South Beach

Head to Ocean Drive to see Lummus Park Beach, or stop by Lincoln Road to shop and wander the beach promenade between 5th and 15th Streets. Another main highlight is the set of pastel-hued structures on Collins Avenue in the Art Deco District, home to the largest concentration of art deco architecture in the world.

A typical Miami city tour combines a stop in South Beach with a Biscayne Bay cruise around Star Island, an airboat ride in the Everglades, or visits to Little Havana, Wynwood, Miami Beach, and Coconut Grove. Some of your options include a walking tour, Segway tour, boat tour, food tour, or bus tour. Architecture tours are conducted by the Miami Design Preservation League, among other operators, and stop at some of the most stunning architectural examples and the Art Deco Welcome Center.

• Sun protection is a must in this sunny locale.

• South Beach can be very crowded on weekends and holidays.

• Public restrooms can be found at the south end of Lummus Park.

Across the MacArthur Causeway from downtown Miami, South Beach stretches north from South Pointe Park all the way to 23rd Street. From 15th to 23rd Street, the upper end includes the pedestrian thoroughfare of Lincoln Road, plus clusters of art deco buildings. Between 1st and 15th Streets is a quietly hip area that acts as a counterweight to the over-the top carnival of South Beach.

South Beach is always humming. Sun, sand, and art deco architecture by day, or neon and nightlife after dark—you choose which South Beach you want to see.

If you want to get out of the sun and away from the crowds, step inside the provocative World Erotic Art Museum, or visit the polar opposite Bass Museum of Art for a peek at 16th-century religious art. After dusk falls, take your pick among bars and clubs to see south Florida's nightlife come alive.