Miami travel guide

Do you like nightlife and glitz? Get to Miami, and toast your trip with rooftop mojitos in South Beach, where palms line the white-sand beach and graceful pastel-colored art-deco hotels line the streets (try for the historic Delano or the modern Mandarin Oriental; if you’re backpacking, the Clay Hotel is a classic century-old hostel). Sidewalk velvet ropes announce South Beach’s busy nightclub scene, where stars (and wannabes) head for all-night music. More relaxed are a host of open-air beach clubs – like the Nikki – or, if you have the dough, a rented party yacht for the night. By day, there’s much to see by foot. Take in the gorgeous Art Deco residences in the Historic District – including Versace’s old pad (built by the son of Christopher Columbus in 1510 and now an exclusive club) – and wind up at seaside South Pointe Park at Miami’s southern end. Little Havana – or "Calle Ocho" – is downtown, where you can sample Cuban-style cigars or a ham-and-cheese "Cuban sandwich." In Mediterranean-styled Coral Gables, you can take a dive into the Venetian Pool, built from a limestone quarry in the 1920s. After a few days, visitors can sample the polar opposite – kayaking in the Everglades’ croc country or setting up at a Key West cabana.