Things to do near Miami Airport

[Rhonda Salisbury]

What's the best hotel & restaurant and things to do near the Miami airport...we are being delayed a day and want to have some

[José Balido]

Hi Rhonda, It all depends on your tastes, and on how near is near. If you have a car, the nearest concentration of interesting places is the tony city of Coral Gables, part of the Greater Miami metropolitan area (about 15 minutes away from the airport by car). You can also take a taxi and just walk once you get here, since everything is in a compact urban center. There are excellent hotels here, such as the Westin Colonnade, apart-hotel options such as Extended Stay America, and the place I'd stay (though I never have, as I live here), the very charming European-style Hôtel St. Michel. All are within a couple of blocks of dozens of restaurants, bars, and cafés. For restaurants, I would recommend Randazzo's on Miracle Mile for excellent Italian, Marouche for superb Middle Eastern, Hillstone's or Tarpon Bend for great American food and a real buzzing scene, Mint Leaf for very elegant Indian fare, and many many others. If you're into books, don't miss Books & Books, one of the finest independent bookstores in the country, set around an elegant Spanish-style courtyard where you can have coffee or dinner. There are also many unique shops to explore. If you don't mind the cool water this time of year, the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables may be one of the most spectacular public pools in the country, with grottoes and Venetian-style architecture from the 1920s all around. And let's not forget the legendary Biltmore Hotel (not walkable from downtown Gables), where brunch in the courtyard will transport you to another era... and your wallet will feel it.

 

Of course, if you're venturing by car from the airport, maybe you'd rather head out to better-known South Beach, which will be more like 20-30 minutes by car. But if you've already seen SoBe and don't want to go too far, Coral Gables will provide a very pleasant day indeed. I personally think it's a more "grown-up" version of South Beach, minus the beach, that more tourists should get to know.

 

Good luck, and bon voyage!

[Peter Parker]

Here are some places close by (within three or four miles) with shopping, art galleries, and restaurants.

-    Little Havana (1.99 miles away)
-    Actors Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre(2.75 m),
-    Coral Gables (2.76 m),
-    Venetian Pool(3.04 m),
-    Calle Ocho Festival (3.22 m),
-    Black Archives History & Research Foundation Of South Florida, Inc(3.11 m)

For accommodation The Miami International Airport Hotel is best (it’s in airport premises).

 

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