Bathed in warm breezes and brilliant sunshine, Miami Beach also has a long tradition of shining stars, from Jackie Gleason, Frank Sinatra and the Beatles to the current major and minor celebs who cavort in the surf and slip into the VIP rooms of shamelessly sumptuous lounges.
For groups heading to the Sunshine State’s entertainment capital looking for stardust, prepare to be dazzled by an island’s worth of nonstop activity, from hip dining and hipster shopping to the famed clubs of South Beach and the same fun in the sun that drew people to this cool corner of Florida in the first place.
Indeed, in Miami Beach, play’s the thing that makes meeting here all the more memorable. Following are some choice activities for groups.
Off the Beaten Waterway
Fronting the Atlantic and separated from the mainland by Biscayne Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway, boating and cruising are a given in Miami Beach and it may be tough to distinguish one excursion from another. That is, unless you’re taking a trek with Ocean Force Adventures, whose tours from the Miami Beach Marina cover more than 40 miles of Biscayne Bay waters, with some unexpected detours along the way.
“We do Star Island with the celebrity homes, but we also go to Stiltsville,” said owner Kim Falconer, referring to the group of stilt houses set in the shallow sand flats south of Key Biscayne. “We’re the only tour that has a permit to go to Stiltsville on a daily basis. Our tours are in-depth and content-rich,” she added. “In fact, I have a hard time calling it a tour because it really is an experience.”
Falconer said tours normally last two hours, but can be customized according to group needs.
“We’ve done up to 125 people at a time,” she said. “We bring in other boats and take them in shifts. Within a four-hour period, we can give everyone in the group a tour.”
The Need for Speed
You do the driving on programs offered by Jet Ski Tours of Miami, which puts you in the driver’s seat of a Yamaha waverunner, skimming the surf around six islands, including Star Island and Flagler Monument Island, and cruising past Bayside Marketplace and the Port of Miami, with dolphin and manatees often along for the ride.
The company offers seven two-seater waverunners, but larger groups can be accommodated.
“We work with a lot of corporate groups,” said manager Ramses Rodriguez. “If it’s a big group, we can put some on the jet-skis and some on boats. Some people prefer to stay on the boat and others are more thrill-seeking.”
The tour includes a safety orientation session, and knowing how to swim is not a prerequisite.
“We get a lot of people who don’t know how to swim,” Rodriguez said.
Stand-Up for Fun
Stand-up paddle tours are a great way to see the sights and SoBe Surf has them, taking paddlers out on the calm waters of Biscayne Bay.
“Most of our SUP tours are with absolute beginners,” said owner Girard Middleton. “The tour includes the lesson, and we use professional guides.”
SoBe Surf also offers surf lessons, which on the ocean side of Miami Beach means warm water and gentle waves.
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“It’s a very safe place to do an intro lesson… we teach the basics of surfing in a non-threatening environment,” Middleton said. “For surfing lessons we like to not have more than 10 people in the water at a time, but we can do groups of 40 to 50, rotating people in and out of the water.”
For added convenience, Middleton said he can also bring the surfing school to local hotels.
Having a Ball
Beach volleyball has caught on around the world and is an Olympic favorite, but it’s been a South Beach staple for decades. Stroll down Ocean Drive between 7th and 9th streets and you’ll see people bathing-suited up and perfecting their spikes at a group of oceanfront sand courts, which are available when regular tournaments are not in play.
“A small group of about 20 could play during the off hours, which are weekdays before three o’clock,” said courts manager Willie Arteaga.
If you wanted to go full-on tournament style with banners, music, food and drink, permits from the city would be needed, Arteaga said.
Deco-rations
Recognized as the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in the world, the Art Deco District, filled with the tropical jewel boxes sporting the geometric ornamentation of the era, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and still one of Miami Beach’s most popular attractions. Your group can explore it on guided walking tours offered by the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) (www.mdpl.org), a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving the area’s architectural heritage.
In addition to the 90-minute walking tours that depart daily from the Art Deco Welcome Center on Ocean Drive, the MDPL also offers private guided tours, or visitors may go out on their own with a self-guided audio tour. Meanwhile, the MDPL’s Art Deco Museum provides an in-depth look at Miami Beach’s historic design styles.
Other facets of the area are explored on the MDPL’s Gay & Lesbian Walking Tour, the Jewish Miami Beach Tour and the South Beach Food Tour.
Salsa and Spice
You may walk the walk in Miami Beach, but can you dance the dance? If you want to shimmy like a native Miamian, Salsa Mia (www.salsamia.com) can have you shaking your hips with the best of them.
Based in the Mojito Room upstairs at Mango’s Tropical Cafe, Salsa Mia offers classes every night of the week with expert instructors and complimentary Lemon Drop shots to set the mood.
“It’s definitely the best way to unwind after a day in meetings,” said Salsa Mia owner Susan Fisher, who notes that up to 200 can be accommodated for one-hour lessons. “Or we can go to their chosen venue,” she said.
But if you take classes on-site, the group can transition to a night of dancing at Mango’s, with live music, a VIP club entrance included for participants, drink specials and discounts on food.
“It’s a whole night of lessons, dancing, drinks, food, live entertainment and spectacular shows,” Fisher said.
