The alluring city of Miami is undoubtedly one of the wisest destinations around to enjoy some winter sun. However - with the wondrous natural beauty of the Everglades and the spectacular sunsets of the Florida Keys at your fingertips – not hiring a car to take in the rest of Southern Florida would simply be a crime!

At one time Miami was considered a relatively sleepy beach destination, but today nothing could be further from the truth. This is the playground of jet setters and celebrities - drawn by its glamorous exterior, stunning beaches, upmarket shopping boutiques and vibrant, diverse culture.

If shopping is high on your agenda, then head to the stars' favourite shopping centre - the AVENTURA MALL at the north end of Miami Beach. The mall spreads across 2.3 million square feet and is home to some of America’s most famous department stores such as Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Kron Chocolatier.

Then get to grips with Miami’s diverse population and head for Little Havana on Southwest 8th Street. Here, buy yourself genuine Cuban hand-rolled cigars if inclined, or go for a bite to eat at the Café Cubano and enjoy a “media noche” sandwich – a Cuban speciality of pork, cheese, pickle and mustard. Also worth a visit is the Spanish area of Miami known as Coral Gables, or ‘the City Beautiful’ as locals call it. Marvel at the Mediterranean-style mansions and definitely take a trip to the supposedly haunted Biltmore Hotel on Anastasia Avenue (tours are available even if you’re not staying there).

As the city spreads across countless kilometres of causeways and motorways – Miami isn’t exactly pedestrian friendly. One place where walking is entirely suitable however is South Beach, which runs from 1st to 23rd Street of Miami Beach. Here, enjoy the seemingly endless stretch of white sand and sea, bluer than the sky itself. As well as sun bathing and water sports, inline skating is popular here and provides an excellent opportunity to take in South Beach’s beautiful promenade.

Whilst in South Beach, head to the formidable Art Deco National Historic District – a collection of hotels and apartments that are fabulously ornate examples of pre-war modernism – amazingly sweet-like thanks to their rounded corners and bright colours. An engaging and entertaining walking tour of the district is available via the Miami Design Preservation League who are also responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of these splendid works of art.

South Beach is also an excellent place to people watch from one of the numerous outdoor cafes and bars. Famed for its café society, South Beach is a hotbed of activity for paparazzi, looking to capture images of the countless celebrities that frequent this colourful part of Miami’s inimitable coastline and it is here where some of America’s top model agencies have their headquarters – forever on the search for the next big thing.

Whilst at South Beach, explore the plethora of shops, boutiques and restaurants that line Ocean Drive – Miami’s most famous street and the adjoining Collins Avenue and Washington Avenue. This is where Miami’s fashion and lifestyle scenes truly meet, as one upmarket boutique neighbours another, with cafes and restaurants numerous.

If vogue labels and heavily priced boutiques aren’t your thing, head to Bal Harbour Shops on Collins Avenue. Here you are greeted with an open-air shopping mall where you can find a number of boutique labels sitting comfortably with the likes of Gap, Nike and more moderately priced stores.

Of all the restaurants in the area, two of the most highly recommended (and will not require a reservation, which is rare in these parts) is Joe’s Stone Crab on Washington Avenue where you can enjoy some of Florida’s finest crustaceans and The Restaurant on West Avenue, South Beach – arguably Miami’s most celebrated in championing the best in American food.

Travelling a little further south down the coast, ensure Biscayne National Park is on your itinerary. The park preserves Biscayne Bay – arguably America’s best area to scuba dive. Although known as a park, the area it covers is in fact 95% water - clear and warm all year round and packed with colourful tropical fish that swim out to the amazing offshore reefs. Rather than carry your own snorkelling and scuba equipment, rent from the diving shop at Convoy Point and take a snorkelling or diving tour operated by Biscayne National Underwater Park.  If you are not suited to snorkelling or diving, why not take the glass bottom boat tour of the bay to see the beauty beneath Biscayne’s waters or rent kayaks to explore.

No trip to Miami can be complete without a visit to Everglades. Just an hour’s drive south of Miami, the Everglades is actually an extremely wide shallow river, which covers over a million acres of Florida’s southernmost mainland, reaching as far as the Gulf of Mexico. To get the most from the Everglades head for the National Park. Split into three separate entrances; expect to see bottlenose dolphins and alligators in their natural habitat in the saw-grass prairies and mangrove-edged waterways. A number of organised ranger programmes and self-guided tour maps are on hand at visitor centres throughout the park, ensuring you miss nothing of this wondrous part of Southern Florida.

Whilst at the park, head for Tamiami Trail – a picturesque byway connecting the east and west coasts of Southern Florida. Here you will find a Visitor Centre in the fishing village of Everglades City. Gaze out at the beautiful Chokoloskee Bay and the Ten Thousand Islands area in the distance – a serene region of mangroves, marshes and sandy keys reachable only by boat on the famous Wilderness Waterway kayak and canoe trail. Here, experienced paddlers can spend as long as they wish on a journey as the Waterway stretches some ninety-nine miles! Novices are advised to join one of the group led trips along more navigable creeks.

The adjoining Big Cypress National Preserve is where visitors are most likely to encounter alligators. As you travel alongside the mangroves on Turner River Road, expect to see alligator’s watchful eyes peeking out of the top of the water as they lazily float along the narrow creek. Travelling further east on Turner River Road you will come across Oasis Visitor Centre in Big Cypress. For visitors keen to do some exploration on foot – take a ranger led swamp hike.

Finish your trip to this awesome part of America at the fabulous Florida Keys. Enjoy some of the best diving and fishing opportunities in the world on this series of islands extending south and south-west of the Southern Florida mainland.

The first of the Keys you’ll arrive at is Key Largo. Diving enthusiasts; head to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park where you’ll find the only living coral reef in America as well as snorkelling and glass-bottom boat trips showing you the beauty that lies beneath Largo’s waters.
The next key south is Islamorada – known internationally as the Sport Fishing Capital of the World. Travel on one of the countless charter boats to enjoy a days fishing in crystal blue waters that boast marlin and tuna. If fishing sounds a little tame, head to the Theatre of the Sea where you can swim with the dolphins and stingrays.

In the middle of the Keys is Marathon, or ‘the Heart of the Keys’. Drive across the amazing seven-mile bridge that joins the Bay to the Atlantic Ocean and gaze out at the inimitable array of colourful landscape that surrounds. 

South again, discover the Lower Keys – a collection of relatively smaller islands that provide even more opportunities to go diving, this time at the spectacular Looe Key Reef. The best of the Keys is saved until last in Key West – completely unique from its northerly brothers. Here, you can stand at the marker at the most southerly point in America – ninety miles from Cuba, which on a clear day is visible from Key West on the horizon. Head to Mallory Square in the evening and enjoy the nightly Sunset Celebration and soak up the ambience of the Key West evening at one of the many cocktail bars – that merely typifies why Southern Florida is fast becoming one of the world’s most favoured winter sun destinations.