Coconut Grove
Located on the edge of Biscayne Bay, south of downtown Miami, Coconut Grove is one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods, with bohemian roots. Settled by a multicultural group of Bahamians and New Englanders, the neighbourhood drew artists and intellectuals, who set up summer homes here. Today, it is a trendy district with a bustling village atmosphere, full of colourful galleries, theatres, nightclubs, fine restaurants, hip sidewalk cafés and shops.

Coconut Grove
Miami
Estados Unidos
Coral Gables
This elegant Mediterranean-style residential district, 16km (10 miles) southwest of downtown Miami, was created by local developer George Merrick during the boom years of the 1920s. Coral Gables is best known for its art galleries, the exclusive Miracle Mile shopping street, its golf courses, fine hotels and restaurants. It also contains some of the city's finest architecture, set amid broad boulevards, canals and parkland. Some buildings are preserved as historic landmarks, including the stunning Biltmore Hotel, and the Venetian Pool, at 2701 De Soto Boulevard - the only swimming pool on the National Register of Historic Places, transformed from a mere rock quarry in 1923.

Coral Gables
Miami
Estados Unidos
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is the the commercial heart of the city, distinguished by sleek skyscrapers, impressive government buildings and cultural centres, and edged by the Port of Miami, the world's largest cruise port. From the Bayside Marketplace, several boat excursions tour Miami Bay and exclusive Fisher Island, the address for celebrities in Miami.

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
This magnificent 33-hectare (83-acre) botanical garden is located just south of Coconut Grove. It contains extensive collections of rare tropical plants, a 1,440-sq-m (16,000-sq-ft) conservatory, 11 lakes and lily ponds, and a rainforest exhibit, set among a waterfall and stream. A variety of educational programmes and narrated tram tours are available.

Coral Gables
10901 Old Cutler Road
Miami
Estados Unidos
Teléfono: (305) 667 1651.
Web: www.fairchildgarden.org
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0930-1630, Sat & Sun 0730-1630.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


History Miami
This museum offers a fascinating insight into the region's past. It has a small but impressive collection of hands-on displays, archive material, historical objects and multimedia presentations, which covers 10,000 years of Florida history from the first settlers to the present day.


101 West Flagler Street
Downtown Miami
Estados Unidos
Teléfono: (305) 375 1492.
Web: www.historymiami.org
Opening hours: Tues-Fri 1000-1700; Sat & Sun 1200-1700; closed Mon.
Admission Fee: Yes


Key Biscayne
Linked to the mainland by the Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne combines traditional Florida-style houses with ostentatious mansions belonging to some of Miami's wealthiest residents. The beaches here rank among Florida's best - their fine sand and relatively calm seas make them a popular choice for families. Other top attractions include two beautiful parks (Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and Crandon Park) both with magnificent beaches, bike trails and nature walks. Bill Baggs is home to the Cape Florida Lighthouse, built in 1825. The small Crandon Family Amusement Center in the park has an old-time carousel, playground and outdoor roller rink.

Key Biscayne
Miami
Estados Unidos
Little Havana
After Fidel Castro took power in 1959, refugees fleeing Cuba settled just west of downtown Miami, in a neighbourhood known as Little Havana. Today, with its 800,000-strong Cuban-American community, this colourful district has a distinctly Latin atmosphere with its Spanish signs, Cuban coffee bars and restaurants, small cigar factories and street-side food stalls, selling such delicacies as baho (Cuban stew) and freshly squeezed juices. Monuments to anti-Castro Cubans line the streets, especially around Calle Ocho (Eighth Street), the liveliest part of Little Havana and the venue for the Calle Ocho Festival, a famous annual spring carnival - America's largest street party.

Little Havana
Miami
Estados Unidos
Miami Beach
Miami Beach is located on a long slender island connected to mainland Miami by four main causeways. It comprises various coastal towns, each with its own personality - including Surfside, the upscale shopping district of Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles Beach, South Beach and Golden Beach. Miami Beach's white sands extend from Lincoln Road Mall northwards to 87th Street, with a scenic boardwalk popular with joggers and strollers, and pastel-coloured art deco lifeguard stations dotting the shoreline. A variety of watersports are available, including windsurfing, sailing, jet-skiing and parasailing. Little Havana After Fidel Castro took power in 1959, refugees fleeing Cuba settled just west of downtown Miami, in a neighbourhood known as Little Havana. Today, with its 800,000-strong Cuban-American community, this colourful district has a distinctly Latin atmosphere with its Spanish signs, Cuban coffee bars and restaurants, small cigar factories and street-side food stalls, selling such delicacies as baho (Cuban stew) and freshly squeezed juices. Monuments to anti-Castro Cubans line the streets, especially around Calle Ocho (Eighth Street), the liveliest part of Little Havana and the venue for the Calle Ocho Festival, a famous annual spring carnival - America's largest street party.

Miami Beach
Miami
Estados Unidos
Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium
This nationally renowned museum, associated with the Smithsonian Institute, features interactive scientific exhibits on physics, electricity, light, sound and anatomy, as well as daily astronomy and laser shows in the adjacent planetarium. It also boasts South Florida's largest natural history collection and a wildlife centre that rehabilitates injured birds of prey and reptiles, and displays more than 175 live animals.

Coconut Grove
3280 South Miami Avenue
Miami
Estados Unidos
Teléfono: (305) 646 4200.
Web: www.miamisci.org
Opening hours: Daily 1000-1800.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


Miami Seaquarium
Located on beautiful Biscayne Bay, the Miami Seaquarium has over 10,000 aquatic creatures on display - including crocodiles, alligators and seals, as well as fish of every imaginable shape, size and colour. Star acts include Lolita, a 7,000-pound killer whale, Salty the sea lion and TV superstar Flipper the dolphin. The in-house Marine Mammal Rescue Team also strives to preserve and protect stranded or injured manatees, dolphins and whales in the waters of South Florida. See their work in the mangrove habitat of Discovery Bay - used to rehabilitate rescued sea turtles; and the Manatee Exhibit where manatees are nursed back to health, ready for release into the wild.

Key Biscayne
4400 Rickenbacker Causeway
Miami
Estados Unidos
Teléfono: (305) 361 5705.
Web: www.miamiseaquarium.com
Opening hours: Daily 0930-1800.
Admission Fee: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes


South Beach
Glitzy, glamorous South Beach (known locally as SoBe) is the trendiest part of town and a magnet for celebrities, wannabes and fun-lovers who thrive on its cosmopolitan atmosphere, designer shopping, upbeat restaurants and fast-paced nightlife. By day, a young, hip crowd cruise Ocean Drive; by night, exotic latino beats flow from the many famed dance clubs onto the busy streets. South Beach itself boasts white sands, palm trees and dazzling blue sea. However, the most striking feature here is the famous art deco historic district - over 800 buildings within 1.5 sq km (1 sq mile), all in the same streamlined architectural style, painted in pastel shades and lit with brilliantly coloured neon lights. Tours of the district are offered every morning (except Thursdays) or Thursday evening. Self-guided tour maps are also available from the Art Deco Welcome Center, 1200 Ocean Drive (at 12th Street), South Beach.

South Beach
Miami
Estados Unidos