South Beach and Key West
SELF-DRIVE TOUR
This two centre holiday showcases two of Florida’s best loved areas. South Beach, nicknamed SoBe by the locals, was first developed at the turn of the last century and is known for its beaches and the glamorous scene around its nightspots and celebrity-chef eateries. Chain stores and indie fashion shops line the pedestrian shopping strip, Lincoln Road Mall. On Ocean Drive, famous for its well-preserved art deco architecture, the outdoor cafes offer a ringside view of the passing scene.
Located closer to Cuba than to Miami, Key West is Florida’s irreverent southernmost subtropical paradise, a unique confluence of history, climate, natural beauty, cultural diversity, architecture and unabashed romantic appeal. Palm-lined streets with gingerbread mansions and tin-roofed conch houses were home to Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost and Jimmy Buffett, a few of the famous people who discovered solace and inspiration in the island city whose Bahamian and Cuban heritage in large part was inspired by Bahamian wreckers, commercial fishermen, spongers and Cuban cigar makers.
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Your Itinerary
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Day 1
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Day 2-4
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Day 5
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Day 6-11
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Day 12-13
Day 1 : UK - Miami
Arrive into Miami and make your way to your South Beach hotel for a four night stay.
Hotel RIU Plaza Miami South Beach.
Day 2-4 : Miami
Relax and soak up the SoBe atmosphere.
With its beachside setting and chilled-out pool area, your hotel ticks off all the Miami must-haves. Miami Beach’s bright white sands roll out alongside the hotel with the sea lapping the shoreline and as a bonus, the hotel is just a 20-minute walk away from the historic Art Deco district. The RIU Plaza Miami Beach lends itself to outdoor living – there’s a large pool area surrounded by tropical palm trees and the restaurant offers an open-air terrace for dining al fresco.
Day 5 : Key West
Pick up your rental car at the SoBe office this morning and head south to the Florida Keys. Maybe stop off for a visit to the John Pennekamp State Park on the way and snorkel in the pristine waters or enjoy a fish lunch in one of the many restaurants along the way. On arrival in Key West head to the very end of famous Duval Street where you’ll find your hotel overlooking the ocean and check in for a 7-night stay.
Hotel: Ocean Key Resort
Day 6-11 : Key West
Relax and enjoy everything that your hotel and Key West has to offer, or take a ride to nearby Marathon Key and Islamorada. Key West's historic Old Town has an enchanting ambience with its pretty, tree-lined streets and ornate architecture. Your hotel is located right on Mallory Square, overlooking the ocean and giving you front-row seats to the spectacular Key West sunsets. Myriad street entertainers make the square come alive and you can wander between jugglers, 'statues' and performers — or simply retire to the hotel's fantastic Sunset Pier bar and grill and enjoy delicious seafood and refreshing cocktails with which to toast the setting sun.
Day 12-13 : Miami - UK
Time to leave today. Leave yourself plenty of time to head north along the skyway back to the mainland and on to Miami airport where you drop off your car and take your homeward flight.
