Where to stay

Miami Beach is an iconic location known worldwide as a great spot for swimming, sunbathing, beach volleyball, and endless fun from sunup to late night. Make a booking early for a place to stay anywhere along Ocean Drive from the southern tip of this barrier island at South Beach to aptly named Mid Beach to the northern end near Bal Harbour and Surfside. Accommodations range from suites for families to elegant hotels with luxury amenities. Watch a sunrise over the Atlantic and a sunset over Biscayne Bay to the west. Alternatively, staying further south in Key Biscayne offers a quieter oceanfront setting next to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

As the day turns to evening, South Beach turns into the place to be for glittering nightlife. Here you can expect excellent fine dining, trendy bars, lively music and perfect spots for moonlit strolls back to your hotel - you might even spot a celebrity or two. Moving inland, Downtown Miami and Brickell feature high-rise hotels and hip restaurants and bars, many conveniently accessible via the free Metromover. This elevated train is one of the best ways to get to the AmericanAirlines Arena to watch the Miami Heat playing basketball or stars such as Jennifer Lopez or the Jonas Brothers performing. Stay in the Wynwood neighborhood for a craft beer tour, a great way to stay cool on a hot Miami night. Watch artists creating new urban graffiti masterpieces at the open-air Wynwood Walls exhibits in this former warehouse district.

Finding things for families to do away from the beach is easy in Miami's diverse neighborhoods. Book a hotel in Little Havana and stroll along Calle Ocho to be immersed in Cuban culture, sampling plantain ice cream and watching artisans rolling cigars. Staying in South Beach offers the opportunity to take a walking tour of the Art Deco Historic District, ending at the splash pool of Flamingo Park. Book accommodations in Coral Gables to sneak out for an early round of golf and meet kids at the huge spring-fed Venetian Pool, an aquatic facility that was once a coral rock quarry. For hands-on education that is great fun, make a hotel reservation in Downtown Miami and visit the Frost Museum of Science and Frost Planetarium.

Dolphins and sea turtles often swim near the shore along the full length of the barrier island. Stay in a hotel in Miami Beach and take an early morning jog on the sand for the best chance of seeing them. To be sure of spotting wildlife, plan a full-day visit to Zoo Miami and stay in the neighboring area of South Miami. Alternatively, arrange accommodations in Homestead, about a 1-hour drive south of Miami, to be close to Everglades National Park, one of Florida's top attractions, where a slow boat ride through a mangrove forest almost always guarantees an encounter with alligators, crocodiles, herons and even manatees.