As we all know, Miami is the top tourist destination in the U.S.  So what's so special about it? Here are only 5 top things from a never-ending list.

  1. When you travel: Remember to pack plenty of shorts, tank tops and flip flops because that's all you will need to wear once you get off the plane.  If you have a (guayabera) or linen shirt, they'll think you live here. If not, just go buy one, they are sold everywhere. The first thing you might want to do is go to Miami Beach.  Just park your car and walk along Ocean Drive on South Beach, find one of the many open air bars and restaurants and sit and sip a Mojito while feeling the ocean breeze.  Then just cross the street and you can swim in the sparkling warm ocean water.  It feels like a heated pool with salt added.  That first tomato-red sunburn will be the official welcome and testimony to all, that you are a tourist.  Or why not take a walk to Lincoln Road Mall on 16^th street and Collins where you will find shops, art galleries and theaters.   Don't forget to brush up on your Spanish since you will probably need to speak it in 1 out of 2 establishments. The night life never ends here, so don't expect to get any sleep.

 2.  Getting hungry?  Well I hope you fasted for 3 days before coming over.   Cuban food is out of this world and you will not stop eating it -- trust me -- been there, done that.  There are gazillion restaurants, almost one in every corner. One of the most famous ones is  Versailles on Southwest 8^th Street (or Calle 8) and 35^th Avenue.  Just ask any of the locals and they will know where it is.    Once you are given a menu, it's going to be really hard to decide what to eat.  My favorites are (arroz con frijoles)  or black beans and white rice This accompanies almost every meal.  Then you can savor (masas de puerco con mojito) or fried pork chunks with an onion, garlic and lemon sauce. Totally delicious.   But don't forget to eat the Cuban Sandwich or (Sandwich Cubano) as we call it here. (It's got Ham, pork and Swiss cheese with mustard, mayo and pickles inside a Cuban bread) to die for.  You must, I say must, taste the (tostones) or fried green plantains.  A super treat.  For dessert you gotta have (flan) or custard with caramel. To top it off you sip a (café cubano) or expresso, It will keep you awake all day.  I could go on writing about the totally awesome foods you can eat, but I will leave that up to you to discover.    

 3.   If you love sea life then hop over to Key Biscayne and go to the Seaquarium.  Adults and kids love this attraction.  There's huge glass tanks all over filled with all kinds of sea animals and the shows will keep you entertained all day.  You won't want to miss the killer whale show and get splashed while watching it.  You can also pay extra to swim with the dolphins.  This is really a must-see attraction, especially for tourists who live nowhere near the ocean. There's also Parrot Jungle Island where you can see all types of birds, reptiles and animals.  The kids will totally flip when they see the amazing tricks that the all the birds and animals can do.  Be sure to bring your walking shoes.

  4.  Don't like the ocean?  Well you're in luck.  There's Venetian Pool in Coral Gables.  For starters it is a historic landmark that was originally a rock quarry.  It was built in 1924 and it is filled with  820,000 gallons of spring fresh water. (I did my homework) You can sit in the shade or in the open pool area. It's just a really beautiful relaxing place to get away from the crowds. Not far from Venetian pool is the famous Biltmore Hotel and Spa, also a 1924 landmark. It is a sight to behold and an experience you will not forget.

  5. Even though its not in Miami , you might want to drive north for four hours to  Orlando and visit Disneyworld.  It's the most entertaining thing you can do in Florida.  I have visited it at least 50 times and never get tired of it.  Those who have never been there will be totally amazed and want to come back for more.  It's for old and young alike. There's so much I could say about it that it would take me days to write it all.  As the Nike commercial says "Just Do It".

 The contest only states 5 things to do, but there are so many places to see, and things to do here in Miami that the numbers could on and on. 

 All I can say is that once you are here, you'll be the envy of all your family and friends who only dream of coming to this one-of-a-kind tropical paradise called Miami. There's no place like it in the world - well at least for me!

Sonia E. Cordoves

Realtor-Associate

Real Estate TeamMates

Miami, Florida

305-804-5656