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Miami Overview
No city in the United States has evolved into as many disparate identities in so short a time as has Miami. A bit more than a hundred years ago this former Spanish settlement, located along the Miami River where it spills into Biscayne Bay (now the center of the city of Miami), attracted neither interest nor population. That's understandable since up until that point, the only way to reach Miami was by boat.
That changed in 1896, when financier Henry Flagler extended his new Florida East Coast Railroad south from its previous terminus at West Palm Beach. By the turn of the 20th century the first of Miami's real estate booms was underway, a pattern that continued unabated right up to the Great Depression. Miami was one of the few places on earth where someone could offer you a get-rich-quick deal on 10 acres of swampland, and there was a good chance that you could actually get rich on it. Many made their fortunes here and left monuments to their achievements in places such as the grand Mediterranean-style estates like Villa Vizcaya and the slew of privately developed islands along the causeways crossing Biscayne Bay.
The city of Miami sits on the Florida mainland. Offshore, due east in the Atlantic, are a series of barrier islands. The southernmost island in the near vicinity is Key Biscayne. Next to the north is Virginia Key, then Fisher Island, and then comes Miami Beach. The body of water between these islands and the mainland is Biscayne Bay. Early on, resort developers looked to the Atlantic Ocean beaches of Miami Beach, beginning their development with the elegant Art Deco hotels at the southern tip, now better known as South Beach. As development proceeded northward its complexion changed, becoming more "high-rise" and grandiose, with amenities geared to a wider range of interests, from yachting to golf.
The 1960's saw another sea change in Miami, generating another boom cycle, brought about by the unlikely combination of the advent of universally available air conditioning and the rise to power of Fidel Castro. As Cuban refugees fled in droves to the U.S., they settled in that part of our country most like their former homeland in climate -- namely, South Florida. Miami, whose tropical temperatures were now tamed by indoor climate control, thus tolerable to an influx of workers, became the gateway to the Caribbean for any number of businesses, which soon rivaled tourism as the keystone industry.
The Caribbean population influx also profoundly changed Miami's personality. It is now largely bilingual, with French and Creole also gaining a foothold with increasing waves of immigration from Haiti. It's hard to walk a block in Miami without coming into contact with Cuban food, Cuban music, Cuban culture. It is a dynamic, vibrant city steeped in multiculturalism. These new Miamians and their businesses have also contributed directly to the revitalization of the mainland portion of Miami, leading to a number of tourist assets along the western shore of Biscayne Bay, such as Bayside Marketplace.
Across the bay is the renovated Art Deco district, including South Beach (SoBe), which has become a mecca in its own right, attracting celebrities and those who follow them, whether it be with camera or with autograph book. SoBe is also home to Miami's nightclub, fashion, music and hip dining scene, and rivals Venice, California as the place to go to people-watch.
Not all is development (or overdevelopment, some would say). Though the seaside corridor has been urbanized almost from the tip of Florida to midway up the coast, there is still much for lovers of nature and the great outdoors. The Everglades are within a half-day's drive to the southwest. Off the Atlantic coast a short distance to the south is the only living coral reef in the continental United States. Birders wax poetic over opportunities to spy tropical shore birds and waterfowl found nowhere else in the States. And where else in the U.S.A. might you have to brake to avoid alligators crossing the road?
Whether Miami is your port of embarkation, debarkation or a port of call mid-cruise, it is unlikely that you will encounter a city anywhere on your travels that appeals to as many tastes: foodie, shopaholic, eco-tourist, golfer, water sportsperson or lover of traditional tourist attractions.
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Other U.S.A. Cruise Ports:
Baltimore • Boston • Charleston • Ft. Lauderdale • Galveston • Gulfport • Honolulu • Houston • Jacksonville • Key West • Los Angeles • Miami • Mobile • New Orleans • New York • New York (Brooklyn) • New York (Cape Liberty) • Norfolk • Philadelphia • Port Canaveral • Portland, Maine • San Diego • San Francisco • Seattle • Tampa
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Where You're Docked
Ships dock at the Port of Miami, five minutes from downtown.
Getting Around
On Foot: Miami is such a sprawling city that aside from port-related
activities and the Bayside shopping center you'll either need to rent a car
or rely on taxis to explore.
Taxis: Line up at the dock.
Renting a Car: At this point in time there are no car rental companies with offices at the pier proper. Nearly all will pick up and drop off at the port. Logistically it makes a great deal of sense to use an operator with facilities close to the port to avoid the traffic, crowds and hassle connected with going to the airport for car rentals. The major players, the location of the renting office, and their numbers to call for pick up and/or reservations are: Alamo/Airport/305-633-6076; Avis/Airport/305-341-0936; Budget/Sheraton Biscayne Bay Hotel (0.96 miles from port)/305-871-2722; Dollar/ Airport/866-434-2226; Enterprise/Radisson Hotel Miami Downtown (1.09 miles from port)/305-633-0377; Hertz/Hertz Downtown Miami, 354 SE First St. (1.96 miles from port)/786-425-2515*; National/Airport/305-638-1026; Thrifty/Airport/305-944-5110.
*Hertz has regular shuttle service from Port of Miami terminals to their rental office, every half-hour, Wednesday and Friday through Monday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
What's Nearby
Bayside Marketplace -- like Boston's Fanueil Hall and Baltimore's
Harborplace, this shopping mall/dining center, which lies on the
waterfront within walking distance of the port, offers plenty of diversion
for a short Miami pit-stop. Adjacent, the Mildred and Claude Pepper Bayfront
Park includes a memorial to the Challenger astronauts.
Don't Miss
 Miami's South Beach: This Art Deco-styled waterfront district has it all -- beautifully restored historic buildings, funky shops and boutiques, elegant restaurants and casual cafes, fabulous people-watching, and an awesome, wide and clean beach. Technically, the art deco district runs from 6th to 23rd Streets between Ocean and Lenox Avenues and you can take a self-guided art-deco walking tour (the Art Deco District Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Drive, has maps). Good sustenance stops include the News Cafe (800 Ocean Drive) for all-day casual fare and, for a great dining experience that's chic-with-a-view, ask for a table on the outdoor patio at The Tides (1220 Ocean Avenue). For serious shopping, head a few blocks west to Lincoln Road (at 17th Street), a four-block-long outdoor shopping promenade with unique
boutiques and restaurants.
Rent a car and head to Key Biscayne, an island connected to Miami via two
bridges and the Rickenbacker Causeway; nature, beach and marine enthusiasts
can choose between the Miami Seaquarium (4400 Rickenbacker Causeway) and
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Recreation Area (1200 S. Crandon Boulevard).
Explore Miami history via the neighborhoods of Coral Gables and Coconut
Grove (renting a car is advised). Coral Gables was developed in the 1920s
and is best known as home to the Biltmore Hotel, noted for its resemblance
to Seville's Giralda Tower); its Miracle Mile (Douglas Road/37th Avenue to
LeJeune Road/42nd Avenue) has a mixture of fashionable boutiques and
eateries. Bring a swimsuit and head to the Venetian Pool (2701 DeSoto Blvd),
a fantasy-themed public pool created out of a rock quarry.
Coconut Grove is Miami's oldest section with construction beginning in the
1870s. It's also a place of fashionable boutiques and restaurants. Worth a
detour: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens (3251 S. Miami Avenue), an early 20th
century Renaissance-style -- and quite grandiose -- estate built for a Chicago industrialist who wanted to recreate a 16th century Italian estate.
Serious shoppers should head to north Miami Beach's upscale Bal Harbour (9700 Collins Avenue). Shops include the chicest of the chic -- Neiman Marcus, Saks 5th Avenue, Prada, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, to name just a few. Alas, prices are not of the duty-free variety.
Been There, Done That
Little Havana is the famous 3 1/2-square-mile site where many Cubans fled
to after escaping their country. "Calle Ocho" or 8th Street is the main drag
and central point (particularly between 11th and 17th Avenues) and it's best
as a walking-around destination. Among the diversions include watching
cigars being rolled at the El Credito Cigar Factory (Calle Ocho and 11th
Avenue) and visiting the Cuban Museum of the Americas (1300 SW 12th Avenue).
Serenity-seekers should head to the Fairfield Tropical Garden (10901 Old
Cutler Road) where a mix of man-made lakes winds around one of the world's
largest palm tree collections -- not to mention verdant examples of flora
and fauna.
Beaches
Best Beach for a Half-Day Visit: Miami's South Beach, about a twenty minute
cab ride from the port.
Best Beach for the Dedicated Beach Bum: The beach at Bill Baggs Cape Florida
State Recreation Area (1200 S. Crandon Boulevard), on Key Biscayne where you
can find everything from kayak rentals to food stalls.
Accommodations
The Miami area has a huge range of hotel choices extending from tiny B&Bs and boutiques to full-scale resorts, beachfront high-rises and major chain hotels. For the purposes of this report we're limiting our listings to hotels closest to the port, arranged in order of proximity (closest to farthest).
Intercontinental Miami, 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, FL 33131, 305-577-1000/800-327-3005, (0.56 miles): Adjacent to Bayside Marketplace, excellent view of Biscayne Bay and cruise terminal.
Holiday Inn Port of Miami Downtown, 340 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, 305-374-3000, (0.84 miles): Next to Miami Convention Center, four blocks from Bayside.
Hyatt Regency Miami, 400 SE Second Avenue, Miami, FL 33131, 305-358-1234, (0.86 miles): Another primarily business hotel, next to Convention Center. Besides typically professional Hyatt service, notable for two amenities: multiple restaurants and babysitting.
Biscayne Bay Marriott Hotel and Marina, 1633 N. Bayshore Drive, Miami Fl 33132, 305-374-3900, (1.05 miles): The quintessential pre-cruise Port of Miami hotel, first choice of the cruise lines for forced overnights for the past 20 years at least. This hotel sits right on the shores of Biscayne Bay, with views of the cruise port, bay and Miami River (look for manatees swimming upstream to warm water during winter months!). Decent restaurants, including waterfront dining at the attached marina.
Staying in Touch
Digi-City is located in Bayside Marketplace (401 Biscayne).
For More Information
Call the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-283-2707
On the Web: www.miamiandbeaches.com
Cruise Critic Message Boards: United States
The Independent Traveler: Florida Exchange
"Art Deco Buildings," "Miami Skyline" and "Miami Sunset" images provided by the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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