Living in Miami might sound like a dream to everyone, and this is exactly why I decided to talk to you about this very city, because I spent a year there. I can’t hide I fell in love with the so-called Capital of Latin America, and I think what made it unique is indeed its international vibe and Latin culture.
Miami is the city of beautiful beaches, incredible night life and the place where everyone can express himself in any way he wants. What’s so perfect about Miami is the fact that you can have literally the life that you want there; in fact, in the city you will find business people in a suit, girls in bikini on vacation for their spring break and artists who are just trying to find some inspiration in Wynwood. Driving from Miami downtown to Miami Beach might seem like a complete change of cities, but, believe it or not, you only drive 20 minutes across the bridge.
Miami is the city of beautiful beaches, incredible night life and the place where everyone can express himself in any way he wants. What’s so perfect about Miami is the fact that you can have literally the life that you want there; in fact, in the city you will find business people in a suit, girls in bikini on vacation for their spring break and artists who are just trying to find some inspiration in Wynwood. Driving from Miami downtown to Miami Beach might seem like a complete change of cities, but, believe it or not, you only drive 20 minutes across the bridge.
Pre-Departure Information
Currency
Even if defined as the Capital of Latin America, Miami is part of the great United States of America and, therefore, uses the USD as its currency.
Language
As for the language, I am not going to lie, walking down a street in Miami you will hear so many different languages that you will be amused. In any case, if you either speak English or Spanish, you should be fine going around the city without a translator.
Fun fact: Spanish is actually the most spoken language in Miami, spoken by 60% of the population, so you might want to learn some words before planning your trip :)
Hello - Hola
Good morning - Buenos días
Good night - Buenas noches
How are you? - Como estás?
I’m good - Estoy bien
Thank you - Gracias
You’re welcome - De nada
Please - Por favor
Can you help me? - Puede ayudarme?
I don’t understand - Yo no entiendo
Can I have…? - Me trae…?
Weather
Miami is known for its tropical climate which, trust me, isn’t always a good thing. The best months to visit the city, in fact, are between the end of February and May. During the summer months (and starting in late May and ending as late as November), Florida experiences what is called as the hurricane season. This brings along heavy rains and storms, so you might want to avoid traveling during that period. During wintertime, it doesn’t get too cold in the city, maybe going down at a minimum of 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit), but I still wouldn’t recommend traveling in December or January. To get the best out of Miami, March, April and May are the best months to choose, with temperatures swinging between 20 and 35 degrees Celsius (68 – 95 Fahrenheit).
Even if defined as the Capital of Latin America, Miami is part of the great United States of America and, therefore, uses the USD as its currency.
Language
As for the language, I am not going to lie, walking down a street in Miami you will hear so many different languages that you will be amused. In any case, if you either speak English or Spanish, you should be fine going around the city without a translator.
Fun fact: Spanish is actually the most spoken language in Miami, spoken by 60% of the population, so you might want to learn some words before planning your trip :)
Hello - Hola
Good morning - Buenos días
Good night - Buenas noches
How are you? - Como estás?
I’m good - Estoy bien
Thank you - Gracias
You’re welcome - De nada
Please - Por favor
Can you help me? - Puede ayudarme?
I don’t understand - Yo no entiendo
Can I have…? - Me trae…?
Weather
Miami is known for its tropical climate which, trust me, isn’t always a good thing. The best months to visit the city, in fact, are between the end of February and May. During the summer months (and starting in late May and ending as late as November), Florida experiences what is called as the hurricane season. This brings along heavy rains and storms, so you might want to avoid traveling during that period. During wintertime, it doesn’t get too cold in the city, maybe going down at a minimum of 15 degrees Celsius (59 Fahrenheit), but I still wouldn’t recommend traveling in December or January. To get the best out of Miami, March, April and May are the best months to choose, with temperatures swinging between 20 and 35 degrees Celsius (68 – 95 Fahrenheit).
Areas of Miami
As a tourist, you might not know that Miami is actually a pretty big city and that it is divided into 4 main areas:
- Downtown Miami (Brickell)
- Miami Beach
- South Miami
- North Miami
Things to do & Attractions
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is where the fun meets the serious and where the business center of the city is located.
Downtown Miami is where the fun meets the serious and where the business center of the city is located.
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- BAYFRONT PARK
- MIAMI DESIGN DISTRICT
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Miami Beach
Miami Beach is considered to be the “fun” part of Miami, where the beach and the bars and restaurants meet. The long Beach is accompanied by the famous Ocean Drive, the street where all the fun happens, especially on weekends.
A famous attraction on Ocean Drive is Villa Casa Casuarina At The Former Versace Mansion, which is the place where Gianni Versace lived his last years and got killed. Now, the mansion is home to a beautiful boutique hotel (which is probably out of a lot of people’s budget range, but I would recommend going and check it out from the outside).
- OCEAN DRIVE
A famous attraction on Ocean Drive is Villa Casa Casuarina At The Former Versace Mansion, which is the place where Gianni Versace lived his last years and got killed. Now, the mansion is home to a beautiful boutique hotel (which is probably out of a lot of people’s budget range, but I would recommend going and check it out from the outside).
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- SOUTH BEACH
- LINCOLN ROAD
- WYNWOOD
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Food
Being such a multicultural place, in Miami you can literally find any type of food you’d like to try. Personally, I would recommend trying out the South American cuisine, including Brazilian, Cuban, Argentinian, Mexican, and so on. Except from Mexican tacos or fajitas, Miami offers some of the best Arepas (stuffed or not) in the US. One dish that accompanied me throughout my year in Florida, and one that I would definitely consider my favorite, is the Brazilian Acai. For those of you who don’t know, Acai is a purple fruit similar to blueberries, that gets frozen and blended with ice in order to create a kind of smoothie, which you can top with literally any toppings you’d like: fruit, nuts, chocolate, caramel, and so on, but look at the picture below to understand better. Another Brazilian food I fell in love with is called Coxinha and consists in a fried teadrop shaped dough filled with shredded chicken and cheese. Other than international food, still being located in the US, Miami offers incredible meat and burgers in its American restaurants.
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Accomodation
The cool thing about Miami is that it is a place for anyone’s budget range. You can go from top luxury’s hotels spending more than 1,000$ a night, to smaller hotels or even Airbnbs costing you 50/100$ per night.
During my year in Miami, I was able to try both Airbnbs and hotels, so I’m going to give you an overview of my favorite ones. The best hotels for whoever wants to spend a lot are definitely The Miami Beach Edition, from the Marriott family, and The W South Beach, also from the Marriott family. Other luxury 5-stars hotels can be found on the beach front in Miami Beach, such as Fontainebleau, The Setai, The Palms, or 1 Hotel South Beach. Most of these luxury hotels also provide various events, like pool parties or live music. On the other hand, cheaper options exist, like the Marriott Stanton or The RedBury, two hotels in which I stayed. The Marriott Stanton is the one I liked the most, especially for its view on the ocean, but prices can go up to 400$ per night during peak seasons. The RedBury has lower prices but no view on the ocean, and it is comparably small, but doesn’t get over 200$ per night for a normal room, even during peak season.
If you want to spend less, then I would recommend looking for Airbnbs, instead of lower category hotels. Especially with a group of friends, sharing an Airbnb results cheaper than a Hotel room of the same range. If you want to know more or need any advice on the right accommodation for you, feel free to contact us on Instagram, I’ll be glad to help you! :)
During my year in Miami, I was able to try both Airbnbs and hotels, so I’m going to give you an overview of my favorite ones. The best hotels for whoever wants to spend a lot are definitely The Miami Beach Edition, from the Marriott family, and The W South Beach, also from the Marriott family. Other luxury 5-stars hotels can be found on the beach front in Miami Beach, such as Fontainebleau, The Setai, The Palms, or 1 Hotel South Beach. Most of these luxury hotels also provide various events, like pool parties or live music. On the other hand, cheaper options exist, like the Marriott Stanton or The RedBury, two hotels in which I stayed. The Marriott Stanton is the one I liked the most, especially for its view on the ocean, but prices can go up to 400$ per night during peak seasons. The RedBury has lower prices but no view on the ocean, and it is comparably small, but doesn’t get over 200$ per night for a normal room, even during peak season.
If you want to spend less, then I would recommend looking for Airbnbs, instead of lower category hotels. Especially with a group of friends, sharing an Airbnb results cheaper than a Hotel room of the same range. If you want to know more or need any advice on the right accommodation for you, feel free to contact us on Instagram, I’ll be glad to help you! :)
