TRAVEL TIPS & RESOURCES

Greater Miami lures visitors year round with perfect weather and award-winning beaches, whimsical architecture and a celebrity-driven nightlife scene that grooves to an only-in-Miami beat. On any given day, however, many visitors to this urban tropical resort are far more interested in where the fish are hiding out than in J Lo's purported whereabouts.

In perfect synch with all of its other charms, Miami is a sought after international recreation
destination by virtue of its mild climate and unrivaled water access.
In 2008, Miami ranked #1 on Forbes.com’s America's Cleanest Cities list, and the #3 Fittest City by Self Magazine in 2005, Miami caters to action-oriented visitors from around the globe with some of the world's top golf, tennis and sporting facilities. Add sparkling waters that are a magnet for boating enthusiasts, fishermen, divers and water sports aficionados to the equation and it is easy to see why Miami is a number one choice for active travelers of all ages and skill levels.

Flanked by the mighty Atlantic and the beautiful azure waters of Biscayne Bay, and warmed by yearly average temperatures in the 70s, visitors who want to get their feet wet never need look far to organize a day on the bay. Meanwhile, landlubbers
have plenty of onshore activities from which to choose.

Water, Water Everywhere
Whether it is from the deck of a 50-foot luxury yacht out for a pleasure cruise on Biscayne Bay or astride a rented wave runner, Miami looks magnificent from the water.

Opportunities to experience this privileged vantage abound, with multitudes of marinas and waterfront concessions offering visitors dozens of different ways to experience the
calm, tranquil waters of Biscayne Bay and the ocean beyond.
If you have a passion for fishing, Haulover Beach Marina, home to the largest charter/drift fishing fleet in South Florida is probably on your vacation agenda. Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway in Sunny Isles Beach, the 180-acre Haulover Beach Park also houses a popular kite rental concession, bicycle rentals, a 9-hole golf course and tennis courts, with an underground walkway leading directly to world-renowned Haulover Beach.

Want instant gratification? Rent a motorboat for a few hours and zip around Biscayne Bay, exploring uninhabited islands and communing with local wildlife, including dolphins, sea turtles and sea birds.

Parasailing is a great way to see the city from above, while Key Biscayne's Hobie Beach gets its name from the proliferation of Hobie catamarans and other multi-hull sailboats that push off daily from the popular beachside launch. Thrill seekers have many avenues for adventure: surfers catch waves at South Pointe Park at the tip of
South Beach and points further north, while kitesailing, a relatively new sport is catching on like wildfire all over Miami.

Divers and snorkelers are spoiled with the choice of a plethora of natural reefs, as well as one of the largest artificial-reef programs in the world. Fish flock to the more than 30 ships, tanks, concrete, limestone and other structures that have been sunk over the past 20 years off Miami's coast, as far south as Florida City and north to Sunny Isles Beach. Most are located just a few miles offshore, in less than 130 feet of water, providing great diving for all levels. One of the most popular routes is the Wreck Trek, located off Miami Beach, just north of the Art Deco District.

For those with time to venture further from the city, there’s the option of traveling along Everglade National Park’s 99-mile Wilderness Waterway. Adventurers can paddle all
day without seeing another soul, and spend the night camping out on remote chickees – raised platform campsites accessible only by water.

Tee Time
Golfers from all four corners of the globe are making a beeline for Miami Beach, eager to check out the Miami Beach Golf Club. Designed by Arthur Hills, one of America's foremost golf course designers, the course features papsalum turf, the perfect ecological answer to Miami Beach's sand-and-salt-heavy topsoil. The challenging course features plenty of hazards, however the wide fairways, groomed roughs and gentle breezes make a trip to these links memorable.

Tennis Anyone?
Tennis ranks with golf as a top recreational pursuit in Miami. Indeed, many of the world's top ranked players got their starts early through youth tennis programs at the many fine public facilities throughout the county. Foremost among them, the Crandon Park Tennis Center is home to the U.S. Tennis Association's Player Development Program and the National Junior Tennis Team. The Sony Ericsson Open draws thousands of visitors when it plays host to the world's top players every March.

At the Races
Those with a "need for speed" will want to check out the races at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Dedicated in 1995, the 1.5-mile oval race track on 600 acres has grandstands that hold 65,000 and a Champions Club Tower that has 16 luxury skyboxes. The speedway is home to the Ford Championship Weekend, where NASCAR crowns its season champions. The Ford 200/Craftsman Truck race runs on Friday, the Ford 300/Nationwide on Saturday and the weekend culminates with Sunday's Ford 400 – the final race in the chase for the NASCAR SPRINT Cup.

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