What should I pack for Miami?

Miami in summer sits at 30-35°C with humidity that rarely drops below 75%. You feel it the moment you step out of MIA's terminal. The air is warm, thick, and smells faintly of salt even 8 miles from the beach. Three or four lightweight, moisture-wicking shirts will get you through a week if you rotate laundry at your hotel. Cotton holds sweat here. It stays damp against your skin for hours. Go synthetic or linen. Shorts and a breathable skirt are fine almost everywhere, but closed-toe shoes matter more than you'd expect. Wynwood's sidewalks get slick after the daily 3 p.m. rain, and the coral-rock paths around Vizcaya Museum (built 1914) will shred thin-soled sandals. Pack one pair of broken-in walking shoes with decent grip and one pair of flip-flops for the beach.

The UV index in South Florida reaches 11-12 from May through September. That is "extreme" on the WHO scale. Reef-safe SPF 50+ is the right call for beach days at Key Biscayne's Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and anywhere near coral. A wide-brim hat keeps the sun off your neck during the 10-minute walk from the Pérez Art Museum Miami (founded 1984) along Biscayne Bay to Bayfront Park. Polarized sunglasses cut the glare off the water, which is strong enough to give you a headache by noon if you're squinting for an hour. Pack a packable rain jacket, not an umbrella. Miami's summer storms blow sideways. An umbrella inverts in about 30 seconds. A lightweight shell that packs into its own pocket weighs 200 grams and actually works.

Every indoor space in Miami runs the AC at 18-20°C. The temperature swing from the 33°C sidewalk into a Brickell restaurant feels like walking into a refrigerator. Pack one light long-sleeve layer for restaurants, museums, and the Metromover. You will use it daily. For evening dress codes, Miami is more particular than most US cities. Restaurants in the Design District (near NE 40th Street) and along Mary Brickell Village tend to enforce smart casual, which means closed-toe shoes, a collared shirt or a nice top, and no athletic wear. South Beach spots along Ocean Drive are more relaxed. You can get away with clean shorts and a decent shirt at most places south of 15th Street. Worth noting, the nicer restaurants around Española Way still expect you to look like you tried.

Skip packing the items Miami sells cheaper and fresher. Walgreens and CVS appear every 3-4 blocks in South Beach and Brickell. Aloe vera gel runs $6-8 there, and you will likely need it by day two. Mosquito repellent with DEET is $5-7, and you'll want it for any evening near the Miami River or Coconut Grove's Peacock Park, where the no-see-ums come out at dusk and bite through thin fabric. Travel-size toiletries cost less than at airport shops. A reusable filtered water bottle is worth bringing from home. Miami tap water is safe but tastes faintly of chlorine. You can refill for free at water fountains in Bayfront Park (open since 1925) and at most museums, including the Pérez Art Museum Miami on Biscayne Boulevard.