Miami & Miami Beach

Lots of fun if you are into the night life and party scene. The waters are beautiful and recreational activities are plentiful for miles in either direction. Plenty of good restaurants and shopping in close proximity to the beach and local hotels which makes getting around nice and easy. Probably not the place you would want to chose for a family beach vacation or if you are looking for seclusion. Be prepared to spend some money if you go because food and entertainment are definitely not cheap. Great place to spend a few days as long as you know exactly what you are getting into!

The food choice was great,beaches were clean,but very crowded which is what you'd expect,it reminded me of the some beaches in England,where you can't move it's so crowded. If I had the choice I would rather go on down to the keys.

South Beach wasn't a bad experience for me, but it felt overrated. The beach wasn't particularly clean, as I'm sure the partyers don't care much for its beauty when they are trashed at 4 in the morning. The water was decent, but not great. People do go topless, but this seems to be a mostly European phenomenom. There were some good looking people around, but not everybody looks like a model. The atmosphere surely is interesting, and the people watching is top notch. However, this area of the city as a whole didn't seem particularly clean, although the diversity in style of the area is unique. The lunch menu at the restaurant we ate at featured 20 dollar sandwhiches, so the info about Miami's priciness appears true. It was worth visiting for the experience, and I'm sure it would be fun for anybody with money to waste while they party. However, I feel like I've seen it and I'm over it.

Lovely historical sightseeing, excellent dining and very interesting people watching. Walking the boardwalk is always a visual feast!

South Beach is overrated unless you're into partying, sex and drugs.

great beach! one of the few in the country where the women go topless (don't see the big deal, but I'm a guy. Have to look at just as many that don't belong in a bathing suit, let alone topless, so it evens out.) Definitely place to get your culture. Grab a sidewalk table at a cafe, get a cold beer, and people watch! very entertaining! Nice to be able to walk around with a beer and shop too.

The beach itself isn't the best, but South Beach is very interesting. Lots of great architecture, culture and restaurants. A downer is that it's a little expensive, but for the first timer, definitely a good introduction to Florida.

Miami Beach is cool to go to for the feel of South Beach. If you like clubs and more of an urban beach scene you'll like Miami Beach. But there are so many nicer beaches anywhere on the Gulf Coast that are quieter,have cleaner sand and water and much less expensive.