What to Do on a Rainy Day in Miami?

This is a question that I’ve been asked several times from tourists and residents, as well. Considering Miami is a vacation destination, it’s easy to associate Miami with beaches and sun. But, we also have rainy days and some months of the year are rainier than others.
It is very easy to think about the beach, fun and sunny days when we talk about Miami, so it is difficult for tourists and residents to know what to do when it rains.

Particularly for visitors, who sometimes spend a lot of money on air tickets and accommodations to stay in the Magic City. It’s very frustrating to spend those days in a hotel room instead of enjoying a sunny day at the beach or sightseeing. That’s why I decided to start this series of posts to guide you through a rainy day in Miami.

First, I will let you know about the rainy season and give you a list of malls to visit on those days. Although shopping is something that especially tourists do a lot, and a list of malls will turn very handy on those rainy days. I will also suggest other activities you can do in a mall besides shopping, and I will personally visit each one of them to give you tips and show you pictures and videos. Naturally, since that will take me some time, I will be publishing those posts eventually. In the meantime, I will also suggest other fun activities to do on a rainy day in the Capital of Latin America.

So here we go. Let’s start with …

The rainy season

The rainy season goes basically through the summer and the first weeks of fall. That is from June to sometime toward the end of October. I do have to say that, especially in the summer, the showers might be hard but most of the time, very brief. To the point that some beachgoers just cover themselves under a beach umbrella or walk to the next shelter and wait a few minutes. When the rain is over, the sun will hit the sand again as if nothing had happened. By the end of September and October, the rains tend to be a bit longer, ranging from hours to sometimes a few days. This is general information to give you an idea. I will expand with more details in another post.

One very important thing to remember when it rains, if you’re driving, is to do it safely. Check out these tips before you hit the road.

Time to hit the Malls

Besides shopping, there are some other activities you can do in a mall. Here’s a list of suggestions that could fit in most malls in the area.

• Walking – Visitors might like this because it’s a new mall to discover. But if you are a city resident you might even learn that in some malls there are groups of people who meet regularly at the mall for walking, meaning exercising. That might even be a great opportunity to meet new people. Just make sure you know where you parked your car so you can get it back when you finish.

TIP: Take a picture with your smartphone of the floor and area where you have parked.

• Art Watching – Several malls have artwork displayed along the walking areas that go from paintings to sculptures.

• People Watching – Just take a seat and enjoy watching people walk by. Most malls have benches, armchairs and other types of seats.

• Have a cup of coffee or tea – or whatever you’re into. The point here is to relax and take it easy. This might be combined with People Watching.

• Friends Meeting – Sometimes we don’t meet with friends for a long period, particularly if you live in Miami where the different work schedules, the long distances, and many other good reasons do not allow us to enjoy the company of our good friends. The mall would be a great place to see your friends more often. This might also be combined with Having a cup of coffee and People Watching.

• Taking your children to play – Most malls have playgrounds. It is an excellent and safe place to take your children. Even older children, like you and me, since sometimes the playgrounds are for adults, too. For example, the Aventura Mall has recently opened a new wing where there is a tower 93 feet high (28 meters) with 2 slides for children and adults, and it is completely free!

• Listen to Live Music – And that can go from Salsa and Jazz to the Classic tunes!

• Go for a Fashion Show – That’s right! And most of the time they are completely free!

• Stroll through a Farmers and Artisans Market – Get your organic produce right from the source. Be ready to find beautiful crafts and gourmet food as well.

• Take some Cooking Classes – Yes, some local chefs and restaurants offer cooking classes for free or for a small fee.

• Adopt a Pet – This is new and awesome! Every day, more malls are adding this program where you can pick and get your rescued pet at the mall, already fixed, vaccinated and with your county tag.

• Fine Dining – Talking about restaurants, many malls offer an awesome variety of restaurants, from the regular chain restaurants to dining alfresco and even fine dining.

• Do you like reading? – You might find a Little Free Library in your nearby mall. What’s that? It’s a program where you can pick a book, for free, and take it with you to read and you can bring it back later on to share. Or if you have some books at home you don’t want around anymore, you can donate them.

• Do you like to write? – There are writer groups that meet to discuss and critic books or their own writings, whichever you prefer.

• Need a place to work or study away from home? – Several people just go to the mall, armed with some earbuds and their laptops or tablets to sit down and work or study.

Well, here you have enough reasons to visit a mall on a rainy day or just any day, for that matter. Do you think I’ve missed any activity? Which one? I’d love to hear from you. Please, comment below.

List of Malls
Although not all of these activities or programs might be available in the mall closest to you, below you will find a list of malls in the Greater Miami area. There are 20 of them and 2 under construction, plus a bonus of 3 more. These 3 additional ones, although they are not located in Greater Miami since they are in Broward County, I still decided to include them because they are somehow unique, they have a lot to offer, and I like them a lot.

The list is in alphabetical order for easy use and at the bottom; you will find a PDF file that you can download to your smartphone or tablet for future references.

NOTE: Have in mind that this list includes malls only, not shopping centers. For those who are not familiar with the difference, in particular, those visitors from Latin-American where they call “Shoppings” or “Shopping Centers” to what we call “Mall”, here’s the difference.

A mall has a roof over the entire shopping area. It’s an enclosed area which might also have some open-air areas like patios, terraces, galleries, and even outdoor cafés and restaurants but they are all part of this big building we call “mall”.

What we call a shopping center is an area where shops entrances open directly to the outside onto sidewalks and parking lots. As a rule of thumb, there are more shopping centers than malls in any given city. If you think that I missed any mall in the list, please let me know in the comments below.