Travel

Our February Break Trip to South Beach Miami

April 9, 2024

Our family visits South Florida a lot. I lived there for most of my childhood and adolescense, and my parents and brother live there now. We usually visit over a few long weekends during the year and for a week in February when my kids have a break from school. During our stays, we almost always make an excursion to Miami Beach because we love the energetic, multicultural scene of South Beach, which is a contrast to the quieter, low-key vibe of the Palm Beach area, where we stay with my mom. It’s just a day-trip, and we often lament that, because we are visiting family, it’s hard to spend more time in Miami.

So, this year we decided to do something about that and split our time between South Beach and my mom’s in Boca Raton, with three days in each area. We love that our kids’ school gives them a break in mid-February. Since it’s not a high travel season, we can usually get good deals on flights and accommodations. It also falls right at that time of winter when going to a warm, sunny place is a perfect reset to get us through the rest of the cold season.

We decided to go to South Beach because, well, it’s South Beach, a popular travel destination for people around the world with beautiful beaches, art deco architecture, and happening scene. And while it has a reputation for being kind of wild (especially at night), it also has a more relaxed side. It’s all about how you choose to experience it. We went for relaxed, staying in a hotel a bit out of the thick of it, but still easy walking distance to everything, and not really making very set plans (ie, no reservations). It was nice to wing it and just see what we felt like doing in the moment.

Here’s a recap of our three days and nights in South Beach Miami…

GETTING THERE & AROUND

We flew Jet Blue to Fort Lauderdale for a few reasons: 1) We really like the airline and opt for it when it’s available and the flight times and prices are good. 2) The fares from DCA to Fort Lauderdale were better than to Miami or Palm Beach. 3) Fort Lauderdale is midway between Miami and Boca Raton (where we stayed for the second part of the trip), so it wasn’t a super long drive to/from the airport on either end.

We didn’t need a rental car for the trip because everything is fairly walkable, bike-able, or Uber-able in South Beach, and we would have access to my mom’s car later. Thus, we took an Uber from the Fort Lauderdale airport to our hotel, about a 45-minute, $54 Uber ride.

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at the Uma House by Yurrban, a boutique hotel towards the north end of the South Beach area that we chose after an exhaustive search and a lot of comparison to other hotels. It turned out to be a fantastic pick! It’s located one block off Collins Avenue — close to everything, but not in the middle of all the hoopla. It was a very easy walk to Lincoln Road, the beach, Espanola Way, and plenty of dining options. And the Art Deco District was a very easy bike ride or longer walk away.

It’s actually two buildings next to each other, the Sunrise Tower and Sunset Tower, but easy to access both. The rooms were very comfortable and nicely appointed. However, our kids ended up with a better room than Levi and me. We got them a room with two queen beds (one king for us), so their’s was more spacious, on a higher floor with a better view and more natural light. Our room was fine, but something to consider if you look into this hotel.

Out favorite part of Uma House was the pool area. Located on the roof of the Sunrise Tower, it’s a posh, relaxing area with comfortable lounging options around the small pool and views of the Atlantic. While that area is not huge, we never had a problem finding seating. Also on the roof is a pretty bar area that serves drinks and food, and every evening they have a Wine ‘o Clock happy hour with complimentary wine.

Other amenities include free coffee in the mornings in the lovely courtyard, free beach chairs at 21st Street, bike rentals right at the hotel with one hour free, and a small gym that has all the basics. I would definitely recommend Uma House and stay here again. And I should mention that it’s family-friendly — we saw several families with young children, including at the pool, and there are Family Suites to stay in, too.

WHAT WE DID

As mentioned, we took the relaxed approach to our trip and didn’t really plan anything. We knew we wanted some pool time, beach time, active time, and walk around and see things time during our three days in South Beach, but no specifics. Because the kids are older, 18 and 15, we don’t have to worry about keeping them entertained; they can figure some things out for themselves. In fact, Sasha met up with a friend who was also in the area with her family one day, and they spent the day on their own, hitting the beach, getting lunch, and shopping.

We enjoyed time at the pool everyday, starting almost immediately after we arrived at the hotel and settled in. The weather was about as perfect as it gets — 70s and sunny — and we were very keen to soak it in. We liked that being at the pool wasn’t a full-day commitment; we didn’t have to rush to reserve chairs, like at some popular resorts, and it was easy enough to come and go. It was also nice to have a snack or drink if we wanted without having to leave the area.

Of course, we enjoyed time on the beach, too. I’ve always loved South Florida beaches with big soft sandy areas and the aqua ocean with the shores usually great for shell hunting (though oddly not this time). We went to 21st Street because that’s where our hotel provided vouchers for beach chairs, but the beach near the Art Deco District is also a good location because it’s close to restaurants and, if you’re with young kids, a playground .

I’m an early riser, so every morning I walked to the beach to watch the sunrise, which was around 7am in mid-February (a sequence of photos here). It was spectacular and so serene at the same time, worth waking up for if you usually sleep in!

After that I either walked, ran, or biked the Miami Beach Boardwalk, a lovely path that runs between the beach and hotels. We also did a family bike ride on it one day. There’s lush vegetation along parts of it, views of the ocean from other areas, and a stretch that is parallel to Ocean Drive and the Art Deco District. It leads right to South Pointe Park Pier, where you can walk out and take in the gorgeous beach and ocean scenery, see people fishing, and peer into viewing stations to see fish swimming below.

The rest of South Pointe Park is great, too. There are paths winding through that you can run, bike, and skate, including one leading to the top of a small hill, where there chairs to lounge and enjoy the surrounds. A playground includes a splash pad, and there are is a picnic area nearby.

Lincoln Road is a well known shopping and dining area, a walking promenade that extends several blocks. It’s fun to stroll during the day or evening to do browse stores, explore dining options, and enjoy a meal al fresco.

The day Sasha met up with her friend, Levi, Owen and I visited the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, about a 10-minute walk from our hotel. It was nice and very pretty but small, not nearly as much to see as the U.S. Botanic Garden in DC. But it was an easy, free pop-in and something different to do.

WHERE WE ATE

Like I said above, we didn’t make any dining reservations on this trip, just walked around and checked out our options until we decided on a place to eat. It was fun to roam different areas, take in the scene, and see what looked good since many restaurants have outdoor seating, and we could get a peek at the food. That said, here’s where we ate in South Beach…

Osteria da Fortunata | 607 Lincoln Road
The Italian restaurant right in the heart of Lincoln Road is the real deal. Its original locations are in Rome, and the food is traditional and tasty. You can watch women in the front window rolling and cutting pasta. And its nice to sit at an outdoor table for the people watching and lively atmosphere.

Rosetta Bakery | 1666 Collins Ave.
We stopped at this Italian-inspired bakery/cafe just a couple of blocks from our hotel a few times during our trip — for coffee and croissants for breakfast, lunch sandwiches, and treats after dinner. Everything was fresh and so delicious!

Cafe Americano | 1776 Collins Ave.
We enjoyed a very tasty brunch at this well-known spot located within our hotel. There is seating both inside and out, but a patio table where you can enjoy the beautiful weather and watch the Collins Avenue bustle is prime.

Paperfish Sushi | 432 Española Way
The sushi restaurant is located on Española Way, a vibrant walking street lined with restaurants that extends a couple of blocks. We went there with the intention of going to one of the Cuban restaurants, but they were crowded, and Paperfish caught our attention. It also had great reviews, so we gave it a try and were not disappointed — the food was excellent.

Kantina | 850 Ocean Drive
One of the many spots along Ocean Drive’s stretch of art deco hotels and buildings. We stopped here for a drink and snack on a bike ride, picked it because a table outside was ready to go. They serve a mix of things — sandwiches and salads, pasta, tacos and fajitas, seafood. I recall enjoying my ceviche, but the breezy vibe outdoors was what we enjoyed most.

The Roof at Esme | 1438 Washington Ave.
Our last night in South Beach we had dinner at this spot on the roof of Hotel Esme, located at the top of Espanola Way. The food was good but pricey, but it was nice to be out of the crowds on the street below. [Sidenote: The hotel has actually been recommended to us as a place to stay, and we were curious about it (since we didn’t pick it). Seeing the pool area on the roof made us happy we opted for Uma House — we liked the rooftop area there much better.]

MORE INSIGHT & TIPS

1) There is much more to do in South Beach, but as I said above, we wanted to keep it relaxed during our three days. If we’d spent more time there, we would have taken an Art Deco Walking Tour, done some paddling, visited the Bass Museum of Art, and maybe gone on a culinary tour or day cruise.
2) For a trip with young children, there are a couple of playgrounds right in South Beach — at the mentioned South Pointe Park and Lummus Park located right off Ocean Drive.
3) Lummus Park is also home to the famous Muscle Beach, which is essentially a free outdoor gym. There’s weight training equipment and beach volleyball courts, all easily accessible right off the Miami Beach Boardwalk.
4) All beaches are free to the public. If you don’t have your own seating, or your hotel doesn’t offer it, you can rent chairs and umbrellas at several spots. The company Boucher Brothers offers them near Lummus Park and South Pointe Park, and the chairs we got through our hotel were located at 21st Street.
5) Bikes are readily available from CitiBike Miami, a bike share/rental system that you access via app, just like Capital BikeShare in DC.
6) South Florida weather in mid-February is sublime, with an average of mid-70s during the day and lows in the 60s at night. We had perfect weather when we were there — 70s and clear, blue skies every day. It was chilly in the mornings and evenings, but a sweatshirt or light jacket was about all that was needed, if at all.