Tag Archive for: Miami beaches

Headed to Miami / South Beach for a hen (bachelorette) party soon? In addition to dayclubs and nightclubs, you’ll need to plan other afternoon and early-evening group activities for the bachelorette and her group that are fun and memorable, while still giving you the most value for your money spent.

The Miami that most out-of-town visitors know is the South Beach one: steamy summer temps, white and neon tones, sheer opulence, fast money, stylish excess, and glitzy sensory overload.  Of course, the locals and insiders are happy to deliver upon those stereotypes, because that’s the version that tourists pay handsomely to witness and be a part of. And South Floridians surely play that fiddle in harmonious tune, because more tourists to Miami in general and SoBe specifically mean more revenues generated and jobs created for the state’s sun-kissed residents!

Why is planning a bachelorette party so hard?

Your bachelorette has just chosen the Magic City as the destination city and assembled her final list; now, you as the Maid of Honor are on the hook to make magic happen. So you let out a big sigh, open up your laptop and hop on the internets, and get to work on mapping out this epic weekend in Miami.  You’re about halfway through planning the shindig, and you’ve already locked down a great room rate at one of Miami’s top hotels. As you start your search on activities, you know you’re not totally a lost kitten – you’ve partied in Miami a few times in the past with and without the bride-to-be, and you’ve got numerous friends in high and low places who are willing to offer sound and not-so-sound recommendations – but of course you wouldn’t mind having a professional to guide you.   You know, someone totally plugged who can take all those half-formed suggestions floating around and give you accurate, actionable answers?

Look, we know you’re here for a good time, not a long time… so you’ll need some expert guidance to help narrow down your choices to round out your ideal hen-do agenda. Here, in order of our highly experienced customer service staff’s preferences, is our Discotech Top 10 list of best and most entertaining bachelorette party activities that your classy group of ladies would do well to line up during your few days in the Magic City:

1) Dance Your Face (and Heels) Off – Nightclubs

• Venue (Location): Varies by price and music type (click here for recommendations)
• Cost Per Person: Free (certain guest lists); $10-100 (discounted guest lists & presale tickets); $200 and up (VIP tables)
• Time Length of Activity: 4-5 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 10:00PM-12:00AM (avoid long lines and waits)

Seems predictable, but sorry not sorry ladies: you know you LOVE to dance, so this activity must make the Top 10 of any bachelorette party list in any city. Whether your Saturday or Sunday mornings/afternoons figure to be calm ones or crazy ones, it MUST necessarily be followed by (or preceded by) an epic high-energy night filled with music and mirth. A word of caution though: when it comes to nightlife in Miami, the “good guys / gals” don’t always win: villains and shady characters run amok in the South Beach streets, and they’ve long made large fortunes and long-term careers taking advantage of visitors through cryptic double-speak and sleight of hand, and false expectations.

Enter Discotech – your ultimate solution for lining up the bachelorette party – or “hen do” as they say if you’re from the U.K./Europe – dayclub and nightclub festivities. We’re deep into this Miami nightlife game, and we know how to plan things to a “T” ladies.  We’ve helped THOUSANDS of satisfied clients with their bachelorette party needs in Miami, Vegas, Los Angeles, and other cities; we’ve been featured on BBC Travel and we are also highly reviewed on Yelp! and in both the App Store and Google Play.  

2) Life’s a Beach – Miami Beaches

• Venue (Location): Varies by location / atmosphere
• Cost Per Person: Free (parking fees for pay lots)
• Time To Set Aside: 3-4 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 9:00AM-12:00AM or 3:00PM-6:00PM (avoid the sun’s strongest midday rays so you don’t turn into a lobster)

Let’s face it: the bachelorette chose Miami because she wanted the beaches with her betches. The best thing about the beaches in South Florida is that ALL of them are open to the public, and they’re all free. Whether your hen party is searching for an isolated destination or wants to spend a day at a busy “see and be seen” strip of sand and surf, Miami caters to all tastes and offers a variety of beaches to choose from. Some beaches in Miami are dotted with palm trees to provide a shady respite from the heat, while others are perfect for quickly getting that pre-wedding golden suntan that will make those wedding pics pop off. Some have serene and glassy waters that call for a good book; others boast rolling, crashing waves that scream out for watersports action photos. The one thing that all South Florida beaches have in common is their stunning and well-groomed natural beauty, and many area beaches likewise offer plenty of water activities and proximity to restaurants, bars, and entertainment venues to appease visiting tourists. Here our our Top beaches around South Florida:

1. Lummus Park Beach – People-watching, volleyball, sunbathing
2. South Beach – Trendy, close to restaurants / nightclubs, younger “party” tourist crowd
3. Haulover Beach – LGBTQ-friendly, surfing, nude sunbathing
4. South Pointe Park Pier – Fishing, kid-friendly, local families beach
5. 12th Street Beach – LGBTQ-friendly, tourist crowd, close to restaurants / nightclubs
6. Sunny Isles Beach – Snorkeling, diving, kid-friendly
7. 21st–45th Street Beach – Sunbathing, strolling, smaller crowds
8. Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park – Windsurfing, kayaking, quiet atmosphere
9. Fort Lauderdale Beach – Skating, jogging, younger (under 21) crowds
10. Oleta River State Recreational Area – Swimming, canoeing, bicycling, nature views

3) Make a Splash – Dayclubs / Pool Parties

• Venue (Location): Varies by price and music type (click here for recommendations)
• Cost Per Person: Free (certain guest lists); $5-100 (discounted guest lists & presale tickets); $200 and up (VIP loungers, daybeds, & cabanas)
• Time Length of Activity: 4-5 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 11:30AM-1:30PM (avoid long lines and waits)

Pool parties are a legendary daytime activity that epitomizes the sumptuously debaucherous surfside feel of Miami Beach, and the ones here are arguably second-best only to those of Las Vegas. At least one of these day parties on your bachelorette weekend agenda is a must; even for girls who don’t like nightclubs, the eye candy, sunshine, cool plunges to beat the heat (and did we mention eye candy?) make it worth it. For any bachelor party larger than four 4-5 ladies, it’s a no-brainer to book a cabana or daybed with bottle service in order to maximize the fun; for a smaller hen-do or one that wants variety, we suggest purchasing presale tickets or signing up for guest lists. Find one of the hottest events going on that weekend using our Discotech app, and go see one of your favorite DJs or performing artists. For a Saturday day party, Hyde Beach and Nikki Beach are the best party scenes especially if money ain’t a thang: between the killer music lineups, badass surroundings, and (did we mention) eye candy, these two venues are head-and-shoulders above the rest if your bride-to-be is into nothing but the best.

4) Relax, Don’t Do It – Day Spa / Massage / Salon

• Venue (Location): Varies by price and services offered
• Cost Per Person: $50 and up
• Time To Set Aside: 2-4 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 9:00AM-1:00PM (right when you wake up, to combat hangovers)

Every bachelorette party will need some downtime to rest and recover from the festivities of the night before… or the night to come. Spas, massages, and salons are the go-to group daytime activity if your the bachelorette is craving a relaxing atmosphere and a serene respite from all the chaos of the past months’ wedding planning. Most of four-star and five-star hotel properties along Miami Beach offer luxurious spa packages for you and your ladies to wind down, so it’s merely a matter of finding the one that fits your style and price point. For example: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental offers unique treatments influenced by ancient Chinese medicine; Tierra Santa Healing House at The Faena specializes in Native American natural / holistic treatments; Lapis Spa at the Fontainebleau is known for its hydrothermal therapy offerings. So throw on your comfiest robe, grab a glass of champagne, clear your mind of clutter, assume your favorite position of relaxation, and let your chosen spa take care of the rest. The well-deserved pampering will leave your crew of wild ones fully refreshed and ready to tackle on another exciting night in Miami.

5) I’m on a Boat! – Yacht Party / Booze Cruise

• Venue (Location): Varies by price, music type, and services offered (Miami Party4U and South Beach Party Boats are two of most popular party boats; Propel Yachts is a highly rated luxury private charter service)
• Cost Per Person: $100 and up
• Time To Set Aside: 5 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 2:00-2:30PM (allows full day party plus enough downtime to recover for evening dinner / entertainment plans)

Open bar on the open seas? We had you at “Hello!” amirite! Say thanks but no thanks to the crowded tourist trap beaches and enjoy an all-inclusive booze cruise boat party around Biscayne Bay with fabulous views of the iconic Miami skyline in the distance. Enjoy a magnificent sightseeing experience full of lazy crystal blue waves on your way to an island or sandbar 30 minutes from the beach… then three hours of high-energy party access on a private island or sandbar. Upon your arrival, the crew turns the music up and unloads water toys – stand-up paddle boards, floaties, water trampolines, and water mats, snorkel gear – for you and the gents to enjoy while sipping cold drinks and mingling on the boat deck or in the water to make new friends. What’s​ included in most party boat packages:

• Round Trip Transportation: Bus departs 45 mins before boat party starts
• 3 Hours Full Open Bar: Spirits (Vodka, Rum, Whiskey, Gin, Tequila), Juices and Sodas.
• Food: Light Snacks
• Sandbar Swim Stop with Water Activities
• DJ playing open format music (R&B, Hip Hop, Reggaeton, House, Top 40)
• Emcee promoting Champagne Showers, Twerking Competitions, Wet T-shirt Contests
• Iconic views / photo ops with Biscayne Bay / Miami skyline backdrop

6) Nom, nom, nom! – Little Havana Food Tour

• Venue (Location): Various stops on Calle Ocho, Little Havana
• Cost Per Person: $59 and up (includes food samples at each tour stop)
• Time To Set Aside: 2.5-3 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 12:00PM (3-hour tours start at this time)

If the way to the bachelorette’s heart is through her stomach, then you’ll need to set aside a few midday hours for an epic “Only in Miami” experience like this. With its numerous cultural landmarks and small businesses, Little Havana is well-known for its plethora of historic, political, and artistic contributions to broader American culture. A 3-hour tour of this famed Miami neighborhood is the most ideal excursion, and expert tour guides will delve deep into the history and traditions of Caribbean-influenced local customs… which of course includes introducing you to some of the most delectable food and snacks in the world along your journey. The tour begins with a short history lesson at the Bay of Pigs monument and quickly proceeds to the famed Calle Ocho, with visits to one of the oldest farmers’ markets on the continent to learn about hard-to-find Caribbean tropical fruits and a cigar factory to watch taqueros hand roll tobacco leaves into the finest cigars. After the sightseeing and history lessons, the culinary onslaught soon begins:

• A coffee shop visit for a cortada, or a small cup of high-octane Cuban coffee
• Fresh-squeezed tropical juices made to order by local street vendors
• Fresh baked pastries, and/or a Cuban sandwich or empanada
• Small plates of ropa vieja, mofongo, pescado escabeche, or other main dish staples from around the Caribbean
• Classic cocktails (mojitos, Cuba Libres) at a Cuban Socialista-style cantina
• Desserts (Cuban ice cream, flan, dark chocolate)

Added bonus: as you dine and drink and savor the flavors, your tour guide will share the origins, ingredients, and customs surrounding each of the culinary stops. And she’ll even tell you where in the neighborhood to go for salsa / merengue lessons and attractive Don Juan charmers, should the charms of Calle Ocho seduce you and the girls into extending your visit deeper into the hot Latin night.

7) Put It in the Bag – Shopping

• Venue (Location): Lincoln Road Mall (South Beach)
• Cost Per Person: Free to stroll (Shopping… that’s another story)
• Time To Set Aside: 2-3 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 2:00PM-6:00PM (good post-lunch or pre-dinner activity, plus downtime to recover for late-night entertainment plans)

Miami has plenty of activities for you to do “’til you drop” and of course shopping is one of them. Located on Lincoln Road between restaurant-laden Alton Road and nightclub-laden Washington Avenue, Lincoln Road Mall is a high-end pedestrian walk and outdoor shopping center. Originally designed with Art Deco flair in the 1950s, the Lincoln Road shopping metropolis received a major modernization overhaul in 1997 that produced a resurgence in its popularity; in 2011, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, enshrining its status as a cultural hub in Miami. Shoppers can expect to find big-brand fashion retail giants – Banana Republic, Gap, Macy’s, Lululemon Athletica, Sephora – alongside chic local boutiques, each carrying their latest warm-weather fashions to appeal to the eyes and wallets of wealthy Miamians and well-heeled tourists. Interspersed among the shops are a bevvy of restaurant options from fast food to fine dining (most of them a tad overpriced, unfortunately); the Lincoln Road also hosts morning yoga classes throughout the year, outdoor concerts when whether permits, and farmers & artisan crafts market on Sundays where you might just find that perfect piece of jewelry or accessory to complement your matching bridesmaids dresses.

8) Get Wet… Again! – Jet Skiing

• Venue (Location): Jet Ski Tours of Miami (Biscayne Bay)
• Cost Per Person: $149 and up
• Time To Set Aside: 1.5-2 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 3:00PM-6:00PM (allows enough downtime to recover for evening dinner / entertainment plans)

Admit it: every time you see pics or videos of Kim Kardashian or Kendall Jenner on those jet skis, you’ve hoped to someday reenact those glamorous scenes. Now is your chance to do so with the girls, while at the same time taking in a Miami sightseeing tour from a very unique angle. You’ll mount and ride Yamaha wave runners at top speed as you hop around Biscayne Bay to visit six islands, zoom past the Port of Miami and wave “Bon Voyage” to all the jealous passengers on the decks of the cruise ships, and – if you’re lucky – catch glimpses of dolphins playing or a peaceful manatee backstroking in the water. Tourist hotspots Star Island and Sir Flagler Island are stops along the route, along with hundreds of other Instagram-worthy scenes. Make sure at least one of the ladies has a waterproof camera phone in tow, line up some friendly wagers for jet ski races among the crew to see who’s buying the evening’s first round of drinks, and get gassed up for some fun in the South Florida sun.

9) Murals & Mojitos – Wynwood Art Tour / Bar Crawl

• Venue: Wynwood Art & Bar Tour (Wynwood)
• Cost Per Person: $60
• Time To Set Aside: 4 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 5:30PM (start time for early tour; ensure you return early enough to rest, shower, and grab a bite before going out)

So you’ve done a few of the other items on this list, and now your bachelorette party might be in need of a brief window of a low-key and somewhat high-brow activity – less thrill and more chill. Fear not, there are a handful of fun daytime activities that don’t require participants to sign an injury waiver. One of these is the Wynwood Art & Bar Crawl, which takes dazzled guests on a walking tour of 4-5 local bars in between marveling at the neighborhood’s world-famous multi-story wall murals. Although specific murals are constantly changing, the area is filled with permanent must-see fixtures from international street art superstars like David Walker and Interesni Kazki. An experienced tour guide will give you the 101 on the marvelous works of art and the artists, their stories, and their cutting-edge techniques, as well as the story of how Wynwood itself as transformed into one of the hippest art and entertainment districts in the world. And after all the artsy download, you’ve got plenty of friendly watering holes in the neighborhood to try out your newfound knowledge as part of your drink-and-chat game. As a courtesy, here are some of the more popular bars and breweries to check out when the Art Walk bar crawl ends:

• Centro Wynwood (turns into a happening club starting around sunset)
• The Dirty Rabbit
• Wood Tavern
• Gramps
• R House Wynwood
• Barter Wynwood
• Concrete Beach Brewery
• Veza Sur Brewery
• J. Wakefield Brewery
• Wynwood Brewing Co.

10) Break a Sweat – Group Dance Class

• Venue (Location): Vixen Workout (Overtown / Downtown Miami)
• Cost Per Person: $20 and up
• Time Length of Activity: 1.5 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 9:00AM – 11:30AM (burn some calories before a hearty brunch)

Got some gym rats and health nuts in the party demanding to break a healthy sweat at some point in the weekend? Perhaps the last thing you or the bride-to-be want to do is work out while on your Miami vacation… unless it’s a fun group class that’s a perfect female bonding activity for a Miami bachelorette bash. Taught by professional modern dancers and featured in the New York Times and Vogue magazine, Vixen Workout – VXN – is a convenient short trip across the causeway from South Beach and covers all the basic movements and techniques for getting pulses racing while recreating smashing hip-hop / pop video dance routines. At Vixen Workout, you’ll get to dance to killer music, learn popular modern moves you’re sure to apply immediately on Tik Tok or at Miami’s nightclubs, glean expert confidence-building tips on how to look fierce and move fiercer like your favorite Hollywood starlet, and construct a high-energy choreographed routine for the bride-to-be to show off to her fiancee… and for the bridal party show off to friends and strangers at future house parties. Like J. Lo at the Super Bowl halftime show, it’ll be the bachelorette’s time to shine… with her maid of honor Shakira and her backup dancers in tow, of course.

Bonus Activity: Men at Work – Male Revue Show

• Venue (Location): Hunk-O-Mania Miami (South Beach)
• Cost Per Person: $20 and up
• Time Length of Activity: 2-3 hours
• Best Time of Day to Go: 7:00PM-10:00PM (show start times for most revues are in evenings)

They call it “Magic City” for a reason, so it’s no cause for shame at all if the bachelorette party wants to include a more magical ride on the naughty side. Male revue shows are the quintessential way to get the pulses racing, and Miami is home to Hunk-O-Mania, one of the best male revue shows in the world. Yes you’ll get your fill of good-looking Adonises of all races with chiseled physiques and washboard abs, but along with that you’ll also get expertly choreographed high-energy dance routines that ooze charisma, athleticism, swagger, and sex appeal. For many of the shows, you’ll also be offered the opportunity to snap photos with the hunks of your choice as well as treat the bride-to-be to an up-close-and-personal lap dance. And along with such multi-sensory delights, a bit of light internet research beforehand can yield plenty of “bang for your buck” in the form of discounts and bundling packages that include limo rides, fancy dinners, and cocktails as value-added side dishes to your lip-smacking main course.

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In conclusion: Miami is definitely a bachelorette party destination where a lot of good times can be had by a group of ladies along all points of the budget spectrum. It is a magical beachfront oasis where both indoor and outdoor activities can spice up any hen party agenda… if you know the lay of the land. Your friends and nightlife guides here at Discotech are an essential part of that equation – we help you browse and book free guest lists and cheap presale tickets or VIP bottle service for the hottest nightclubs and pool parties in Miami. What are you waiting for? Download our app now – featured on BBC Travel and highly reviewed on Yelp! – in the App Store or Google Play.