Miami

November through April is objectively the best window — temperatures in the low-to-mid 20s Celsius, low humidity, and the full Miami social season running from Art Basel in December through Ultra Music Festival and the Miami Open in March. Summer (June–September) is genuinely brutal: 32°C+ with humidity that puts the heat index closer to 40°C, plus daily afternoon thunderstorms. Prices drop dramatically in summer if you can handle the heat.

Yes, especially in season. South Beach boutique hotels run $350–600/night in winter. Budget travelers managing hostels and Cuban restaurants can keep it to $130/day; mid-range couples with a decent hotel and real dinners should plan $250–350/day. The expensive version of Miami is very expensive — nightclubs, beach clubs, and luxury restaurants are priced for the international wealthy. Eating Cuban is the best budget hack: $9–15 gets you a full meal at Versailles or any ventanita.

No — Miami Beach is a separate municipality on a barrier island across Biscayne Bay from Miami proper. When most people say 'Miami,' they mean the broader metropolitan area. South Beach is the southern tip of Miami Beach. Miami proper includes neighborhoods like Brickell, Wynwood, Little Havana, Coconut Grove, and the Design District — all across the causeway from the beach. You need both to see the whole picture.

Uber or Lyft runs about $30–40 and takes 25–35 minutes depending on traffic. The Metrorail runs from the airport to Government Center downtown (about $2.25) where you can catch a bus to South Beach, but it's slow with luggage. Taxis are metered. The direct beach express bus (150/100) runs from Miami International but is infrequent. For convenience, just take Uber — it's a reasonable price compared to hotels.

South Beach (specifically the mid-Beach area around Collins Ave and 15th–30th Street) puts you within walking distance of the beach and Art Deco District while staying above the loudest Ocean Drive section. Brickell is better for business travelers and anyone who wants a calmer base with excellent restaurant access. Wynwood has a few boutique stays and is good for art-focused visits. Coconut Grove suits families. If budget allows, the mid-Beach area of South Beach between 20th and Collins is the best all-around position.

Art Basel Miami Beach (first week of December) is one of the world's top contemporary art fairs, held at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The main fair is invite-or-ticket, but the satellite shows — Untitled Art Fair on the beach, Scope, Nada — are often free or cheap. The real Art Basel Miami experience is the parties and openings in Wynwood and the Design District. Hotel prices triple; book 3–4 months ahead if you're going.

Generally yes — Miami Beach has lifeguards on duty daily from around 9 AM to 5 PM. The water is warm and calm most of the year, though currents at the south tip and north end can be strong. Check beach flags: green is safe, yellow means caution (moderate surf/currents), red means high hazard. Jellyfish are occasional in summer. Sharks exist in Florida waters but attacks at Miami Beach are extremely rare.

If you're staying in South Beach and focusing on Miami Beach, no — it's walkable and Uber fills the gaps. If you want to explore Little Havana, Wynwood, Brickell, and Coconut Grove, Uber is still usually sufficient. A car becomes useful for day trips to the Everglades, the Florida Keys, or Fort Lauderdale. Driving in South Beach itself is a nightmare — parking is expensive, scarce, and metered. Arrive by Uber, walk, Uber again.

The Everglades (30–45 min drive) are unmissable for wildlife — airboat tours are the standard approach; Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm is better for walking and bird-watching. The Florida Keys start at Key Largo (about 60 miles south) — John Pennekamp State Park for snorkeling, Bahia Honda for beaches, Key West for a full overnight. Fort Lauderdale (30 min) has a genuinely pleasant beach with less tourist saturation than South Beach.

Miami nightlife runs late — doors at midnight, peak at 2 AM, close at 5 or 6 AM. South Beach clubs (LIV at the Fontainebleau, E11EVEN downtown) are table-service focused and very expensive. Wynwood has a more accessible bar scene with walk-in venues. The right approach: check Resident Advisor or local listings for the promoter, not just the venue, and book a table only if there are 4+ in your group. Solo and small groups do better with a bar rather than a club.

Partially. The beaches are excellent for families — calm water, warm sand, lifeguards. Jungle Island, Zoo Miami (large and good), and the Phillip and Patricia Frost Science Museum are solid for kids. The challenge is that Miami's hotel scene in South Beach is largely adult-oriented, and the nightlife-heavy areas aren't ideal for early bedtimes. Coconut Grove and Key Biscayne offer quieter, more family-appropriate bases than South Beach.

Genuinely excellent and among the best in the world outside Cuba. The canon: *ropa vieja* (shredded beef), *arroz con pollo*, *picadillo*, *masas de cerdo*, Cuban bread with butter, *café con leche* in a thimble-size cup, a *colada* (strong Cuban espresso shared among a group), and a *medianoche* or *Cubano* sandwich. Versailles on Calle Ocho is the landmark; La Carreta is the chain everyone actually goes to daily; Sergio's is the Coral Gables classic. Prices are low by Miami standards.

Wynwood Walls is an outdoor museum of large-scale murals commissioned since 2009 by developer Tony Goldman, who transformed a warehouse district into Miami's art neighborhood. The walls themselves are genuinely good — names like Os Gemeos, Shepard Fairey, and Futura have painted here. It's become very crowded and Instagrammable, but the art quality remains high. Visit Tuesday or Wednesday morning before noon. The surrounding blocks have expanded into galleries, studios, restaurants, and bars — budget 2–3 hours for the neighborhood.

Ocean Drive restaurants are almost entirely tourist traps — bad food at 3x the price with aggressive hawkers. Eat instead at Versailles (Little Havana), Mandolin (Design District), Ghee Indian Kitchen (Dadeland), or any counter spot in Wynwood or Brickell. For beaches, the stretch between 10th and 15th Street on South Beach is better than the loudest section at 5th–8th. Skip Bayside Marketplace. Avoid hotel beach clubs unless you want to pay $40 minimum spend for a sun lounger.

December through February is genuinely pleasant: average highs around 24–26°C (75–79°F), lows around 15–18°C (59–64°F), low humidity, mostly sunny. Cold fronts occasionally push through bringing a day or two of 18°C highs and cool evenings — bring a light jacket for nights. January is the coldest and quietest month; December has the Art Basel crowd and peaks hotel prices. February and March are the sweet spot before spring-break crowds arrive.

Miami Beach is the full barrier island city, running about 11 miles from north to south. South Beach (SoBe) refers to the southern section below roughly 23rd Street — the Art Deco Historic District, Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road, and the nightlife zone. Mid-Beach and North Beach are quieter, more residential, and increasingly interesting as Miami's luxury hotel market moves northward. South Beach has the highest density of bars, clubs, and tourist activity; North Beach has the best sand and fewer crowds.

Yes — one of the most unique ecosystems in North America, and 30–45 minutes from Miami. Two approaches: the Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm (free, no guide needed, guaranteed alligator sightings and stunning bird life in 30 minutes of walking) and airboat tours from Everglades City or Shark Valley (more touristy, but accessible for kids). The Shark Valley tram tour is the best organized option. Go early — wildlife is most active in the morning, and it gets very hot by midday.

Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, with peak activity August through October. The risk of a hurricane hitting Miami during any given trip is low, but tropical storms and heavy rain are more common. Travel insurance that covers weather disruption is worth it if traveling between August and October. Hotels have hurricane plans; most modern buildings are built to withstand Category 3+. If a storm is forecast, the city will issue evacuation orders and transportation will halt — check NOAA and local advisories.

Within South Beach, yes — it's designed for walking. Between Miami Beach and mainland neighborhoods, no — it's a 2–4 mile drive across causeways. Wynwood is walkable within itself. The Design District, Brickell, and Coconut Grove each have walkable cores but are too far apart to navigate on foot. The practical answer: walk within your base neighborhood, Uber between them. The Metromover is free and covers downtown/Brickell but doesn't reach most tourist areas.

The current list that locals actually endorse: Mandolin Aegean Bistro (Design District, Turkish/Greek meze), Le Jardinier (Design District, French vegetable-forward cooking), Boulud Sud Miami (Mediterranean), Maty's (Wynwood, Peruvian), Valentina (South Beach, Italian), and KYU (Wynwood, Asian wood-fire). For Cuban, Versailles remains the sentimental pick. La Mar by Gastón Acurio (Brickell) is the special-occasion Peruvian ceviche destination. Book anything serious 1–2 weeks ahead in season.