It is one of the most chosen destinations by Argentines who can travel abroad, but few know its enormous potential for enjoyment and entertainment, beyond its warm waters and its places of purchase. Here, the options to go with guys and have a super great time.
Going as a family to Florida, United States, does not mean exhausting the movement in the theme parks of Orlando. You are encouraged to something different and make a stopover in Miami, do not exhaust the visit in a stop to pure shopping. Miami is a very complete alternative for those who travel with children.
Miami was traditionally known as a city with two strong attractions: shopping and fun for young and not so young. However, today it has become the best kept secret of those who “know” traveling as a family and have learned to taste its many attractions.
There are a plethora of resorts, from independent properties to larger hotel chains, that offer family plans. And, in addition to its beautiful beaches, it has an offer of museums, parks and other attractions that make it a super special place to visit with children of all ages.
Family fun 5 stars
Planning a family trip can sometimes seem like a lot of work for parents and little rest. Miami is prepared for those who are mainly looking to rest. The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne allows weary parents to enjoy the exclusive spa services without guilt, while their children enjoy the Ritz Kids – children’s pool and spa.
In Loews Miami Beach its huge pool and easy access to the beaches are the main attractions. However, they go a step further with their Loews Loves Kids program. It awaits children under 10 years with welcome gifts, has entertainment programs and menus for the little ones.
There is more: the one that exceeds the order of ordinary services is Mandarin Oriental Miami, which welcomes children with a special gift, their own bathroom items, such as robes and a DVD and CD player room.
The Four Season Hotel has the Kids for All Seasons program, where they offer an activity center filled with cotton candy and popcorns, as well as board game tournaments, computer games and much more.
Sonesta Bayfront Hotel – Coconut Grove offers a sparkling, kid-friendly pool on the 8th floor, overlooking Biscayne Bay, the Marina and Peacock Park. Suites feature fully equipped kitchens and adjoining rooms, ideal for families traveling together.
The nearest places of interest are the Seaquarium Museum, Miami Science Museum, Coconut Grove, a shopping tour with all the latest for teenagers; Peacock Park, where families can play soccer games; the skeaters park One Cool World and the new Paragon cinema.
Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami has been for more than 40 years one of the most chosen by families. Its main attractions are the Doral Field, a daily program for the exclusive use of children.
But there is also a lot to enjoy together as well as playing tennis or the water slide at the Blue Lagoon Water Park. At the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, you can find the complex that protects the values of the family. Their program rewards families by giving them free children’s menus, nightly milk and cookie delivery. It also has the Cooking Buddies program, where you can take special classes with a chef. With ingredients and recipes, parents can work together with their children as a team to create culinary masterpieces. This hotel also has a huge golf course and tennis courts for children.
Fontainebleau Resort, Loews Miami Beach and Turnberry Isle Miami offer children’s camps. Acqualina Resort & Spa was the winner of Fodor’s Choice Gold Award as one of the best hotels for families and children. He created the AcquaMarine marine biology-inspired program, available to all hotel guests free of charge. Children can enjoy aqua adventures while learning. Relay races, games, swimming, crafts, eco-explorations, obstacle courses, trivia challenges and treasure hunts are part of the many exciting children’s activities offered by this exceptional program.
Even in Bal Harbour, the luxurious Club de St. Regis offers activities designed exclusively for children such as sports, teamwork games, swimming, outdoor adventures and crafts.
For tighter pockets
For budget-conscious families, Miami also offers more accessible accommodations such as boutique hotels and low-cost hotel chains such as Doubletree, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Homewood Suites, Travelodge. During the summer, when the temperatures are warm and the sea water is perfect, the prices of these hotels drop by 50%. Although they do not offer programs or amenities for the family, they have easy access to beaches and tourist attractions.
Miami’s Natural Wonders
With a mild climate year-round and beaches that offer a Caribbean flair, Miami is the ideal international destination for families who like to spend their time enjoying the outdoors. Whether lounging on one of the family-friendly beaches, scuba diving in Biscayne National Park or canoeing through Everglades National Park, visitors can escape the man-made theme parks and get a real experience in a natural wonder.
Everglades National Park is the third largest of the U.S. National Parks. UU Comprised of grasslands, mangroves, subtropical rainforests and the warm waters of Florida, this park is home to an exotic array of endangered plants and animals that inhabit its lands. Those who visit the park can count on the opportunity to take guided tours with the rangers or they can enjoy the self-guided. As well as you can choose two styles: the main thing of the park or a deeper experience in Everglades including the possibility of making a visit to the desert.
Families can choose to drive to the south of the town of Flamingo, 70 km from the park’s main entrance, where they can enjoy the strangest bird species and the most exotic wildlife. Interesting sites along the drive include Anhinga Trail and the Pahayokee Overlook, which include world-class naturalist and fishing tours. The entrance to the north side, The Shark Valley offers the opportunity to take a tram tour or rent a bike to make a very scenic 25km route. A viewpoint of 25 meters will allow you a spectacular bird watching.
If you want to see something new within the national parks, the Biscayne National Park is the place. Mainly aquatic, 95% of its 70,000 hectares are underwater. Full of life and sea plants, the park encompasses the turquoise waters of Bizcayne Bay, the longest left stretch of mangrove forest, coral reefs and the 40 keys of North Florida . Going by the water is the key to knowing the wonders of Biscayne National Park.
At Dante Fascell Visitor Center you can choose to take excursions on glass-floored boats, snorkel or rent canoes and kayas to immerse yourself in the aquatic life of this park. Fishing can be a great experience. Mojarra, Róbalo and Barracuda are the most common fish that can be caught. In shallow waters of less than 10 meters, coral reefs are home to a wide variety of aquatic life, including tropical fish, sponges and spiny lobster. Manatee, dolphins and five species of sea turtles live in the waters of Biscayne Bay, as do moray eels, rays, squid, starfish and hundreds of varieties of fish.
In the city there are also options that allow you to enjoy the turquoise waters of the Bay, such as sport fishing, renting a catamaran, jet skis or kayaks. Miami Beach’s Oleta State Park is a great option: it features bike trails and adventure Eco-Tours that take in the region’s ecosystems. Some of the departures can be sunrise/sunset/moon kayaking/diving and canoeing. They also have a program inspired by sea turtles, it is a summer program. Families will be able to learn a lot about these fascinating and vulnerable creatures, as well as help them as they embark on their journey to the sea.
The historic Deering estate in Cutler offers canoe trips to Chicken Key as part of the Shire’s Eco-Adventures program, and hosts The Living Classroom, an environmental education management center guiding curriculum in ecology, geology, marine biology, archaeology, history and art.
In South Beach, children can play on the beach and parents can rest assured, as all have lifeguards. When it’s time to eat, they can stroll along Ocean Drive. And when it’s time to play again, teens and parents can rent jet skis, skate, or join a game of beach volleyball.
Crandon Park, in Key Biscayne, offers some of the nicest beaches in the area, as well as a carousel and park suitable for younger children. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center offers marine exploration, coastal walks with the possibility of sleeping in hammocks, rocky fossil fuel reef hikes, bike rides, local history classes and water beach walks. At Cape Bill Baggs Florida State Park active families can choose to enjoy the beaches, bike, canoeing and even camping. While in Matheson Hammock has a quiet lagoon where children can walk without problems.
One of Miami’s historic sites is Coral Gables‘ Venetian Pool, a pool formed by an ancient excavation of coral rock. It is considered one of the most original and spectacular municipal pools in the world. This natural pool is chemical-free, providing a nice break from chlorine and salt water, and the beautiful coral rock keeps the water cool and pleasant even in the summer sun.
For athletes
Golf and tennis are also the main attractions. There are over 200 public tennis courts in County Miami-Dade, including the Crandon Park Tennis Center, home of Tennis in USA. Program of the Player Development Association and the National Junior Tennis Team and home of the Sony Ericsson Open, one of the largest professional tennis tournaments in the world. Some of the most challenging and beautiful golf courses in the world are located in Miami from Doral Golf Resort’s Miami Beach Golf Club and Spa Miami’s famous Blue Monster. There are also numerous public golf courses, including Crandon Park Golf Course, which is considered one of the most beautiful and difficult par-72 golf courses in the state and has been ranked in the top ten by several recreational media outlets. Other public golf courses include Links International and Miccosukee Golf Club in South Dade and Greynolds and Haulover Golf Courses, further north.
Family-centered attractions
Families looking to play with a combination of history and education will find several unique attractions in Miami. Jungle Island, which is situated on the scenic MacArthur Causeway overlooking the Harbour of Miami between the mainland of Miami and Miami Beach, is a tropical island theme park of more than 7 hectares that is home to more than 3,000 exotic animals and 500 species of plants.
Here, visitors enjoy animal shows, one-of-a-kind interactive aviaries, nurseries, jungle trails, an animal farm and educational exhibits, as well as world-famous parrot shows, a serpentarium and jungle theater. The VIP Safari Tour is an animal lover’s paradise, offering a 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour that takes visitors up close and personal with some of the rarest and most fascinating animals in the world. The Safari includes personal interactions with all kinds of animals from red lemurs, one of the rarest animals on the planet, to the only tame cassowary on the planet. Also on the Safari Tour it is possible to have one-on-one sessions with red kangaroos from Australia, Aldabra turtles from the Seychelles, capuchin monkeys from South America and parrots from all over the world. Jungle Island has also just presented its Rare White Lion and White Tigers exhibits where a white lion, two white royal tigers and two snow tigers are shown in a spacious new home in the park. Visitors can walk up to the glass and get an up-close view of these one-of-a-kind animals.
Nearby, the Miami Children’s Museum features interactive exhibits such as a miniature supermarket, TV news studio, cruise ship and giant sandcastle slide. MCM is one of the ten largest children’s museums in the United States and is destined to be one of the most successful.
One of Florida’s most popular tourist attractions is the Miami Seaquarium which gained notoriety as the location for the filming of the TV hit Flipper in 1960. Indeed, “Flipper” still has his own daily show at the Seaquarium, played by Lolita the orca and the other fascinating sea creatures that reside in South Florida’s largest marine aquarium. Miami Seaquarium also offers Salty pirate games, shark and manatee feeding sessions, as well as many other educational programs. The Seaquarium offer has programs to swim with dolphins that will conquer even the most demanding teenager. For families who crave an underwater adventure but don’t have scuba diving certifications, the new Sea Trek Reef Encounter is a great way to take an underwater walking trip through a gallon of tropical reef. Wearing only a diving helmet, which allows children of all ages to breathe freely, they will easily encounter tropical fish, rays and a variety of unique sea creatures.
Families also enjoy spending time with the rest of the animal kingdom at the acclaimed Miami Zoo in Miami. This zoo is one of the great zoos in the world and the only one in the continental United States located in a subtropical climate. It offers a large space of 11 hectares in which you can find jaguars, anacondas, giant river otters and much more. The zoo is also home to the exhibit.
American Bankers Family Aviary Wings of Asia, with more than 300 birds representing 70 species of exotic, rare and endangered Asian birds, in a large free-flying area that resembles an Asian jungle. Another popular attraction at the zoo is the world of Dr. Wilde, which includes a new simulator called Jeep Wild, where guests can go on safari through a virtual Africa. For families who want to get up close and personal with wildlife, the zoo offers a 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour where it’s possible to meet zookeepers and live memorable experiences with amazing animals. Younger children are invited to interact with small animals such as Stitch, the blue-tongued skink or Maggie, the blue and gold macaw, and can have an unforgettable photo taken on the back of a camel. If the kids don’t want to leave when the park closes, this is not a problem. The zoo has activities to stay in on weekends, such as a program that includes a sleepover, a walking tour of selected zoo exhibits, pizza parties, accommodation in an air-conditioned building, and a special morning activity.
Near the Monkey Jungle, owned by the DuMond family for three generations, lies a rare place where people are caged and primates roam wild. It is home to 400 primates, most of which are running freely in a 12-hectare park. It is one of the few protected habitats of endangered primates in the United States and the only one that the public can visit and explore. This iconic attraction recently introduced the behind-the-scenes Adventure Tour of the Amazon Rainforest, which allows families to walk through a large natural space and visit a living laboratory. Here you can experience the unique thrill of holding hands and feeding a large group of squirrel monkeys and black capuchin capuchin monkeys.
Another great family-owned attraction is the Everglades Alligator Farm that invites visitors to enjoy a boat trip around the Everglades and a walk through the park to see the alligators, crocodiles, and animals that reside there, such as various exotic snakes. Coral Castle probably earns the designation of most “off the beaten path” tourist attraction. Children will love visiting this peculiar architecture, built over 20 years with homemade tools by one man in a seemingly impossible battle, won with strength and obsession.
For lovers of planes, trains and cars, Miami offers a unique opportunity to explore them in various museums. The Air Museum, located at Tamiami Airport west of downtown Miami, allows visitors to explore the fascinating history of aviation, reliving the events of World War II from a pilot’s perspective while viewing a screen with the history of aircraft and aviation. At the Gold Coast Railroad museum, children will be excited to play with wooden models of various trains, including the beloved “Thomas the Tank Engine,” while everyone will want to climb aboard the display of historic railroad material with treasures such as the “Ferdinand Magellan,” Franklin D. Roosevelt’s private carriage. The collection of the Museum and the Dezer Pavilion is a paradise for car lovers, with more than 1000 of the most exclusive and eclectic vehicles in the world.
Guests can follow the evolution of the automobile through exhibits showcasing American classics from all eras, rare European classics, military cars, electric cars, micro-cars, bicycles, classic motorcycles, and more. The Hollywood Star Museum’s exhibition features cars that appear in some of Hollywood’s most famous films. For those who like to see cars in action, you can’t miss Homestead-Miami Speedway, high-profile home of auto racing.
Families looking to understand the history of Miami’s early settlers can visit the Miccosoukee Indian Village and discover this millenary culture just minutes from downtown. Guided tours will take you through the past, present, and future of the tribe through craft demonstrations, a visit to a museum, and the exhibit of crocodile fighting, among other walks. Nearby, there are other facilities offering crocodile shows, boat rides, wildlife. Some excursions include Coopertown Airboat Rides and the AH-TAH-THI-KI Seminole Everglades Adventures Museum. The Miccosoukee tribe also runs a multi-service and entertainment game that offers plenty of video games and recreational activities to enjoy with the whole family.
Parents of the young astronomers and naturalists will also be able to schedule a visit to the Miami Science Museum, which will move to a larger space in the Park Museum in late 2013. The permanent exhibitions are mainly aimed at children to explore themes of dinosaurs or the properties of physics. Daily shows feature, among other themes, the stars of the season, while Wildlife Center houses showcase rare birds of prey and reptiles. When exploring this corner of the world, everyone will want to take a close look at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, an elegant Italian Renaissance mansion built by industrialist James Deering in 1916. Perfectly suited to Miami’s subtropical climate, Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden attracts thousands of horticultural lovers annually to the 33-hectare botanical garden that features an extensive collection of rare tropical plants, including palm trees, cicadas, flowering trees and vines. Children can enjoy a naturalistic treasure hunt, identifying various plants, insects and animals, and roam freely in the mansion’s lush gardens.
