You wake up early in the morning, ready to unpack your suitcase filled with shorts, bathing suits, hats, t-shirts, and everything unnecessary that you thought was essential. Looking out the window, you see a tall, modern building with Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival architecture, streets filled with supercars, people going on walks, and boats ready to start the day leaving for the islands.

Every year, dozens of TCS students travel to Miami with the wish to relax and have the best vacation possible. Nevertheless, visiting the most known places will not give you the best and most complete experience. Lucky for you, in this article, you will find the best locations to savor while visiting this warm city.

Hit the Beach

Frequent visitors recommend visiting the beach for a taste of sand and the smell of the ocean, which is impossible in Medellín.

Many of the beaches in Miami are overcrowded, dirty, or not as enchanting as many expect. For that reason, some TCS students prefer to visit other least-known places.

“If you want a beach not filled with tourists where you can enjoy a sunny day, go to Deerfield Beach. It is located south of Boca Ratón and North of Pompano Beach, with multiple ice-cream shops and local boutiques unique to Miami.” Mariana Mesa, Grade 11, said.

When visiting the beaches, one must enjoy the walks along the sea, the building of sand castles, and swimming in the ocean. Miami has a warm-temperature ocean with a distinct environment around it. This can be found in one of the most advised beaches to visit, Key Biscayne.

“The sand is really white, is one of the best places to be, and we usually walk to the Key Biscayne lighthouse which makes it a fun experience.” Senior Luisa Ceballos said.

Time to Shop

“There are so many things; good prices, brands, and products that you can’t get in Colombia,” Tomás Villegas, Grade 11, said. 

Miami is a city filled with places where people can go shopping. However, there are places that exceed others, according to visitors. 

“Brickwall City Center is a great plan for friends and family because it is fun and original. Aventura is one of the biggest malls, which is very accessible because of its location in the city center. Bal Harbour has enjoyable stores and Sawgrass Mills is filled with outlets,” Mesa said. 

Since little, you often asked your friends where they got their very cool products, to which they would usually respond ‘the US.’ Items rare in Colombia can be found in this foreign country and easily obtained in Miami.

Hungry Yet?

If you are a food lover, you are in the right place. Given Miami’s demographic and cultural diversity, plus its more than 24 million tourists per year, the city is home to a wide variety of cuisine. 

“Personally, I really like some Japanese restaurants like Nikko, Kazumi, and Makoto, all Japanese; Osaka Nikkei (Asian-Peruvian) and Marabu (Cuban) are also really good and almost no one knows about these,” Senior Camila Salazar said.

Others prefer to enjoy American cuisine.

“I go to a lot of different restaurants when I go to Miami, I like to eat Italian but sometimes I also like to in some of the American restaurants like Mr. O1 Pizza and Huston’s, it’s like a guilty pleasure,” Luciana Restrepo, Grade 11, said.

Although Miami is known for its restaurants, beaches, and shops, there are other activities that tourists appreciate while visiting. Some of these include wildlife experiences.

“Going to Biscayne National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and viewing the Everglades National Park, are fun activities I like to do with my mom mostly because she is really energetic and likes adventure,” Villegas said. 

For those who prefer city life, there are also exciting activities 

“Walking around is a normal activity in Miami, so when I go with my family we usually spend some time walking through Coconut Grove and Brikwall Baywalk, both are really relaxing. Wynwood is a must if it’s your first time visiting, mostly if you like street art and modern art,” Salazar said. 

Those with artistic and cultural interests prefer to visit museums such as the Pérez Art Museum, known for its diversity, the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, and the Lock & Load Museum visited for its representation of the past and present. 

“I like going to museums. There is an art museum that is pretty cool called the Institute of Contemporary Art and I have a little sister, so I enjoy going with her to the Miami Children’s Museum because it’s very interactive,” Ceballos said.

“I am especially fond of the people and the ‘human’ environment. People are really nice, and there are many Latinos, so it’s very homely,” Pablo Arango, Grade 11, said.