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Having a car at your disposal means an entirely new realm of attractions in Miami and the surrounding areas to explore. You can hunt for bargains at Sawgrass Mills Mall, ride an airboat deep into the Florida Keys or Everglades National Park, treat the family to a day at the Miami Seaquarium or grab tickets to a Miami Dolphins or Florida Marlins game.
Below, you’ll find more information on some of our favorite drive-able attractions.
Aventura Mall
Located 25 minutes from the Avalon, the upscale Aventura Mall is the third largest shopping center in the United States with over 300 retailers, a food court with eighteen eateries and several national chain restaurants.
Sawgrass Mills Mall
Sawgrass Mills is located 45 minutes from the Avalon. There are over 300 retail outlets and name brand discounters, including Off 5th, J.C. Penney Outlet, and Super Target and Regal 23 Cinemas.
The Design District, Midtown and Wynwood Experience
Home to over 130 art galleries, showrooms, architecture firms, antiques dealers, eateries and bars, The Design District, Midtown and Wynwood Tour takes you on a journey of exploration in discovering the best in the arts.
The Florida Keys
Often referred to as America's Caribbean, the Florida Keys are a 106-mile chain of islands that begin at the very bottom of Florida's mainland. These islands are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. The Keys offer some of the finest fishing and diving in the world and are the home of the only living Coral Reef in the Continental United States.
Everglades National Park
Explore the only subtropical preserve in North America, teeming with sawgrass prairies, mangrove and cypress swamps, pinelands and hardwood hammocks, as well as marine and estuarine environments. The park is known for its rich bird life, particularly large wading birds, such as the roseate spoonbill, wood stork, great blue heron and a variety of egrets. It is also the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles exist side by side.
Jungle Island (Formerly Parrot Jungle)
Walk on Miami’s wild side at this interactive zoological park. Marvel at just about every unusual and endangered species you would want to see, including a rare albino alligator, a liger (lion and tiger mix), and myriad exotic birds. Embark on “VIP animal tours” like the Lemur Experience – where these highly social primates make themselves at home on your lap or shoulders.
Miami Seaquarium
Take in shows with sea lions, dolphins, and Lolita the killer whale. The Crocodile Flats exhibit has 26 Nile crocodiles. Discovery Bay, an endangered mangrove habitat, is home to sea turtles, alligators, herons, egrets, and ibis. You can also visit a shark pool, a tropical reef aquarium, get up close and personal with West Indian and Florida manatees and even swim with dolphins.
Miami Children’s Museum
The twelve galleries of the Miami Children’s Museum house hundreds of interactive, bilingual exhibits. Children can scan plastic groceries in the supermarket, scramble through a giant sand castle, climb a rock wall, learn about the Everglades, and mix their own beats in the world-music studio.
Nearby Concert and Event Venues
- American Airlines Arena – Miami Heat, Ringling Brothers Circus and Live Concerts
- BB&T Center – Florida Panthers (NHL) and Live Concerts
- Sun Life Stadium – Miami Dolphins
- Marlins Park – Miami Marlins
- Homestead-Miami Speedway – NASCAR events and auto races
