Cheap flights to Miami

Quick summary

Identity

Between Art Deco, the Caribbean and endless beaches

Much of Miami's image comes from the rebuilding of Miami Beach after the 1926 hurricane and during the Great Depression, when architects and builders turned to Art Deco, with its geometric shapes, rounded corners and pastel stucco. Miami is also the most Latin city in the United States: nearly two thirds of its people are from Latin America or of Latin American ancestry, according to Wikivoyage EN, and Spanish is heard everywhere, from cafés to markets.

That identity shows in the neighbourhoods, the music, the food and festivals such as the Calle Ocho street festival. The city stretches between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic: downtown and the mainland districts on one side, the barrier islands of Miami Beach on the other, joined by several causeways.

South Beach and Art Deco

Ocean Drive and the world's largest Art Deco ensemble

The Miami Beach Architectural District, listed on the US National Register in 1979, has about 960 historic buildings and is regarded as the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the world (Wikipedia EN; other sources cite more than 800). It is bounded by the Atlantic to the east, Sixth Street to the south, Alton Road to the west and the Collins Canal and Dade Boulevard to the north. Ocean Drive is its showcase: white and pastel hotel facades, café terraces and palm trees facing the beach, calmer in the morning and lively at night.

Part of the district escaped demolition in the 1970s thanks to the campaigner Barbara Baer Capitman. To see it at its best, walk by day and come back in the evening when the neon lights come on.

Museums

Art, science and history: six places to know

Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). A contemporary art museum in a Herzog & de Meuron building in Maurice A. Ferré Park downtown since 2013, facing the bay (Wikipedia EN).

Frost Museum of Science. A science museum, planetarium and aquarium next to PAMM in the same park since 2017 (Wikipedia EN).

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. The former villa of James Deering on Biscayne Bay in Coconut Grove, inspired by Italian Renaissance models and surrounded by gardens; it dates from the early 20th century (Wikipedia EN).

Wolfsonian-FIU and Bass Museum. Two museums in Miami Beach devoted to decorative arts and art (Wikipedia ES).

HistoryMiami. The Historical Museum of Southern Florida, devoted to regional history (Wikipedia FR).

Institute of Contemporary Art, Lowe Art Museum, Jewish Museum of Florida. Other venues named by Wikipedia: the ICA, opened in the Design District, the Lowe Art Museum in Coral Gables and the Jewish Museum of Florida.

Many are easy to reach by public transport from downtown; check days and hours before you go.

Landmarks and neighbourhoods

Little Havana, Wynwood and the Freedom Tower

Little Havana. After the 1959 Cuban revolution, tens of thousands of exiles settled in this district west of downtown; along Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) you find Cuban cafés serving a cortadito at the counter, cigar rollers and Domino Park. The district also has a Walk of Fame of Latin artists (Wikipedia EN).

Wynwood. A former warehouse district turned street-art neighbourhood: huge murals (the Wynwood Walls, launched in 2009 by Tony Goldman), galleries, breweries and boutiques (Wikipedia EN).

Freedom Tower. Built in 1925 as a newspaper headquarters, it became the main reception centre for Cuban refugees from 1962; a National Historic Landmark since 2008, it now serves as a museum and cultural centre of Miami Dade College.

All three are close to downtown; Little Havana pairs well with a Cuban lunch.

Why track Miami with SniperAir

You don't need to compare prices every day

In pictures

Miami's beaches from above and from the sand

Food

Cubano, Cuban coffee, croquetas and Floribbean cooking

The Cuban sandwich (ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard pressed in bread) is the dish most associated with Miami; its origin is debated, some historians pointing to Tampa in the early 20th century, but the version served in Little Havana cafés is tied to Cuban immigration after 1959. It is eaten with sweet Cuban coffee, often shared. The city also popularised the medianoche, croquetas and bistec de palomilla (Wikipedia EN).

Floribbean cooking. Born in the 1990s, the cuisine known as New World, Nuevo Latino or Floribbean blends local produce, Latin American and Caribbean tradition and European technique (Wikivoyage EN).

Tips. In August and September, the Miami Spice programme offers reduced-price menus at many restaurants (Wikivoyage EN); outside that period tables in South Beach are often pricier than in Little Havana or Wynwood.

By length of stay

What to do in Miami depending on how long you stay

Miami airport

MIA and useful distances

Getting around

Metrorail, Metromover, buses and car

Miami's transit system is the most extensive in Florida, according to Wikivoyage EN: you can reach the main sights without a car, but with a lot of walking. The Metrorail, an elevated metro with two lines and 23 stations (Wikipedia EN), links the airport (orange line), downtown, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and Dadeland, and connects with the Metromover, the free automated people mover in the centre.

Buses and beaches. Buses link the mainland to Miami Beach, including route S, which runs the length of the beach to Aventura (Wikivoyage EN); most routes run about every 20 minutes, sometimes every 5 to 10 on main corridors.

Regional trains. Tri-Rail connects Miami's airport to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach; Brightline serves Miami Central station with frequent departures northward.

Car and taxi. Distances are long and parking is costly in popular areas; taxis and app-based cars complete the picture. Transit fares change, so check before you go.

When to go

When to visit Miami?

Tropical monsoon climate: hot and wet from May to October, mild and dry from November to April (Wikipedia EN). In winter the sea is often too cool for locals to swim (Wikivoyage EN); best time to visit: November to April.

Budget

High prices near the beach, gentler elsewhere

Miami is not a bargain destination: lodging in South Beach and on the beach costs more than on the mainland, and prices climb in winter high season or during big events (Miami Open in late March, music festivals). Eating at Cuban cafés, using Metrorail and Metromover and enjoying the beaches, which are open to all, help keep costs down. We do not publish precise prices, which vary too much by season.

Saving tips. Travel at the start or end of the dry season, stay on the mainland near a Metrorail station and make use of Miami Spice in August and September.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions about flights to Miami