you get to see alligators! It was very safe, really fun and only takes about an hour. The company we chose also offers a short show where you learn a little about alligators and then we got to take pictures with some of the baby alligators. The drive can be a little out of the way but it was definitely worth it.
Be sure to check out Groupon, they had lots of good deals for the Everglade tours. We got tickets here for only $19 a person! (Prices seem to have gone up since this trip but tickets are still fairly inexpensive)
Sushi at …. Somewhere
Next we were all really hungry so we went to lunch at a great restaurant where the boys ordered a TON of sushi. Look at the aesthetic appeal of that raw fish! I don’t like seafood so I ordered panang curry which I 10/10 would recommend. It was really good and I was impressed by how similar it tasted to the panang curry I had in Thailand.
Wynwood Walls
After a late lunch we headed over to Wynwood Walls where lots of amazing graffiti art and paintings are. Make sure you explore the area around the actual Wynwood walls too because the art on the surrounding buildings is simply amazing! We had a ton of fun taking pictures of each other here and of course looking at peoples creative ideas.
Mr. Kream
After walking around for a couple of hours one of our friends had to go to the airport, so while we waited for him to be dropped off and the people dropping him off to return we stopped by this hole-in-the-wall ice cream parlor within walking distance from Wynwood walls.
It looks really ghetto on the outside and, lets be honest, on the inside too. HOWEVER, it has DELICIOUS ice cream and a really fun atmosphere. I recommend the flavors “that way” and “jenny from the block”. They also had some Jenga sets out that we played for at least an hour, if not more! We did really well too.
Coyo Taco
When our friends, Stratton and Erin, came back we went to dinner at Coyo Taco, which is also within walking distance of Wynwood Walls. It was recommended to us by the server at Mr. Kream and he was spot on! It is a small, authentic style Mexican restaurant. I had a quesadilla, everyone else tried several of their different types of tacos. We all really enjoyed the food there. After dinner, we dropped off more of our friends at the airport before heading to our hotel.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn that is right next to the airport, it was reasonably priced, in a safe neighborhood (you have to be careful in Miami, there are some sketchy areas) plus it came with a warm continental breakfast in the morning which helped us save time (and money) the next morning!
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Rent Bikes at Miami Beach
The next morning after eating a big breakfast at the Hampton Inn we took our rented car and drove to Miami Beach. The parking here can be daunting but we found a big public lot where it only cost us 3 dollars to park after we signed up for the app.
Renting the bikes we did at the stations they have all over the place near parking lots, etc. The cost to rent the bikes is determined by length time but it is VERY reasonable. For a whole day it is $24, we rented them for two hours which worked out to be $10 a person. It is really convenient because within the time you rent the bikes you can dock them and take out new bikes as often as you would like.
We rode the bikes along the cement pathway right next to the beach, it was sunny and beautiful and wonderful. Then we stopped and docked the bikes while we went on the beach and got in the ocean. When we were done we got out new bikes and rode back to our cars.
Little Havana
There is a significant Cuban population in Miami and they have formed their own ghetto (or neighborhood) just like chinatown in other major cities. The main tourist part of their ghetto is called Little Havana or Calle Ocho (8th street). It is full of restaurants and small shops.
We ate at Old’s Havana where they had the best sandwiches and their yuca fries were great too (pictured below). The number one sandwich is the Cubano which has ham and roast beef and pickles and onions on cuban bread and is served warm. Mmmmm, so good.
After we walked around for a bit, I picked up a keychain for my collection, then we stopped for ice cream at Azucar Ice Cream. The building is impossible to miss, its the one with giant scoops of ice cream on the front. The almond flavor was soooooo good!
Practical Information for Miami, FL
Find accommodation, sign up for a local tour, or buy your Miami Travel Guide.
Miami Vacation
Well you are here it is almost required that you listen to these two songs:
- Miami by Will Smith
- Havana by Camila Cabello
Well, thats all folks. Quite the packed day if I do say so myself but one packed with fun! Miami is a popular port city to start and end cruises in so if you find yourself traveling here for any reason, give yourself an extra day or two to explore everything this city has to offer. And if you need help packing for your cruise check out this Cruise Packing List. They are friendly people that know how to have a good time! Let me know your suggestions for Miami in the comments below.
