Portray of the Destination
Associated to sun and beach, Miami is a quintessential destination. It was conceived as such and it remains as such nowadays.Therefore, everything aims at tourists, who can enjoy not only the beaches but also shops and the varied gastronomy (over 300 restaurants).

Further, tourists in Miami can visit the nearby amazing nature reserves or immerse themselves in the amusement parks located throughout the peninsula.

The wide hotel offer is outstanding in Miami, enabling tourists to choose among different levels, qualities and even styles of services.

We would like to thank the "The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau" office for the pictures provided.
Visit: www.miamiandbeaches.com

Geography
Basically, the entire Florida peninsula is a plain territory dominated by tropical climate. The center itself of the region presents wetlands known as Everglades, which can be visited by tourists nowadays. In particular, Miami repeats such features, lacking elevations but presenting an extensive seacoast dominated by beaches.

Climate
The Miami climate is clearly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and its winds. Although the dry season takes place between September and November, Miami presents high rainfall rates. Temperatures do not change much and range from 20°C (68ºF) to 30°C (86ºF). There is a hurricane season taking place from July to October.

When to go
Actually, Miami presents warm weather throughout the year; therefore, you can travel at any time. However, travelling between autumn and the beginning of spring is recommended in order to avoid the crowds meeting in summer.

History
Historically, the Apalachee Indians lived in the entire peninsula of Florida; thereafter, the Seminoles, who were escaping from the English colonization, inhabited the region. In 1779, Spain –t hat already had control over a part of the territory- conquered the rest of the region, gaining possession over the entire peninsula. Such situation remained until 1819, when Spain decided to sale the colony to the United States.

Until the end of the 19th C, Miami was only a small town inhabited basically by aborigines. The creation of the Florida East Rail Company was fundamental due to the fact that the railway reached the area and, as a consequence of that, the constructor sector developed. The company belonged to the magnate Henry Flagler, who eagerly encouraged the development of the area and was a visionary since he considered Miami and its nearby areas as an ideal place for vacation. This city was boosted when, as from 1959, many Cubans arrived escaping from the Castro regime; they influenced not only the development of the city but also the formation of its particular character.

Traditions
In Miami, traditions are closely related to glamour and tourist activity. Basically, they include some casual and social “rites” or customs. The routine consists in following certain steps such as going to the beach and enjoying the sun, visiting the countless shopping centres, dinning in any of the 300 restaurants of the city, and ending up in a nightclub.

Gastronomy
The American cuisine is more varied on the South than on the North. In Miami, you can notice the European and African influences as well as the presence of Caribbean and Cuban ingredients (grilled fish on banana tree’s leaf or “ropa vieja” stew). Further, Miami is a really international destination; therefore, you can find a wide variety of international dishes. Basically, the typical American dishes should not be highlighted: fast food, hamburgers, dishes based upon fried chicken, fries, and sauces based on tomatoes (ketchup).

Basic Dictionary
YES: si. NO: no. HELLO: hola. GOOD BYE: adios. GOOD MORNING: buenos días. GOOD AFTERNOON: buenas tardes. GOOD NIGHT: buenas noches. PLEASE: por favor. SORRY: lo siento. THANK YOU: gracias. DOCTOR: médico. PHARMACY: farmacia. NUMBERS: 1: un. 2: dos. 3: tres. 4: cuatro. 5: cinco. 6: seis. 7: siete. 8: ocho. 9: nueve. 10: diez. 11: once. 12: doce. 13: trece. 14: catorce. 15: quince. 16: dieciséis. 17: diecisiete. 18: dieciocho. 19: diecinueve. 20: veinte. 21: veintiuno. 22: veintidós. 30: treinta. 40: cuarenta. 50: cincuenta. 60: sesenta. 70: setenta. 80: ochenta. 90: noventa. 100: cien. 1000: mil. DAYS OF THE WEEK: MONDAY: lunes. TUESDAY: martes. WEDNESDAY: miércoles. THURSDAY: jueves. FRIDAY: viernes. SATURDAY: sábado. SUNDAY: domingo. COMMON WORDS: BIG/SMALL: grande/pequeño. HOT/COLD: caliente/frío. OPEN/CLOSED: abierto/cerrado. GOOD/BAD: bueno/malo. NEW/OLD: nuevo/viejo. PUSH/PULL: empujar/tirar. ENTRANCE/EXIT: entrada/salida. LADIES/GENTLEMEN: señoras/señores. FAR/NEAR: lejos/cerca. LEFT/RIGHT: izquierda/derecha. TAXI: taxi. BUS: autobús. MEALS: BREAKFAST: desayuno. LUNCH: comida. DINNER: cena. MENU: menú. WINES: vinos. DESSERT: postre. THE BILL: la cuenta. COMMON SENTENCES: DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH?: ¿Habla inglés?. I DON'T UNDERSTAND: no entiendo. WHERE IS IT?: ¿donde está? HOW MUCH IS IT: ¿Cuánto es? WHAT TIME IS IT: ¿Qué hora es? COULD YOU HELP ME: ¿Puede ayudarme?

Currency
The official currency is dollar. 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 dollar. There are coins of 1 dollar and 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Currency Exchange
1 U$S (United State Dollar) = 0.83 EUR (Euro), 1 U$S (United State Dollar) = 0.57 GBP (Pound Sterling)

Prices
Taking into account the fact that the exchange rate benefits euro over dollar, Miami is an accessible destination. Further, the wide variety of services offers a wide variety of prices.

Useful Info

Official name
Miami
Country
United States of America
Time Zone
-5 GMT
Official Language
English
Surface area
90 sq km (35 sq. mi)
Population
Over 370,000 residents
Political Regime
Federal Republic
Public holidays
January 1: New Year; Third Monday in January: Martin Luther King’s Day; Third Monday in February: President’s Day (George Washington Anniversary); Last Monday in May: Memorial Day; June 14: Flag Day; July 4: Independence Day; First Monday in September: Labor Day; Second Monday in October: Columbus Day; November 11: Veterans' Day; Fourth Thursday in November: Thanksgiving Day; December 25: Christmas Day. Note: When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the day to be treated as holiday is the previous Friday, if the holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday is the following Moday.
Religion
In the US, the main religions are Protestantism and some of its branches, for instance the Mormonism. However, taking into account the large Latin community living in Miami (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Central Americans, Argentineans), it can be assured that there is a parity between the above-mentioned Protestantism and Catholicism.
Religion
56% Protestants, 28% Catholics, 2% Jews, 1% Muslims
Arrival / Departure
Miami is accessible through different means of transport: by air, by train or bus (both Amtrak railroad system and the Greyhound company reach the city) or by ship (many cruiser companies visit the port).
Safety
Miami presents some dangerous districts. Besides, tourists are targets for criminals. Anyway, you should not worry about that. However, you should take the common precautions, such as going out with few cash and keeping your documents at the hotel.
Visa
As from September 11, 2001, Americans established further requirements to enter the USA. Nowadays, only citizens from the European Union (except for Greece) and Mexico (having a special authorization called US Border Crossing Card) are not required visa to enter into the country. A visa is required even for those travelers in transit (i.e., those who stop over and do not abandon the airport). For further information, visit the web site: www.travel.state.gov.
Clothing
The small temperature oscillation during the different seasons generate a kind of eternal spring, where coats are not necessary, except for some occasional day, of course. Instead, you should bring a raincoat in order to avoid getting wet by sudden downpours.
Electricity
110-115 volts, 60 MHz. The most common plugs are those having two flat pins.
Radio and Television
The main radio stations are the following: WINZ (940 AM), WIOD (610 AM), WDBO (580 AM), and WWNZ (740 AM). Regarding TV, there are local channels such as WFOR (Channel 4) and WTVJ (Channel 6). Further, there are national channels like ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC.
Telephone
The code for the USA is 390 and the one for Miami is 305. In order to make international phone calls, you have to dial 00 first and then the code of the country and the telephone number. The main operators are the following: Verizon, Cingular (www.cingular.com), and AT&T Gíreles (www.attws.com).

In general, you can find public telephones on the street working with coins or pre-paid cards.

Police
911
Ambulance
911
Fire Brigade
911
Tourist health care services
911
Newspapers and Magazines
The main local newspaper is the “Miami Herald”. Due to the importance of the Latin community, several newspapers are printed in Spanish, for instance “Diario Las Américas”, “El Nuevo Herald”, and “El Sol de la Florida”. There is a wide variety of magazines, especially including theme magazines.
Postal Service
The American postal service is really efficient. Postal offices are opened from 8 am to 5 pm. Letters to be delivered in Europe usually take a week.
Health Care Services
The American health system is one of the best allover the world, in all aspects. However, most medical services are private and expensive; thus, you should hire a travel insurance in your country of origin.
Airport
The airport is located at 14 km (8.7 mi) to the West of the city, exactly on 4200 NW, 36 Avenue (Telephone: 305-876-7000, fax: 305-876-7398). Undoubtedly, it is one of the most active and crowded airports in the USA and in the Americas. Over 140 airlines flight from and to this airport.
Public Transport
Miami is part of the Florida state, which is particularly touristic; thus, there are good connections to and within Miami. Apart from buses and taxis –and due to the lack of subway-, Miami presents two railways operating on elevated lines, which are efficient and inexpensive.
Railway
The American means of transport are mainly based upon airplanes and roads. Anyway, the American railways cover the entire territory and offer efficient services. The station of the so-called Amtrak system is located at 8303 NW, 37 Avenue (Telephone: 1-800-872-7245). Miami is connected to the Silver Service route, running South-North along the Eastern Coast up to New York (www.amtrak.com).
Bus
Greyhound is the main bus company and connects the entire country. Although there are many bus stations in Miami, the main one is located at 36 NE 101 Street (Telephone: 305-347-6160). Other bus stops are located at 4111 NW 27 Street (Telephone: 305-871-1810), 1600 NW Avenue 7 (Telephone: 305-688-7277) and the Cutler Ridge, at 10801 Boulevard Caribe (Telephone: 305-296-9072). www.greyhound
Car
Driving in the USA may be difficult and easy at the same time. On the one hand, driving is easy due to the great number of perfectly signed avenues and motorways that reach all places in the country. Americans particularly love cars. On the other hand, driving may be difficult since Americans strictly obey traffic rules and, sometimes, such codes may not seem clear.
Car Rentals
Avis Rent a Car: Miami International Airport. Telephone: 305-341-0936. (www.avis.com).
Alamo: Miami Internacional Airport, Telephone: 305-633-4132 (www.alamo.com).
Hertz: Miami International Airport. Telephone: 305-871-0300 (www.hertz.com).
Dollar: Miami Internacional Airport. Telephone: 305-887-6600.
Ship
18 large cruiser lines arrive at the Miami port, named Dante Fascell. Such cruisers disembark in the port and transport nearly 4 million travelers per year. In all, there are 8 terminals. The port is located on the second floor at 1015 N, America Way.
Taking pictures
 
See climate
www.worldweather.org
Currency converter
www.xe.com/ucc
A dinner
From 25 dollars
A coffee
1 dollar
The Bus
1.25 dollar
The taxi
1.70 dollars the minimum fare plus 2.20 dollars per mile
The train
1.25 dollars (Metrorail)