The Best Miami Neighborhoods to Visit for Food, Art, and More

If you're planning a vacation in Miami, you're probably focused on one spot: South Beach. But there are plenty of other places to go in Miami besides its famous beach neighborhoods. Whether you're looking to eat, shop, or get some culture, we found a few lesser-known Miami neighborhoods that you should add to your itinerary.

Best Neighborhood for Foodies: Little Havana & Little Haiti

Okay, okay, so these are two completely distinct Miami neighborhoods, but if you love food, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't try to see both during a Miami vacation. Explore Little Havana's cafes for guava pastelitos or empanadas stuffed with beefy picadillo before heading a few miles northeast to take in the scent of simmering oxtail and fried conch in Little Haiti.

• What to Do: In Little Havana, head to the historic Ball & Chain, where you can sip one of the best mojitos in Miami and take part in free salsa-dance classes on Thursdays. Over in Little Haiti, you can save up to half off a visit to check out the Haitian Heritage Museum's art and architecture exhibitions with this Groupon deal.

• Where to Eat: A Cubano is essential when visiting Miami, and, being one of the best restaurants in Miami, Versailles delivers on the classic dish. In Little Haiti, head to Chef Creole to dive into the seafood platter's array of shellfish, plantains, beans, rice, and spicy creole sauce.

• Where to Stay: Grab at the room for as little as $102/night at the Fortune House Hotel, whose Brickell location makes it an equally easy drive to either neighborhood.

Best Neighborhood for Nature Lovers: Virginia Key

Miami's only public park on the Atlantic Ocean is a quiet haven, with stretches of undeveloped beachfront bordered by Florida's iconic mangrove wetland. Visitors can catch rides on the park's vintage carousel and learn about the beach's significance to Miami's civil-rights history.

• What to Do: Explore Virginia Key Beach Park, which features a pristine mile-long shoreline, hammock and biking trails, and bright playgrounds.

• Where to Eat: At SALT Waterfront Restaurant, you can munch on tasty bar food and enjoy some of the best beer deals in Miami while trying to spot manatees in the water below.

• Where to Stay: Miami's downtown Courtyard By Marriott (from $186/night plus 5% back in Groupon Bucks) is a short drive away. Keep the laidback beach vibe going with a dip in the hotel's outdoor swimming pool.

Best Neighborhood for History Buffs: Lummus Park (Overtown)

Although it's now a city of skyscrapers, Miami's humbler heritage lives on in Overtown's Lummus Park (not to be confused with the city's other Lummus Park in Miami Beach). The park is now home to two of the city's oldest structures: the Seminole War-era Fort Dallas, and the William Wagner House, a lumber homestead that once stood along the Miami River.

• What to Do: When you're finished checking out the William Wagner House and Fort Dallas, check out the Scottish Rite Temple, a massive freemason building featuring Doric columns and a pyramid on its roof.

• Where to Eat: Head up the street to CRUST, which is set in a former 1950s deco-style home and serves some of the best pizzas in the city.

• Where to Stay: The Miami Beach version of Lummus Park is a worthwhile sight, too. Stay at the famous Colony art-deco hotel, which sits directly across the street from the park's zigzagging paths and swaying palm trees.

Best Neighborhood for Creative Types: Wynwood

The graffiti-laced Wynwood Walls welcomes guests to Wynwood, Miami's hippest neighborhood. In addition to this renowned street-art monument, visitors can check out galleries, peruse out-there fashions, and grab craft cocktails at some of the city's trendiest bars; we recommend the drink menu at Beaker and Gray.

• What to Do: The Walls make it easy to improvise your own walking tour, and the numerous craft breweries dotting Wynwood provide tasty respites from the midday heat.

• Where to Eat: Head to the Salty Donut, whose over-the-top concoctions include guava and cheese, tres leches, and key-lime pie varieties.

• Where to Stay: Live like a tastemaker with a night at the nearby Hilton Miami (from $139/night plus 5% back in Groupon Bucks).

Best Neighborhood for Shameless Shopping Sprees: The Design District

Brands like Burberry, Cartier, and Louis Vuitton make their homes in Miami's Design District, a high-end shopping area with local boutiques. Commerce unfolds within the neighborhood's reclaimed warehouses, which also house striking public art installments.

• What to Do: If you're not exhausted from boutique-hopping, the Institute of Contemporary Art is a must-see.

• Where to Eat: Take the group to El Bajareque for some down-home Puerto Rican food; using this Groupon deal will save you close to 50%.

• Where to Stay: Splurge on a room at the chic W Miami ($309/night plus 5% back in Groupon Bucks), where you'll have access to a full-service spa, an outdoor pool, an on-site nightclub, and more.