Must-See Miami Attractions
(Including some places the guidebooks neglected to tell you about)
You've seen the standard guidebooks, now take a look at our "Three Guys Guide to the Best of Miami."
CLICK on any of the photos or headlines below.
Want to combine great shopping with your beach experience? We rarely make a trip to South Beach without stopping at the Lincoln Road Mall. Not the big box you're thinking of, but a beautiful tree-lined street about 10 blocks long with numerous outdoor cafés, boutiques and art galleries. It's full of the art deco architecture that has made Miami famous...
Coming to Miami but you don't want to spend all of your time at the beach? Get away from all of the hustle and bustle of South Beach in Coral Gables. This urban oasis features beautiful tree-lined streets, historic homes, an historic hotel, and three golf courses in the middle of a large metropolis. After the craziness of Bird Road, you'll be amazed at this peaceful neighborhood...
The best way to combine a cruise with a visit to Miami is to add a few days onto the beginning or end of your trip. When that's not possible, you still may have time to selectively experience Miami on your layover. Our experience with cruise schedules is that your 10-hour layover can dwindle down to eight hours or less, so it's best to focus on one or two activities...
Want to look like a native? Why not pick up a cool shirt to wear as you tour Miami? There is one shirt that is worn by everyone from rock stars to presidents – the guayabera. It's a shirt that is both formal and casual at the same time. And it's appropriate for all occasions. If you want the best guayabera in Miami, there is only one place to go...
You can't come to Miami without enjoying the beach. We realize that the beaches are probably Miami's number one attraction. Miami Beach, and in particular South Beach, offers a unique combination of swimming, sunbathing, entertainment, dining, exercise, and people watching. Come during the day for swimming and sunbathing. Come at night for restaurants, clubs, and more people watching...
Everybody enjoys the beach in summer. But the water is so warm – like bath water! You just don't feel refreshed. There is a great place to cool off in Miami, there's a great pool where the water is served well chilled. We're not talking about some boring hotel pool. No this one was created from a huge rock quarry and is fed by a natural spring. Got your interest yet? Read on...
Miami has some great places to pick up milk, soda, beer, or snacks. The best thing is, you never have to leave your car! Just drive up, roll down the window, and tell them what you want. Cubans call them "La Vaquita" – the little cow. You'll find them all over Miami. Many are open 24 hours a day. As far as we know, these stores are only located in Florida...
OK snow birds, you've just driven the family sedan 1,800 miles from somewhere in the middle of Iowa. Your vehicle is covered with road salt, mud, and a few clumps of good old Iowa manure. In short, your ride looks like hell. Well never fear, once you get to Miami your troubles are over. Don't make the mistake of looking for a large, mechanized car wash like they have back home. And forget about those self-service places. We have exactly what you need...
There are many great mansions in Miami: Gloria Estefan, the Bee Gees, Rosie O'Donnell, Julio Iglesias, and Madonna – just to name a few – have beautiful ocean side estates. There are several tour boats that can take you past these beautiful homes. However, there aren't any tours that let you go inside them. So you can only imagine what's happening inside. However, there is a place where you can tour the inside of a great Miami mansion...
There are many small Cuban markets sprinkled throughout Miami. A good Cuban grocery is an eating adventure! You'll have a great time exploring wonderful new foods and products you've probably never seen before. Whether you have a taste for Cuban crackers, or meringues, Cuban spices or a delicious flan, this place has it all...
They say that everyone has a green thumb in Miami. Stick just about anything in the ground and in a week or two you have a giant leafy green thing growing in the backyard. Miami has a wide variety of tropical and semi-tropical plants. If you don't know a Mangifera indica (mango) from a Hevea brasiliensis (rubber tree), why not visit a place where they have people who can set you straight? In no time, you too can be a tropical plant expert.
Want a great beach experience without the frenetic pace of Miami Beach? Nearby Key Biscayne offers some great beach experiences with plenty of sun, sand, and warm water. There are informal beaches along the Causeway and two big parks for a perfect all-day beach experience.
Don't be alarmed if you stop at a traffic light and someone lumbers up to your car window carrying something vaguely suspicious looking in their hands. At least don't be alarmed if this happens to you during the day. If you see someone approaching your car – during the day, when there are other cars around – roll down the window and see what they have. Otherwise, you'll miss out on one of Miami's best bargains...
One part of Miami that is mostly overlooked by most tourists is the vast farming area that stretches out along both sides of Krome Avenue from the Tamiami Trail to Homestead. Here you'll find every type of farm imaginable from acres of palm trees to fields filled with ripening tomatoes.
If you ask most people in Miami to take you to the Bird Road Art District (See above), about nine in ten will just give you a puzzled look, shrug their shoulders, and walk on. That one person who knows about the District will probably take you to a collection of what look like oversized storage units only they now house stores selling everything from antiques to wicker furniture. That guy is going to tell you: "This is it. The Bird Road Art District!"
It's not. However, Lakeshore Industrial Park is still a fun place to visit!
Sure, it is a great place to party and for most tourists, Key West is all about Piña coladas and Jimmy Buffet. After a hot day in the sun in Key West, the cool evening brings the nightly sunset festival on Mallory pier and a mile-long block party along historic Duval Street. With sun, sand, and fishing in the daytime and a lively party scene at night, it is easy to forget the great Cuban heritage of Key West. Cubans have been living in Key West for more than 150 years.
The far southern end of Krome Avenue passes through a part of Dade County known as the Redland District. Here you'll find several interesting sites worth a visit, from a tropical fruit winery, to a historic village, to an orchid ranch. Once you get to Homestead and nearby Florida City, you'll discover Mexican restaurants and a huge Mexican flea market.
The Travel Channel's Mark DeCarlo visited us in Miami to tape a couple of segments for his series, "Taste of America." The show, which premiered in 2005, took viewers on a culinary tour of the United States.
Each episode featured a different city and highlighted several local foods. In Boston, it's chowder; in New York, it's cheesecake. For Miami, the show's producers wanted to feature tamales, and somehow they thought of us...
The area, both formerly and currently home to many warehouses, started attracting artists and later galleries in the 1980s. By 2000, the concentration of artistic pursuits led to the area's official designation by Dade County. Recently, the District has been working to create a higher profile for the Miami artists who call this area home.
Best Cuban Cookbooks!
Yes, You Can Cook Cuban Food! It's Easy!
We Show You How in Two Great Miami Cuban Cookbooks:
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Serrano Ham Now you can order Serrano Ham (Jamón Serrano) from an American importer. ham-serrano.com
Spanish Chorizo A good Spanish chorizo is the essential ingredient for many Latin dishes! spanish-chorizo.com
Havana Shirts Only the best Cuban shirts: Great Guayaberas, Guapitas, and Cubaveras. havana-shirts.com
Guayabera Shirts Looking for the classic guayabera? We have a complete selection! guayabera-shirts.com
Three Guys From Miami:
Miami/Little Havana Travel Guide, Miami Restaurant Guide, Cuban Culture & Food Guide
The Three Guys From Miami are: Raúl Musibay, Glenn Lindgren, and Jorge Castillo
Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban
The original -- still great! 100 classic Cuban recipes as they are eaten in Miami today.
Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban
More than 100 Recipes!
Now available in paperback with a soft, kitchen-counter-friendly cover!
