Ah, Miami! Where it is bikini season year round, and everyone speaks Spanish. It is probably one of the best party spots as well where people flock from all over to party all day by the beach, and party some more all night at some of the countries hottest night clubs. Believe it or not though, this isn't just a travel destination for spring breakers & house music lovers. There is actually tons of great things to do here for families traveling with children as well.
We recently took our boys, ages six & seven to Miami... during spring break. Yes, we were super brave for that one!!! It was actually an amazing family vacation though!!! In this post I will share with you some of the great things we did during our six day stay!!!
-Where to Stay-
We actually stayed at an air bnb & booked a condo at the Icon which is connected to The W hotel in Brickell, Miami. The Brickell area was great! Family friends, not crazy loud at night, and walking distance to many shops and places to eat. We had a rooftop pool and a beautiful view of the city. If you want to stay somewhere away from the crazy night life, this was a great choice from our experience. Though staying on south beach would put you in walking distance to the beach. We were about a 15 minute drive to the beach strip.
-Where to Eat-
There are many delicious places in the city that are kid friendly. We ate at "Big Pink" located in South Beach which was SO GOOD! They don't call it "BIG" Pink for no reason. The kids meal chicken fingers were the size of my seven year olds arm! lol And I had one of the best burgers that I have ever put in my mouth. They have a huge variety of food to choose from, and they were affordable which is rare to find an inexpensive sit down restaurant near the beach.
Another great place in Miami is "The Sugar Factory", a little pricey but if you've never been you have to go at least once. Your kids will love their giant milkshakes & candy drinks!!! They also have pretty good food.
Our favorite place we ate at this trip though was "Tacology"!!! It was walking distance from our Air bnb in Brickell. The kids loved it, the place played kid friendly music with videos on a huge drop down screen so it kept them entertained. They also loved their meals which you can tell by the look on my son's face in the photo below. haha We were so impressed by the presentation of each meal, but also it all tasted great!!! Best queso ever!!! Super fast service!!! And delicious Guava cheesecake!!!
Another place we stopped for a healthy breakfast was "Dreamer", also near South Beach. Really good, healthy food. They have acai bowls, avocado toast, coffee, matcha, and fresh pressed juices. Their banana bread was outstanding! It is super cute inside, but if your kids don't like healthy food it is not recommended. The tables were also super tiny so not recommended for a large family. I would probably recommend this spot for a group of girlfriends, as it is so Instagram worthy inside!
-Things to do-
Obviously you can't take a Miami trip without hitting the beach!!!
Take a day trip to the Zoological Wildlife foundation! You have to book a tour on their website in advance before showing up & it is about an hour drive, it is still in Miami but over by everglades! It is 100% worth every penny & the trip to go. You can't get this experience anywhere else. And your money is going towards a great cause to care for these animals. When you arrive you get a tour guide who gives you a private tour around the entire Zoo. The kids loved it! We ended up feeding monkeys, playing with owls, and kissing camels!!! It is such a nice place and you could tell our tour guide loved and had an actual relationship with these animals. The kids learned so much, got to be within 4 feet of lions, interact with many animals, and also feed some of them. This is definitely a must! You can also book one on one interactions with the tigers, sloths, and chimps!!!
If you're lucky to catch the ice cream museum before they sell out, it is a must as well! It is an interactive museum in South Beach. At each exhibit the boys got a new sweet treat to try, and they got to swim in a pool of sprinkles!!! Follow their social medias to see if they're coming to a city near you!
I also recommend taking the family to wynwood walls, where they can play in the parks and see all the really cool street art. Little Havana is also great too where they can experience authentic Cuban culture.
Time in between everything we did we spent swimming and lounging by the roof top pool in our air bnb. Most hotels in Miami also have a pool to keep your kids busy! Miami isn't all just night clubs after all. So if you've been wanting to take a nice family vacay, Miami isn't a bad choice :)
xoxo
Marienna.