TAKE property developer Julia Tuttle, add Henry Flagler (the railroad man she persuaded to extend his tracks south from Palm Beach) and throw in gambling, drug trafficking, the American entrepreneurial spirit, wave after wave of immigration from all points of the compass, and, of course, Gianni Versace, who lived and died amid the Art Deco splendour of South Beach...
and you have many of the ingredients that transformed Miami from the stretch of swampland it was in 1875 into the cool, sexy boomtown it is today. Whether you're a beach bum, city slicker or die-hard party animal, Miami has something to offer.
BE
FORE YOU GO
Lonely Planet's Miami & the Keys guide and the www.miamiandbeaches.com website are great resources for tracking down the city's hot spots. Now settle back with a cocktail, a box set of Miami Vice and a Scarface DVD and get in the mood. And brush up on your Spanish - more than 60% of the population are native speakers.
WHEN TO GO
Miami is a year-round destination, but for lower rainfall and humidity the winter months are best (and consequently the most expensive). Hurricane season peaks from August to October. The chances of a direct hit are low, but the risk is there.
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
Fly from Edinburgh or Glasgow with Continental via Newark from £460, and with BA (www.ba.com) via London from £229.
GETTING AROUND
They don't call America the land of the automobile for nothing, and public transport in Miami reflects this. So while you can easily get around South Beach on foot, hiring a car is probably the best option. When you're downtown, the tiny, elevated Metromover will get you from A to B for no cost and makes a great ride for the kids.
TOURIST TRAIL
Head down to Lummus Beach and spend a few hours sunbathing amid its preening, hard-bodied exhibitionists before taking a tour (www.mdpl.org) of the nearby Art Deco Historic District, home to some of Miami's most famous modern buildings, including the Avalon, Carlyle and Leslie hotels, and the Miami Beach Post Office. One building you'll recognise is Casa Casuarina on Ocean Drive - Versace's former home and now a private members' club.
South Beach may attract all the glitter, but many Miami residents will tell you that the beaches on Key Biscayne are much nicer. While you're there, visit the spectacular Miami Seaquarium, a 40-acre marine park where you can even swim with dolphins - for a (very high) price.
When you're tired of sun, sea and sand, go downtown and take in some galleries and boutiques in the Design District, or practise your Spanish in Little Havana. A bustling area centred on Calle Ocho, this was where many Cubans fleeing Castro's revolution settled. Alternatively, head over to leafy Coral Gables, developed as a 'City Beautiful' in the 1920s.
GO NATIVE
Join the punters betting on jai-alai at Miami Jai Alai (3500 NW 37th), as players of this fast-moving Basque-origin game hurl their pelotas (hard rubber balls) around the fronton (court) at 180mph. For a slightly slower pace, visit Little Havana for viernes culturales (www.viernesculturales. com), the party held on the last Friday of each month when artists, restaurants and shop owners spill into the streets, show off their wares and dance the night away.
WHAT TO BUY
The big names have moved into South Beach's Lincoln Road, including Gap, Banana Republic and Macy's, so there's no shortage of places in which to spend your high-value sterling. Malls, too, are everywhere, from Coral Gables at Village of Merrick Park to the vast Aventura in North Miami Beach. For designer outlets, try Bal Harbour Shops in Bal Harbour, which also boasts a huge Saks Fifth Avenue.
WHERE TO EAT
Thanks to a century of immigration, all ethnic food is here. Ortanique in Coral Gables (278 Miracle Mile), a Caribbean restaurant with a French twist, has been garnering rave reviews for a decade, while on Lincoln Road, al fresco dining is de rigueur. The competition is fierce and some restaurants even offer free limos from your hotel. Despite its seafront address, Ocean Drive should be avoided - people come here to be seen rather than to eat - though there are exceptions (such as the smart Prime 112 steakhouse).
During August and September, the Miami Spice promotion sees many of the city's top restaurants offering bargain prices. See www. miamirestaurantmonth.com to see what you can get.
NIGHT LIFE
South Beach is for all-night clubbers, with many of the Art Deco buildings on Washington Avenue boasting queues a mile long. Hard-partying Mansion and Crobar are fierce rivals, while Mynt on Collins Avenue is one of the clubs of the moment.
A more cultural night out can be had at the Carnival Centre for the Performing Arts.
WHERE TO STAY
The revamped Art Deco buildings house many of the 14,000 rooms on South Beach, including the Avalon on Ocean, the Beachcomber on Collins and Ian Schrager's swanky Delano, also on Collins. The big hotel chains are out in force on the beach, and the opulent Biltmore in Coral Gables, with the largest hotel pool in the country, packs quite a punch too. To get the best rates, log on to www.orbitz.com and Hotels Cheap (miami.hotelscheap.org).
