Tips:
- Many places along Ocean Drive are party hotels great for late-night drinking and dancing if you seek a quiet retreat look a block or two inland.
- Walking tours are available from the Art Deco Welcome Center if you fancy a 90-minute guided exploration through 1920s-1950s Miami history.
- Ocean Drive gets incredibly popular with cars and pedestrians alike – if driving be mindful that it gets congested and is near impossible to find a free parking spot.
- The restaurants along Ocean Drive can be tourist traps to grab lunch or dinner, for a satisfying meal it’s best to head more towards Lincoln Road.
- Lincoln Road was once known as Floria’s Fifth Avenue. It had a neglected past in the 1970s, but recently it’s revamped itself and is today the main shopping district.
- Tickets to baseball games at Marlins Park can range from $12-$200 depending on the season, it’s best to check out the schedule online and book in advance.
- At Marlins Park, make sure you shop around for the cheapest hot dog as you’ll find prices can be different from stall to stall, despite being the same.
Day 2: Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road, Marlins Park
Ocean Drive is Miami’s most iconic street, and it’s usually the first place that people mention when they hear Miami beach. Pastel-coloured art deco buildings and rows of palm trees. It’s elegant in both night and day, and a great place for people-watching.
In the 1920s, South Beach landed a boom and Ocean Drive became a real hot spot to visit, mainly because of hotels offering sea views and steps to the white sands of Miami Beach. Most hotels along Ocean Drive were built when the most popular architectural style was Art Deco, which is why the area has such an iconic look.
Authentic, cozy Italian deli Pinocchio, serves up great coffee, homemade banana bread, and a selection of artisan ice creams, with extra-friendly owners. If you’re looking for a retreat to escape the hustle and bustle of Ocean Drive head here to soak up some magic.
A side street tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Ocean Drive is Española Way, full of distinct Latin flavor and Spanish influence.
There’s always a crowd outside the gates of the late Gianni Versace’s mansion and now dining inside the villa (turned lavish hotel) is affordable, as they now offer a $29 prix fixe lunch seven days a week making it possible to dine outdoors by that famous pool.
The menu includes an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert, with drinks charged on top and the dress code is smart-casual, however, during the day it’s more on the casual-side.
Try the avocado and tomato salad and the Norwegian salmon served with baby zucchini. Dessert is simple: fresh fruit (raspberries, blackberries, watermelon, melon) served with lemon sorbet or vanilla ice cream.
In Gianni Versace’s former kitchen now lives a cozy bar, exclusive to hotel and dinner guests, serving up mouth-watering cocktails – try their twist on the classic mojito!
Afterward head to Miami beach’s shopping mecca, Lincoln Road, which hosts ten blocks of shops, restaurants, and bars along a pedestrian-friendly promenade. It’s a bustling place where you can very much “come as you are”, to stroll the avenue.
Not-to-be-missed is Herzog & de Meuron’s famous 1111 Lincoln Road sculpture, a car park like no other, that stands tall as a centerpiece of architectural inspiration.
To spend the evening experiencing the excitement of an American baseball game head to Marlins Park. The place that loyal Miami native supporters call ‘home’. With a retractable roof, fish tanks behind the home plate. It only opened in 2012, so is a relatively infant state-of-the-art stadium, in the heart of Little Havana.
out of the office adventures 
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