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| Downtown |
With the sights and sounds or palm trees, models, and superstars¿Miami's
luxurious hotels, trendy eateries and fabulous shops are the place to be.
From Ocean Drive to Coconut Grove, our first-class hospitality is a must for
any visitor. There is no other place where the finest restaurants and the
most exclusive shops can be found while strolling the streets and enjoying
the cool ocean breeze.
Brought to you by The Greater Miami
Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB)
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| One of Miami's beautiful beaches |
Homestead-Miami Speedway is located just South of beautiful Miami, Florida, with its tropical beaches and lush landscapes. While the Speedway is the place to be for championship racing action, the surrounding area of South Florida has plenty more for visitors to enjoy.
Glorious weather has always been the main attraction, with average yearly temperatures in Miami averaging 76F. Sun-kissed days feature bluer than blue skies, dotted with surreal cotton candy clouds. Gentle breezes keep things cool throughout the day, while sultry temperatures heat up clear Moon Over Miami evenings.
Located a few degrees above the Tropic of Cancer, Miami is comprised of a network of barrier islands, coral rock and mangrove swamps, connected by manmade additions of soaring bridges, stately causeways and panoramic roads. Miles and miles of white sand beaches hug the coastline, while the waters of the mighty Atlantic Ocean and tranquil Biscayne Bay gently envelop the city. To the south and west, Everglades National Park, the third largest in the U.S. National Park System is an unique 1.5 million acre eco-system of sawgrass prairies, mangrove swamps subtropical jungle and the warm waters of Florida Bay. Nearby, the primarily underwater Biscayne National Park is teeming with sea life and plants, and features living coral reefs as well as the longest stretch of mangrove forest left on Florida's east coast within its 173,000 acres.
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| Marina in Downtown Miami | A meandering collection of more than 30 municipalities spread out over 2,000 square miles, Greater Miami is home to more than two million people. More than half of its residents claim Spanish as their native language, while the lilting tones of Portuguese, French, Creole, Italian, Russian, Yiddish German, Italian, Dutch and Hebrew are also heard throughout the city -- in the homes, cafes and gathering spots of the dozens of Miami's distinctly different neighborhoods. Some areas, like South Beach's Art Deco District are internationally renowned, while other less-heralded burgs like South Miami and Hialeah are hidden treasures waiting to be uncovered by intrepid explorers.
Downtown Miami is at the heart of the city's history. A hub for international business and finance, soaring office towers and ultra-modern condominiums line Brickell Avenue. American Airlines Arena (home to the Miami Heat), Bayside Marketplace, a waterfront shopping and dining destination and Bayfront Park an outdoor concert amphitheater draw residents and visitors. Nearby on tony Brickell Key, the Mandarin Oriental, Miami's only AAA Five Diamond resort has received rave reviews for its beautiful design, world-class service and award-winning restaurants.
It is rumored that one could spend a whole day in Little Havana without hearing a word of English spoken. Saturated with Cuban culture, Little Havana's main thoroughfare, Calle Ocho (Eighth Street) is lined with restaurants featuring Latin specialties and cafes where men sip cafecitos and play dominos and argue about politics all day. Here, artisans still hand-roll cigars, and tailors create custom guayaberas (traditional cotton shirts) while the sounds of salsa and merengue fill the air. Although Little Havana remains Cuban to the core, the area reflects the existence of many other Spanish-speaking immigrant groups in Miami. Restaurants on Calle Ocho showcase the cuisine of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico, Colombia and other Latin countries.
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| Airboat ride through the Everglades | As you head south of downtown, the foliage gets thicker, especially in lush, tropical Coconut Grove. Legendary in its heyday as an arts colony, today the culturally diverse locality draws throngs of tourists and residents to its restaurants and cafes, art galleries, boutiques, movie theaters and bookstores. Home to popular attractions like Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, (an Italian Renaissance mansion), and the Barnacle, historic home of Miami pioneer Ralph Monroe, the Grove honors its artistic roots each February with the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, the nation's largest annual outdoor celebration of visual arts and crafts.
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| An Orca at the Miami Seaquarium | Many travelers head straight from the airport to Key Biscayne. This secluded paradise is just a few miles from downtown yet worlds apart, with miles of hiking and biking trails, boating and watersports, beaches that continually rank in the top ten, top notch tennis and golf facilities and upscale resort properties. It's also home to Miami Seaquarium, where the popular television show Flipper was filmed 40 years ago. Still further south, the agricultural bounty of Miami's mild climate becomes apparent in the Redland and Homestead, with vast fields of strawberries, tomatoes and other fresh produce, en route to Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park. Robert Is Here is a popular stop on the way to the Parks, the roadside stand has garnered international acclaim for fresh fruit shakes and unusual produce. Many of the area's tourist attractions are located here including Miami Dade Metrozoo, Monkey Jungle, Everglades Alligator Farm and the Fruit and Spice Park.
Visitors to Miami are blessed with a seemingly limitless array of options, with new sights and sounds to explore on every corner. A get-away-from- it-all nature retreat one day; a non-stop whirling party the next, there's something to enjoy for everyone under the sun when the destination is Miami.
City of Homestead Area Info
The City of Homestead is the second oldest city in Miami-Dade county and lies near the southern-most tip of Florida. The South Dade area opened to homesteaders in 1898. At the time the only way in and out of the area was through a path called the "Homesteaders Trail". In 1904 Henry Flagler decided to extend the railroad to Key West from Miami. Farmers of the local area were now able to transport their fruits and vegetables to Miami and other parts of the state. Many of the workers who helped build the railroad stayed in the area and became the founding founders of the city. In 1912 the Overseas Railroad was completed and in 1913 the City of Homestead was incorporated (cityofhomestead.com).
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| Historic Downtown Homestead |
The community has focused on preserving and renovating historic buildings, establishing new businesses and creating a historic district replete with charming specialty shops and restaurants. Many Mediterranean revival structures in downtown Homestead have been refurbished and adapted for new uses (chamberinaction.com).
Homestead's population is increasing as its ethnic composition becomes more diverse. A revitalized business district, a thriving agricultural industry, a 280-acre Park of Commerce and surrounding attractions make the Homestead/ Florida City area a popular destination for newcomers. New housing developments complement charming older neighborhoods. Innovative schools, lushly landscaped parks and renovated shopping areas enhance the quality of life (chamberinaction.com).
Everglades National Park is just one of the many places to visit while in Homestead. Spanning the southern tip of the Florida peninsula and most of Florida Bay, Everglades National Park is the only subtropical preserve in North America. It contains both temperate and tropical plant communities, including sawgrass prairies, mangrove and cypress swamps, pinelands, and hardwood hammocks, as well as marine and estuarine environments (nps.gov)
The Park is known for its rich bird life, and over 300 threatened species of birds have been recorded, seven of which are rare or endangered. Over 36 threatened or endangered animal species reside in Everglades National Park, such as the American alligator and crocodile, the Florida panther, the West Indian manatee, and the Cape Sable seaside sparrow. It is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side (cityofhomestead.com)
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| Everglades National Park |
Another unique part of Homestead is the Homestead Sports Complex, one of the most complete training and tournament centers for all levels of baseball in the country. The facility, seats 6,500 and expands to 9,000, and provides parking for over 3,900 vehicles. Field lighting has been designed to meet network television specifications, and a state-of-the-art, computerized scoreboard is provided. The Homestead Sports Complex is enhanced by a comprehensive Training Facility that can accommodate all levels of competition from Major League and Minor League practice and play, to Little League games and tournaments.
Historic Downtown Homestead is an eight- block district that is home to charming antique shops, art galleries and restaurants. Recently renovated, this Florida Main Street Community features restored turn-of-century buildings, including the Old Town Hall, built in 1917. Settled in the latter part of the 19th century, the pioneer spirit lives on in the architecture and spirit of this resilient city (seefloridakeys.com).
Biscayne National Park is another natural wonder found in the city of Homestead. Located on Florida's southern Atlantic coast, Biscayne National Park contains approximately 181,500 acres, 95 % of which are under water. For this reason, most of the activities in this national park are water activities: boating, canoeing, diving, fishing, sailing, snorkeling, swimming, water skiing and camping.
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| Biscayne National Park |
Biscayne National Park was established as a national monument in 1968, and was designated as a national park in 1980, in an effort to protect a rare combination of terrestrial and undersea life, preserve a scenic subtropical setting, and provide an outstanding spot for recreation and relaxation. It contains a well-sheltered section of Biscayne Bay, about 45 low islands, called "keys," and about 20 miles of mainland mangrove shoreline. The crystal clear waters, emerald isles, and living coral reefs attract near 500,000 visitors a year (Biscayne.national-park.com).
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