Florida is blessed with many awesome beach towns and cities but few compare in size and stature to Miami Beach, particularly the area around South Beach. What makes it such an ideal solo destination is the fact that you can be who you want to be because pretty much every flavor of humanity exists here!
Miami Beach is a different city to Miami but makes up an important part of the Greater Miami urban area. Within the area there is North, Mid and South Beach of which all offer a different experience.
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For solo travelers the place to be is South Beach as the other areas tend to appeal more to families.
The Not So Good Stuff for Solos
OK, let’s get the negative stuff out of the way first. There is only one major drawback to visiting Miami Beach on your own and it’s the cost which is pushed up by the pricey hotel rooms. There are single rooms to be had and there are a couple of backpacker/traveller hostels offering dormitory accommodation but as with many parts of the US, these are quite over-priced for what they are.
An option would be to stay in the cheaper North Beach or even in Miami City itself. The disadvantage to this would a late night out might end up in an expensive cab fare. You are much better off sucking up the cost and staying nearby.
OK that’s the bad stuff out of the way, lets focus on the good!
Activities for Solos and opportunities to meet others
By far one of the coolest things to do is to is the Art Deco Walking Tour which is a two hour guided trip around the Art Deco district with a very informative guide. More details here at the website of the Art Deco Walking tour. The cost when we did it was $20 and there was quite a few other solos on the same tour.
Another cool option for hooking up with travelers is to go on the Miami South Beach Food Tour which is a historical guided trip through Miami’s gourmet history (while sampling excellent foods).
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Solo in the evening
Miami South Beach is a real party town and while big groups might seem to dominate proceedings, there is still a friendly feel to many of the bars in the area.
We’d suggest starting out on Espanola Way which is a cool little paved street packed full affordable eateries that spill out everywhere. Grab yourself a small table and sample the very European menus and happy hour cocktails while enjoying the excellent street scene and people watching opportunities.
There are plenty of bars where to locals hang out too, of which all the ones we met were very friendly. One such bar is the Mac’s Club Deuce, South Beach’s oldest bar, which is not as pretentious and is an affordable, local hangout with a jukebox and a pool table.
Essential Information
When to go: Miami Beach is a year round destination but you might like to avoid April when it’s overrun by Spring Breakers and July/August when humidity and heat makes it unbearable if there are no sea breezes.
Safety & Health: The most dangerous thing will probably be the sun so take the usual precautions. Miami Beach is a big city and will have crime like any other urban area so you should keep your senses and try not to wander around drunk and own your own late at night.
Costs: Miami Beach is not a budget destination but there are many free activities, such as the beach, to keep you amused. Renting one of the cycles is an affordable and fun way of getting around. Try and take advantage of the cheap happy hours and always remember to tip the bar-tender!