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| Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Beyoncé and Simon Cowell have all been seduced by Miami |
MIAMI BEACH is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. It’s time to join the party.
I knew it was called happy hour, but this was ridiculous. A frozen margarita in a glass the size of a fish bowl, stuffed with two upside-down bottles of beer, had been placed in front of me. My waiter, Juan, saw my eyes widen in disbelief. “C’mon, we’re celebrating,” he shrugged with a grin.
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| The Colony Hotel, South Beach |
Miami Beach marks its 100th anniversary this year and anyone thinking this tropical, neon paradise would let a milestone birthday pass quietly has another think coming. Not that Miami has ever needed an excuse to party.
Celebrities have flocked here for years. Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Beyoncé and Simon Cowell have all been seduced by its white-sand beaches, pastel-hued art deco hotels and buzzing nightlife.
From humble beginnings as a mangrove swamp and failed coconut plantation, the tiny sliver of land separating the Atlantic Ocean from Biscayne Bay has transformed itself into one of the most popular beach destinations in the world.
And with a jam-packed calendar of events (see miamibeach100.com) marking the centenary of the city’s incorporation in 1915, now has never been a better time to visit.
My first port of call had to be South Beach – or SoBe, as it’s known, the glitziest area of Miami Beach running roughly from its tip to 23rd Street. Ocean Drive, its main drag, oozes glamour with its swaying palm trees and famous boardwalk awash with joggers, roller-bladers and Segway riders.
Tanned holidaymakers fill the outdoor cafés on the opposite sidewalk, with art deco hotels such as the Colony, Boulevard and Starlite (illuminated in neon blue, pink and red after dark) providing stunning backdrops. It’s little wonder that the television and film crews love it here – Scarface and 1980s TV series Miami Vice were both filmed on Ocean Drive.
Drag yourself away from the frozen margaritas and people-watching to hit the beach. Pristine sands stretch endlessly for miles, dotted with Miami’s famed lifeguard huts, cheerfully painted in stripes and spots of neon pink and pastel blue.
Another great way to see the beach is from the water and this is where my South Florida Explorer Pass came in a treat. Pre-purchased in the UK (attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk), I saved up to 40 per cent off admission prices to Miami’s top attractions – and avoided queueing, too.
I used it to visit Miami Seaquarium (the original TV set of Flipper); a Hop-On, Hop-Off double-decker bus tour (a must-do: my guide, Jake, was ridiculously knowledgeable and very funny), and a Biscayne Bay boat cruise, which gave fabulous views of the downtown Miami skyline, beach and port.
My guilty pleasure was sailing along Millionaire’s Row to see the A-lister’s waterfront mansions where Madonna, Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin have all lived la vida loca. I fancied Gloria Estefan’s seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom pad that’s currently up for sale – shame about the $40m price tag!
Luckily my hideaway, the Grand Beach Hotel Miami Beach, was just as glamorous. Located in mid-beach (between South Beach and Bal Harbour) it provided a relaxing respite from buzzing Ocean Drive.
My oversized, all-white suite with beautiful linens and marble bathrooms made me feel like a celebrity at least, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering stunning ocean views. The top-floor adults-only tranquillity pool looked exactly that, but I plumped for people-watching at the two pools surrounded by palm trees and with direct access to the beach.
Tough as it was to tear myself away, I hired a car to explore more of the city. Little Havana, Miami’s famous Cuban area, is as far removed from shiny South Beach as you can get. I saw elderly locals playing heated domino games in Maximo Gomez Park, watched traditional cigar-rolling techniques and strolled down its main street, Calle Ocho, nibbling on mariquitas con mojo – plantain chips with garlic dipping sauce.
As you might imagine, Miami Beach isn’t short of great places to eat, but probably the coolest place to lunch is Seaspice (seaspicemiami.com) on the Miami River.
Alas, there was no sign of regulars Jay Z and Beyoncé when I arrived, but I could see why the pair broke their vegan diet there. Feasting on sublime octopus a la plancha, lobster risotto and mango cheesecake, it was great fun watching million-dollar yachts sail up to the waterfront restaurant’s private dock to let their beautiful owners step off.
I saved the best for last, taking a self-guided tour along Ocean, Collins and Washington Avenues, admiring the pastel-painted art deco district that Miami Beach is so famous for. Built in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, it’s hard to believe that some of these architectural jewels endured a 1926 hurricane, hotels being turned into barracks for soldiers during the Second World War and an economic depression.
While many fell into disrepair, they’ve since been lovingly restored and, as I sat on Ocean Drive on my last night, bathed under the blue neon light of the Colony hotel, Miami Beach couldn’t have felt more glamorous and ready for action. Centenary or not, the party here never really stops.
Way to go
Virgin Atlantic (0844 2092770, virgin-atlantic.com) flies daily from London Heathrow to Miami from £489 including tax. Rooms at the Grand Hotel Beach Miami Beach (001 877 538 8666, miamihotelgrandbeach.com) cost from £123pp per night based on two sharing a King Bay View suite.
The South Florida Explorer Pass is available through Attraction Tickets Direct (0800 086 1135, attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk) and costs from £55 per adult and £41 per child based on a three-attractions ticket. Dollar car hire (020 3468 7685, dollar.co.uk) in Miami costs from £124.83 per week. Visit miamiandbeaches.com for more information.
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