When it comes to fashionable cities in the United States, few can match the glitz and glamour of Miami. The playground for the rich and beautiful, Miami is renowned for Art Deco architecture, sand and surf, and Latin American culture.

There’s no shortage of luxury Miami hotels that you can stay at, particularly in the hot and happening South Beach area, but there’s more to Miami than partying on South Beach.

Once you sort through the flights to Miami, here are a few experiences you can take in on your adventure:

* Latin flair: Miami gets its Latin flavor from a large population of Cuban immigrants and Cuban Americans and Calle Ocho – SW 8th Street – is the heart of it. “Little Havana” offers everything from hand-rolled cigars to incredible Cuban delicacies. With an influx of Cuban exiles in the 1960s, many of the restaurants and shops are replicas to what was left behind in Havana, right down to the Mediterranean-style houses, rocking chairs on the porches and the smell of tobacco wafting through the air.

A must-see event is Viernes Culturales – Cultural Fridays – where blocks of Calle Ocho are closed to traffic so that people can gather to listen to music, watch street theater, eat delicious snacks and cut loose with Cuban dancing. Many artists also come to the festivities, making it a great place to find authentic Cuban artwork.

* Stylish architecture: Miami Beach’s Art Deco Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and is the largest collection of Art Deco architecture in the world. It comprises hundreds of hotels, apartments and other structures built from 1923 to 1943. There are more than 800 art deco buildings, and the perfect way to see the best the district has to offer is by taking one of the guided, self-guided, walking, biking and cellphone tours of the district.

* Take a side trip: If you want something to do once you’ve seen it all in Miami, Bahama vacations are a great way to go. Less than an hour away by plane or a one-day cruise by boat, the Bahamas offer a look at a culture that is a hybrid in many ways between African and European heritages. Festivals like Junkanoo, calypso music and soca dancing are prevalent in the islands.

No matter what you want to do when you get to Miami, start doing your research to get the best deals on flights and hotels before you get there, and make sure you can see and do everything you want when you get there.