Miami for Families

The best place to stay in Miami is Miami Beach, known for its long, beautiful beaches (over 10 kilometres!) and the many hotels along them. This vacationing spot is especially popular in the winter, when residents of colder areas of the US escape to warm, sunny Florida. The most famous and lively area of Miami Beach is South Beach.

Miami itself is known for its high crime rate, so it’s best to be cautious. Don’t go out on the streets after dark (not even in a car) and keep your children close. The city has many Cuban immigrants and the Central and South American influence is well evident in it: in Miami you will hear more Spanish than English.

Family Attractions

Miami Seaquarium

This is Miami’s answer to Sea World. Only visit if you have not been to Sea World in Orlando or San Diego. The park has aquariums and various animal shows, and it was the home of Flipper, the famous dolphin from the eponymous film. You can swim with dolphins here for an extra (and fairly large) fee. Open daily. The Seaquarium is located in a nice and prestigious area by the name of Key Biscayne, an island just off the coast of Miami, connected to it by bridge. I recommend driving along the elegant streets and swimming in the excellent beaches the island has to offer.

Monkey Jungle

A large monkey park where the monkeys roam free in a natural environment while the visitors walk around in a large caged path that winds through the park. Various shows take place in the park every day.

Parrot Jungle and Gardens

A beautiful, richly green subtropical park which houses a large variety of parrots and other exotic birds. The park has a large pond with many flamingos. In 2004 the original park was moved to its current location and at the same time expanded and improved. Today it also has a reptile area, as well as many other animals such as monkeys, tigers and other wild animals. The park hosts trained parrot shows, giant snake shows and an exotic animal show. You can also watch many animal feedings. The park is open daily.

Metrozoo

A great zoo where the animals get to live in their natural environment. You can take a monorail to get around the zoo. There are animal shows twice a day. There is a petting zoo, elephant riding and other attractions.

Villa Vizcaya

A renaissance-style Italian villa with 34 beautiful rooms. Formerly the house of one of Miami’s richest men, it is now an art museum. The villa is surrounded in gardens with ponds, fountains and sculptures. The house and the gardens are open to visitors daily.

Miami has many lovely gardens. The most notable of them all is the Fairchild Tropical Garden in Coral Gables. This garden has over 5000 different kinds of tropical and subtropical plants, some of them rare. Trolleys can take you around the garden and save you the long walks around the large park.

Miami also has many museums, among them a science museum, a planetarium, a children’s museum, an art museum, a holocaust museum and more. Miami’s harbour is another notable location.

More information about Miami is available on this website.