12 st gay beach
We have been travelling to Miami every year for the past 6 years — we always find ourselves there when we take our annual Atlantis gay cruiseand we usually only spend a couple of days either side of the cruise — so our previous gay Miami experience was always a little limited.
We loved checking out the different gay hotels in Miami, trying new gay bars, and even seeing what type of activities were on offer for gay travellers to Miami. It is here where the two popular gay hotels are located, as well as the majority of the gay nightlife.
There are countless things to do in Miami, both beach based in and around the iconic South Beach as well as in downtown Miami. But during our most recent visit to Miami, especially as we had more time there, we wanted to delve a little deeper and experience more of what this destination had to offer — and we stayed busy!
Strapped into a climbing harness bit different to the harness we would wear the following week on Atlantis! Despite being a lot more work, and aching head to toe the following day, it was worth it for the views we had of the Miami skyline! And being located at Jungle Island, either before or after your treetop-trek you are invited to explore Jungle Island too, and see the various wildlife such as flamingos, lemurs, and capybaras.
Find out more and book for yourself here. The tour departs from Bayside Marketplace and is a minute sightseeing 12 st gay beach onboard the Thiller Miami Speedboats. The tour was great fun, taking us along the Miami coastline, past the various islands in the Bay of Biscayne, including Star Island — which is home to various celebrity mansions, including J Lo and David Beckhams!
After the cruise is over, we highly recommend having a look around Bayside Marketplace, a two-story open air shopping centre. It is full of shops, bars, and many dining venues, and with a great view out to the Bay and the marina. Book your own speedboat adventure here.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is the former villa and estate of a wealthy American businessman, located on Biscayne Bay in the Coconut Grove neighbourhood of Downtown Miami.
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This huge 20 th -century estate dating back to is home to the villa itself, now a museum, and 50 acres of land, 10 acres of which are the stunning Italian Renaissance Gardens. A National Historic Landmark, Vizcaya is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Greater Miami area, and we can see why!
For more information and to book tickets you can visit their website. The venue itself is stunning, as you would expect, being located in one of the most historic buildings in South Beach, but equally the service was flawless, and the food was delicious.
Giannis is open for both lunch and dinner, and it is highly recommended to make a reservation as early as possible. Book your table here. Palace has been the number 1 drag bar in Miami for over 30 years and we can see why! The queens performing are top of their game, and they certainly know how to work a crowd.
The energy and atmosphere during the 2-hour show was incredible, exactly what we needed to wake us up after a night exploring the South Beach gay scene! The drag brunch is such a popular activity in South Beach that Palace offers two seatings Friday through Sunday, at 11am and 2pm, and have even added an additional show on Mondays at 12pm.
We strongly recommend booking as far in advance as you can as this does book up — reserve your table here. This was something we did most mornings during our visit, as we found it the perfect way to start our 12 st gay beach Given that the jetlag coming from the UK is just enough to cause us to wake a couple of hours earlier, we decided we may as well get up and make the most of it.
So, we grabbed a Starbucks, and set off walking down the Ocean Drive seafront promenade. The walk itself is beautiful — and what we loved the most about walking down the promenade is that all the iconic images you picture when you think about Miami become a reality — people roller skating, topless men working out on the sand, power walkers with their morning coffees and smoothies, and countless joggers sprinting alongside their dogs!
We walked down the paved promenade all the way to South Pointe Park — a beautiful green space right at the southern-most tip of Miami Beach.