10 Things to Do in Miami at Christmas

Miami has always been world-renowned for doing everything in a big way. Annual celebrations are held in a special way in this city, and if you've decided to come and visit during the Christmas holidays, I can assure you that you'll have a great time with all the activities I'm going to suggest.

It's true that Miami has a lot to see and do all year round, but when the cold winter months arrive in the city, everything changes and adapts, especially during the Christmas season. Light displays, parades everywhere, Christmas-themed dinners, Christmas markets and much more await you. Don't miss out!

If this charismatic city is famous for anything, it is for its enormous coastline, which has been the setting for many great series and programmes. However, at Christmas, Miami Beach's beach style is somewhat concealed and the focus is on the harbour, where a very interesting event is held every year: the Christmas boat parade.

If you've come to Miami on holiday, you'll probably be tempted to take one of the boat tours on offer. However, you'll never have seen anything like the Winter Fest Parade, a Christmas boat parade in which participants show off their best themed decorations every year.

It is usually held on 15 December and consists of an event where boats parade along the coast with their best decorations and lights, and there are even parties on board with cocktails and Christmas carols. Sounds good, right?

Details of interest

• Price: admission to the parade is usually around €25 and admission to the boats starts at €35.
• Location: the parade routes change, but they always depart from a pier on the coast.
• Date: it usually takes place on 15 December.

Miami kicks off Christmas with a spectacular light-up ceremony, which takes place every year in Miami City Hall Square, where a huge Christmas tree is erected. This event usually takes place on the first Saturday in December and people from all over the city come to witness the moment when the switch is flipped, lighting up not only the tree but also the entire square and the main streets.

In Florida, they don't skimp on decorations. Just as houses in the US have become internationally famous for their elaborate facade decorations, in Miami the streets, trees, lampposts and buildings are decorated in the same vein. If you want to soak up the festive atmosphere with your family and enjoy one of the many things Miami has to offer at night, this is one of the best ways to welcome in the Christmas season.

You can also take advantage of Miami's tourist bus routes to see the Christmas lights. This is an ideal way to explore the city and learn about its many attractions.

Details of interest

• Price: this is a free event.
• Location: Miami City Hall Plaza, 3500 Pan American Dr.
• Date: the first Saturday in December in the evening.

If you've decided to see out the year away from home and come and discover Miami, I can assure you that you'll have a great time, as you'll be in one of the cities where partying and fun are guaranteed. Every country has its own customs, and Miami also has special events you can attend on New Year's Eve.

Despite the wide range of parties you can choose from after midnight, if you want to experience midnight according to local customs, here are two very popular options.

• In the South Beach area, every year people gather to watch the fireworks reflected against the sea and the beach.
• If you'd rather spend it indoors, another location is Bayfront Park, a huge event hall that usually hosts concerts on that night and offers a New Year's Eve full of music and fun.

Details of interest

• Price: both events are free, although at Bayfront Park you can purchase a VIP pass for almost €200.
• Location: South Beach and Bayfront Park, located at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.
• Date: the night of 31 December.

One of the most eagerly awaited activities with the arrival of Christmas is the setting up of themed markets where you can buy all kinds of decorations, crafts and, of course, typical food and drink such as cinnamon rolls, hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies.

If you want to take a stroll through one of these markets, soak up the Christmas spirit and buy some unique decorations to take home with you when you return from your holiday, you should know that there are several scattered throughout the city and almost all of them are free to enter.

One of the most popular is in Coral Gables, where every year they organise an entire area filled with stalls selling all kinds of handmade products, Christmas carols are played, and even Santa Claus himself is there to listen to all the children's requests.

Details of interest

• Price: admission is free, but it depends on how much you want to spend inside.
• Location: the Coral Gables market is at 220 Miracle Mile, Ste 234.
• Date: open during the first three weekends of December.

One of the most special nights of the year is 24 December. Traditionally, families get together for dinner at home and prepare typical dishes for this time of year, such as roast turkey or various salads. If you're looking for a home-cooked meal in true American style, every year the Redland restaurant and hotel organises Christmas dinners with a special menu. You must book in advance, but the atmosphere is fantastic.

If you want something more original, you can also choose to book a table at 94Miami, an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city that organises dinners and a big party at night. You can even celebrate Christmas on the high seas on a boat.

However, if you want more than just a meal, you can always hop aboard the Polar Express and enjoy a truly Christmassy evening. During the festive season, and especially on the night of the 24th, the Polar Express Ride organises a spectacular show on board a train where Santa Claus will be present and sweets and hot chocolate will be served to recreate the popular story.

Details of interest

• Price: the average price of a Christmas menu is around €40 and admission to the Polar Express is €70.
• Location: Redland is located at 5 South Flagler Avenue, 94Miami at 1395 N.W. 57th Avenue, and the Polar Express Ride is located at 600 NW 1st Ave.
• Date: on the night of 24 December.

If Miami is beautiful all year round from above, at Christmas, with all the typical seasonal lights, it is even more so. Every year, many people decide to enjoy a unique experience flying over the city of Miami to see it from a totally different perspective. What's more, if you do this activity during the day, you will have the opportunity to see the beautiful coastline from above.

Are you ready to see Miami from a different perspective? What's more, this activity is usually done with an expert guide who will tell you interesting facts about the city as you see it from above.

If you're travelling with your family and you're animal lovers, a good plan might be to visit the large Jungle Island zoo. This park is open all year round and has a large selection of species for you to see, but during the month of December they all dress up to welcome you.

Jungle Island decorates its entire infrastructure for Christmas and, in addition to filling the park with lights, organises themed shows with animals such as parrots, kangaroos, penguins and iguanas. The Chinese acrobatics shows and the festive atmosphere are also very popular.

If you want to visit a zoo in a different way and celebrate with your family during this time of year, you can come see the zoo in the afternoon so you can see the entire park lit up.

Details of interest

• Price: general admission is around €30.
• Location: Jungle Park Zoo is located at 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail.
• Date: the events and decorations are on display throughout December until early January.

If you are travelling with your family and looking for something that both adults and children can enjoy, Santa's Enchanted Forest is definitely the place to go. This famous Christmas theme park is an excellent option if you're visiting Miami with children.

Throughout December, the entire park is decorated and lit up with special lighting, Christmas carols play in every corner, and the attractions are adapted to have a Christmas theme. To top it all off, Santa Claus has his own space in the park where all the children can go to visit him.

Adults will have all the comforts they need to enjoy a very special day while the children have a great time and soak up the spirit of the season.

Details of interest

• Price: tickets to the park cost around €20.
• Location: Santa's Enchanted Forest is located at 3100 E 4th Ave, Hialeah.
• Date: this theme park is usually open throughout December, starting in November and closing in early January.

If you enjoy nature and natural spaces, one of the most beautiful parks to visit in Miami is the Fairchild Botanical Garden, a space full of unique species and offering guided tours to learn more about the flora of the area. However, despite being an interesting place to visit all year round, if you like Christmas, the garden will be your favourite place at this time of year.

With an unrivalled natural setting, Fairchild Gardens hosts Christmas concerts every year during December so that everyone can come and listen to live music. In addition, the park's professionals are responsible for putting up a whole network of lights throughout the park to decorate it without harming the plants.

Most of the concerts are usually held during the first few days of the month as a way of welcoming the festive season, and it is very heart-warming and solemn to be able to go and see all the citizens singing Christmas carols together with such a beautiful natural backdrop.

Interesting details

• Price: to see the concerts, you must pay the entrance fee to the gardens, which is around €25.
• Location: The Miami Botanical Garden is located at 10901 Old Cutler Rd, Coral Gables.
• Date: the lights are on throughout December, but the concerts are usually held during the first week.

In general, the entire state of Florida tends to have fairly stable temperatures throughout the year, making it virtually impossible for it to snow during the winter. However, one of the symbols of Christmas is snow-covered rooftops and streets.

To solve this problem, every December, the Cocowalk shopping centre chain organises an event and, using large machines, spreads tonnes of artificial snow throughout the mall.

Children and adults alike can come and play with this artificial snow, throwing snowballs and even making snowmen. What's more, it is non-toxic, so families with children of all ages can come and enjoy themselves.

Details of interest

• Price: free.
• Location: this event is held at the Cocowalk shopping centre, located at 3015 Grand Ave, Coconut Grove, and the snow covers the entire area.
• Date: Saturdays in December.

When the cold weather arrives, there's no sport more appealing than ice skating and gliding across the rink. When the cold season arrives, from the end of November onwards, several ice rinks in the city of Miami prepare for Christmas and take care of everything to ensure you have a unique experience.

One of the best-known rinks is the Kendall Ice Arena, which during December usually has a themed atmosphere with DJ music and various exhibitions to celebrate Christmas. Admission is suitable for all ages and you have the option of renting skates there.

If you want a more adult-oriented plan without giving up skating, Basement has you covered. During the Christmas holidays, they have managed to combine the atmosphere of nightclubs with skating, creating an underground rink with disco music where you can skate for half an hour to the beat of the music.

Details of interest

• Price: the price for both venues is between €15 and €30.
• Location: Kendall Ice Arena is at 10355 Hammocks Boulevard and Basement is at 2901 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach.
• Date: they are open all year round, but themed parties are held during the month of December.

Miami is not known for being particularly cold during the winter. Generally, if you visit at Christmas, you can expect average temperatures of between 19ºC and 22ºC. However, as it is a coastal city, the humidity can make it feel colder.

A good option for seeing the city comfortably and without having to worry about what warm clothes to wear during the day is to hop on one of Miami's tourist buses to see all the essential sights and, if you come at Christmas, all the decorations and lights.

Miami is a city that will surprise you no matter what time of year you visit. But if you decide to visit at Christmas, I can assure you that you will have one of the most unforgettable experiences.