Miami practically invented the American version of the tropical escape. It’s where winter wardrobes go to retire, where every hour has its own dress code, and where the ocean is always within reach. The appeal is more than just the beaches or the rooftop pools, but the delectable blend of Mediterranean chic and Latin verve. Most visitors go straight for the obvious: velvet ropes, neon signage, sand packed elbow to elbow. But locals have a different playbook for where to catch the breeze, where to swim early, and where to sip late. The city moves fast, but the people who know it best rarely rush.

Cîroc was made for this kind of setting. Distilled in France from fine French grapes, it’s vodka with a cleaner base and a smoother finish—built for warm climates and high standards. The summer lineup leans into that ease. Cîroc Limonata brings a crisp lemon kick that lands like a cold towel on a hot day on the Amalfi Coast. Cîroc Riviera Strawberry Limonade Flavored Vodka softens the edge, mixing strawberry and lemon into something bright, relaxed, and hard to overdo. This is your guide to Miami the way insiders live it, leveraging instinct, intel, and the right pour within arm’s reach.

The smartest mornings in Miami start on the water. Before the sun climbs too high and the sightseeing boats crowd the bay, locals are already out paddling across Biscayne Bay’s glassy surface in kayaks or on stand-up boards. The bay acts like a natural bypass, threading together neighborhoods that feel miles apart by land. From the mangrove-lined edges of Coconut Grove, you can head north toward the skyline or south toward the horizon and open sea. In a city that runs at a constant simmer, early mornings are one of the few things that still feel unscripted.

Back on land, Little Havana is already buzzing. The neighborhood’s ventanitas—walk-up coffee counters built into corner stores and gas stations—are where Miami’s day actually kicks off. Order a cortadito (espresso cut with steamed milk) and a croqueta, then lean into the Cuban vibe. Across the causeway, South Beach is starting to wake up, right on time to catch the Art Deco buildings along Ocean Drive in their best light. These pastel facades weren’t just made for postcards. Built in the 1930s and ’40s, they were designed to outsmart the climate: curved edges to blunt wind, shade-providing eyebrows over windows, and concrete walls that stood up to salt and storms. By the time the clock hits noon, you’ve also figured out how to stay cool, calm, and collected for the rest of your Miami day.