20 May 2025

Miami

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The Miami for all ages!

Anthea Turner makes a return visit to the seaside city so cool it makes you feel you really are on reality TV

Miami - Take a look at the famous Art Deco buildings

1 Mile upon mile of beaches 2 Take a look at the famous Art Deco buildings 3 The W, South Beach hotel

MIAMI is the chameleon of holiday destinations - whatever you want it to be, for whatever age, it will be. I have made four visits: two filming holiday programmes and one modelling for a catalogue (Ocean Drive’s Art Deco buildings are a photographer’s dream).

My recent fourth visit was purely for a holiday. I know it sounds a little over the top going to Miami for your annual bucket-and-spade break, but I had been working in Canada and for North Americans, going to Miami is like us holidaying in Spain.

I cleared US customs in Toronto and was having a manhattan by the pool of the W Hotel four hours later. To get the best out of this vibrant city, arrive with an idea of what you want to see and do. I am the Girl Guide of the family and, after hours trawling the web and reading guide books, produced a ‘To See and Do’ list. For teenagers who love to shop and people-watch - and who are glued to the reality TV shows Jersey Shore, Keeping Up With The Kardashians and Miami Ink - it’s a dream come true.

Miami has mile upon mile of beach

My stepdaughters Lily, 19, and Claudia, 15, had never been to the States before, and Miami, as Julie Andrews once said, was a very good place to start. We decided to stay at the W South Beach hotel on Collins Avenue, near enough to the action but far enough away to relax.

Its beautiful rooms can only be described as ‘cool’. But the stars were most definitely the concierges: nothing was too much trouble for them, from booking restaurants to helping me replace my prescription sunglasses (a Miami fish is swimming around in a great pair of Ray-Bans). Miami has mile upon mile of easy to access beach with Baywatch style patrols.

It’s a way of life. You’ll never be far from food and drink and sunbeds and even jetskis are surprisingly easy to hire. A walk along Ocean Drive and having supper sitting on the front patio of one of the many Art Deco hotels has to be experienced. It is a people-watching paradise - all shapes, sizes and ages pass by, squeezed into eye-popping outfits.

Shopping is excellent, so make sure you have room in your case. Most shops are open until 9.30pm and a host of special offers meant I couldn’t help bagging a few bargains.

A walk along Ocean Drive has to be experienced

But one thing to keep in mind when looking at price tags is that tax is added at the till. Aventura Mall, the largest shopping centre in Florida, has six department stores and more than 280 shops. And when you’ve got through that lot, visit the Cheesecake Factory.

I did my penance in the gym afterwards, but it was worth every mouthful. Outside of Rodeo Drive, I have never seen such a concentration of exclusive high-end shops as at the Bal Harbour mall.

The chauffeurs depositing ‘ladies who lunch’ at the main entrance and the diamonds on show are an indication of what you are in for. Aside from these two malls, go offpiste and roam the shopping area behind Ocean Drive.

The lure of swimming with dolphins at Miami Seaquarium was too much to resist. Whatever you think of animals being used to entertain the public, I can honestly say the handlers and dolphins were as attached to each other as I am to my dog.

I wouldn’t have missed the experience for the world. One of the best evenings was when we hired bikes. There are quite a few hire shops that also rent out roller skates and Segways.

The firm that we used, www. bikemiamibeach.com, run guided cycle trips. It’s one of the best ways to soak up the sites - you can see Art Deco buildings, The Holocaust Memorial, Fort Dallas Park and even enjoy a drink at Nikki beach.

Don’t leave Miami without a trip on the high-speed catamaran Thriller Miami around Star island. The crew will have you in stitches with tales of the residents - from the chemist who invented Viagra to Ricky Martin, Madonna, Sly Stallone and Brad and Angelina.

The trip takes 45 minutes - but be warned, you will get wet! We spent one evening at the cinema, following locals to The Regal on Lincoln and Alton, which is surrounded by good restaurants.

Eating out is part of the Miami experience. Ask around for recommendations and you’ll be led to Joe’s Stone Crab on Washington Avenue, founded in 1913. Everyone from Gloria Swanson to J. Edgar Hoover has eaten here. Crab and lobster steaks are highlights. Wear loose trousers, and enjoy.

Eating out is part of the Miami experience

The Eleventh Street Diner, built in 1948, looks as if it has come straight from the set of Happy Days. Lily was full of praise for the burger - she has eaten enough of them to know! Meanwhile, the Red Steakhouse is an experience for the discerning eater who has saved up their calories and money, with high-quality cuisine and sumptuous decor.

In a week, we only tickled the surface of Miami, which means we are definitely going back for more.

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