Miami Holiday
If you are looking for a little Latin flavour, then there is no better destination than the city of Miami on the southernmost tip of Florida.
Half of the cities' population are Hispanic and of these, the majority are Cuban.
When all this culture is combined with Miami's world famous beaches, hot climate and reputation as a hedonist's getaway it is no wonder that this city has moved from its status as a retirement hangout and now attracts millions of visitors from the world over every year.
With the population standing at 362,470 in the city and the larger metropolitan area holding over five million people, Miami is well populated.
However, covering an area of 36 square miles, it is one of the smallest major cities in the US in terms of landmass.
Miami has a mixed and interesting history with a strong pattern of growth in the 1920s thanks to the city authorities adopting a lax attitude to regulating prohibition and also their legalisation of gambling in the city.
The Great Depression hit the city hard in the 1930s, but it rallied during the 1950s largely in part to the migration of thousands of Cubans who fled Fidel Castro's regime for safer shores.
Although Miami Beach became a celebrity filled resort area during the 1950s, more decline was seen during the 1960s and 1970s culminating in the 1980s when drugs and crime were rife in the city.
The 80s were immortalised in TV drama Miami Vice and motion pictures such as Scarface. Throughout this period drug smuggling was endemic in the city and Miami had the highest murder rate in the US.
Nowadays, potential visitors need not worry as the metropolis has changed for two reasons. Firstly the influx of Latin Americans brought much investment into the city and secondly the gentrification of South Beach in the 1990s has meant that tourism is now the lifeblood of Miami.
The beaches are a major pull for any visitor to Miami and South Beach located at the tip of Miami Beach is a great starting point. Bordered by hundreds of attractive pastel coloured twenties and thirties buildings, there are an array of interesting shops and cafes for visitors to enjoy here.
South Beach is also home to the poignant Holocaust Memorial, dedicated to the six million Jews persecuted during the Second World War and particularly significant to Miami's large resident Jewish population.
The nearby Miami Beach is home to an equally enticing white sand beach and also the prestigious Bass Museum, a delightful Art Deco building that houses a collection of fine European paintings.
Miami Metrozoo is great for some light entertainment and boasts more than 200 species of animals including bengal tigers, koalas, black rhinos and even a pair of Komodo dragons.
If you fancy some evening entertainment, no venue comes more highly recommended that Hoy Como Ayer nightclub playing Cuban music. A live band plays to a small dance floor and there is a café playing vintage Cuban music videos and film clips for those wishing to chill out.
Miami is a sizzling city with a vibrant and eclectic population and with some of the world's best beaches and liveliest nightlife; the only thing you might be missing during a trip to this city is a good night's sleep.
