The words “Girls trip” and “Miami” usually conjure up notions of a gaggle of scantily clad women chugging fruity drinks on the beach, with or without bachelorette party sashes. It’s actually way more fun to do Miami sober, and you don’t end up bickering passive-aggressively with your friends before the weekend is over. Read on to find out all that South Beach and The Magic City have to offer sober female travelers with the following guide detailing the best things to do, places to eat, and meetings to hit for a memorable trip with your tribe!
Who should I go with to Miami Beach?
Are you going with a friend or two? Family members? A large group? What kind of things do they like to do on vacation? Are they beach people, and you prefer going on a museum tour? Before booking your trip, make sure your interests are aligned with those who are joining you.
If you are planning a sober girls’ trip, it’s obviously a good idea to choose someone who is sober, sober curious or who at least is down to not drink for most of the vacation. You don’t want to be the perpetual DD hanging out in sweaty clubs until 2am pretending to have fun.
On my most recent trip, I brought a friend who is sober, likes to go running in the morning and is interested in sporting events and concerts—my kind of girl. I’ve also traveled with my sister and my mom, who are not sober but for whom alcohol doesn’t factor frequently into their lives. When you have a travel partner on the same wavelength and schedule, it makes the trip enjoyable for all parties involved.
Where should I stay in Miami for a girls’ trip?
If you are going on a girls’ trip, you want to be at least kind of fancy. So where are the best places to stay in Miami with your besties? While the downtown neighborhoods offer several major hotel chains that are easier on the wallet, that area is not ideal if you are looking to beach.
Miami Beach, and specifically South Beach, offer the quintessential Miami experience: beach, neon, people on roller skates. There you will find well-located boutique hotels in the Art Deco mold with rooftop pools and cafes on-site, most of which can be found on Booking.com. There is also a plethora of options on Airbnb that often offer separate bedrooms, as well as kitchens or efficiencies–the kind of space and conveniences that are helpful when traveling with a group. We found an apartment on Airbnb that was more affordable and spacious than the local hotels, but still centrally located and with higher-end amenities and features.
How do I get around in Miami?
If you live in the States, getting to Miami is fairly easy, as most major airports will have direct flights into the city. Avoiding Miami International is in your best interest, however, because the airport is huge, chaotic, and difficult to navigate. Living near Philadelphia, the Trenton Airport has direct flights into Fort Lauderdale, which is a 45-minute drive from Miami and is exponentially more convenient.
Like withe most cities, traffic and parking are brutal in Miami. The fact that everyone discovered remote working in Florida during the pandemic didn’t help matters. Bottom line, you’ll want to minimize driving if at all possible. Since we planned to take a road trip to the Keys, we booked a comfortable, new-smelling hybrid SUV from RentalCars.com. However, if we had just been staying in Miami, we would have stuck to Uber. Uber drivers in Miami have curiously nice cars like Teslas and Escalades and are always available, even during peak times. We also stayed a block off Ocean Drive, which was steps away from the beach and the Art Deco District, so we did plenty of walking. Considering it was 80 degrees with a slight breeze for the duration of our trip, we were completely fine with this.
Fun sober things to do in Miami
Many tourists head to Miami for the nightlife, but there is so much else get into. South Beach is a stunning stretch of sand that is popular year-round, with a long, meandering pedestrian trail traveling parallel to the water for your biking, running and walking pleasure. There are world-class indoor and outdoor museums, fun tours that take advantage of the city’s renowned art and culture and gorgeous weather, as well as a burgeoning culinary scene. The Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins are becoming relevant again in their respective sports, and the city attracts thousands of people for Art Basel every December and Ultra Music Festival in March.
At the time my friend and I traveled to South Beach in mid-January, the city was hosting Art Deco Weekend to celebrate the famous architecture that lines Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive. The weekend features dozens of food vendors and artisans, a classic car show, films, lectures and other activities. We took the “South Beach Crimes & Scandals Tour” where we learned all about Miami vice over the last century: political corruption, illegal gambling, mob figures and alcohol during prohibition. Even if you don’t come to Miami during Art Deco Weekend, the Miami Design Preservation League runs similar activities, tours and a gift shop year-round.
Read on for additional fun sober things to do in Miami:
Minutes from downtown and Miami Beach, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a great way to simultaneously enjoy the South Florida weather and get your fix of history and culture. Built in 1916 as the winter estate of prominent businessman James Deering, Vizcaya is now a museum offering tours, events and classes.
Wynwood Walls
One of my favorite attractions in Miami, Wynwood Walls is an outdoor street-art museum featuring large-scale works by world-famous artists such as Sheperd Fairy, DANK and Lady Pink on a rotating basis. Adorning the sides of buildings and warehouses, you’ll see a wide variety of mediums and styles. While you are there, check out the Wynwood neighborhood’s trendy bistros and stylish boutiques and galleries.
Road Trip to the Keys
Below Miami-Dade County, the Florida Keys begin–an archipelago of islands connected by 113 miles of the US-1 Highway. If you rented a car and have some time, head South for a fun road trip.
We drove the entire 3.5 hours to Key West, but you can also stop off in other Keys such as Islamorada and Big Pine Key, which offer parks and trails and activities such as snorkeling. Off of Route 1 in Islamorada, you can feed the Tarpon fish at Robbie’s Restaurant, which is apparently a big tourist attraction!
Key West is a vibrant cultural hub at the very tip of the Keys. You can visit the Hemingway House, where Ernest Hemingway wrote several of his most famous works. Fort Zachary Taylor Park is a shaded stretch of beach that features stunning views of the crystal-clear ocean water. And you can catch a glass-bottom boat tour any day of the week to view the tropical fish and fauna without getting wet!
Best places to eat in Miami
For most people who don’t drink, good food is important. I’ve had vacations ruined due to terrible food. Luckily, Miami offers a variety of delicious eats, from posh Michelin-starred restaurants to healthy fast-casual to finger-licking street food. These are some establishments we patronized:
Attached to one of the Ocean Drive hotels with a generous outdoor seating area, this restaurant serves a great breakfast.
If you are hankering for Italian, this place is pretty solid, if a bit pricey. The staff are very friendly, and very Italian.
With two locations in Miami Beach, Cafe Americano serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their menu can be fresh and healthy, including Asai bowls and smoothies, or indulgent, like their Quesabirria Tacos. They also serve a variety of mocktails.
During our road trip to the Keys, we ate breakfast at Midway Cafe in Islamorada and thoroughly enjoyed our breakfast sandwich, croissant and avocado toast. In Key West, we hunted down dessert at Rooster Treats, a food truck one block off of Duval Street, close to Southernmost Point. Their fresh, hot mini donuts and ice cream hit the spot.
Best Instagram Spots in Miami
What is a girls’ trip to Miami without photos to post on Instagram? From the boulevard of Art Deco hotels to the funky-colored lifeguard stands, there is no shortage of opportunities to snap a pic of you and your friends having the time of your lives.
Recovery Meetings in Miami
There are dozens of recovery meetings in Miami, including AA and NA. We decided to check out the SOBE AA Clubhouse in South Beach, not far from our Airbnb. It hosts meetings all day, every day including three every evening at 5:30pm, 7pm and 8:30pm, making it super convenient to fit a recovery meeting into your vacation. Outdoor and beach meetings are also available. Aside from the mid-trip recovery infusion, it’s also a great way to meet locals and learn about things to do and places to eat that you can’t find in Google searches and travel websites.
Other things to know
With all of the excitement in planning your sober girls’ getaway, it can be a downer to think about any potential hiccups. Especially during the winter when weather-related flight cancellations and delays frequently occur, friends and family members come down with the flu or you step on a sea urchin while on a snorkeling excursion, it’s always good to have a backup plan. I’ve gotten into the habit of purchasing travelers’ insurance, which not only protects your trip before you go but gives you someone to call if things go awry. AXA Travel Insurance is a reputable company that has covered my last few trips. Peace of mind is priceless.
Don’t wait until the next snowstorm to plan your sober girls’ trip to Miami. After the holidays, nobody likes winter, and you still have three months to go. Start planning now–your friends will thank you!
The Temperate Traveler 