Latin rhythms, Caribbean warmth, rainbow flair: No wonder that Miami is the party capital of America.
In the Keys, the sun is hot, and the scene is hotter. At the epicentre is South Beach, where surfers, supermodels and celebrities turn the shoreline into a fashion runway. Volleyball players, yoga enthusiasts and paddle-boarders jostle for space with beach clubs offering dizzyingly expensive organic food and DJs to soundtrack your Sunday brunch.
As if your pulse wasn't already quickened by all the tanned, lean flesh on show - at the near-by World Erotic Art Museum a septuagenarian grandmother has gathered together a stunning collection of paintings, sculptures and, yes, giant phalluses.
If it's retro lines and original features that turn you on, head out from Ocean Drive for a stroll around the gorgeous Art Deco district, or explore the fairy-tale Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, right on Biscayne Bay. Artsy Coconut Grove and hipster Wynwood also deserve to be explored. Look out for art walks, craft beer festivals and the sort of wild, alternative dance parties that would rumple even South Beach's paparazzi-ready crew.
Speaking of parties, the annual Art Basel Miami Beach sees the city taken over by the international jet-set. These days there are gallery openings, exhibitions and after-parties every night of the week. If you want something less glossy, but even more fun, attend the Calle Ocho. It’s the biggest block party in the world. Every spring, the streets of Little Havana are transformed into a wild carnival of drinking and dancing, where everyone – gay and straight, tourist and local, Hispanic and ‘gringo’ – falls under the spell of the steamy Miami night. Book flights to Miami and join the party.