Miami MetroZoo is one of the top-rated zoos in country by multiple travel magazines and Web sites. It makes sense. The park spans a massive 300 acres, is home to more than 2,000 animals of over 400 species and still manages to be one of the cheapest attractions in town—a blessing for large families.

The zoo’s animals are arranged by continent, with Australian exhibits to West, African exhibits to the North and Asian exhibits to the East. The animals here are not in cages. Instead, MetroZoo uses large, open-air environments surrounded by deep moats and rock walls to keep animals contained. This gives the animals room to romp and allows you to get a better view. Most of the areas are also made to resemble the animals’ natural homes.

A basic walk around the park is about three miles, but you’ll probably walk a little more as you loop back and forth from shows, playgrounds and food stops. However, there are plenty of options for getting around quickly and comfortably. A monorail runs from the Australian section to the northern end of the park, and since monorail passes are only one dollar each, it might be worth it to take a ride the to top of the African exhibits and work your way around the park from there. Hour-long tram tours are also offered for $4 or $5 depending on the season, but your best bet to see animals up close is on foot.

If you don’t feel like walking the whole way or just want to get around faster, then rent a Safari Cycle. Pick one up at the front entrance after you see the African exhibits to help you around the Australian and Asian loop. At $16 or $30 for a two-hour rental, they are slightly pricey, but it’s definitely worth it on really hot days. The cycles are shaded, have padded seats, and are big enough for the whole family.

There are two main shows to catch. The Ecology Theater show at the Children’s Zoo showcases snakes, alligators, bearded lizards and other animals native to Florida. Trainers bring out birds, reptiles and mammals from all over the world at the Wildlife Show in the Amphitheater. Each show features different animals, including singing Amazon parrots, hawks and vultures in flight, an exotic Prehensile-tailed porcupine, and “King George” the king cheetah. If you’re lucky, zookeepers might bring out newly trained baby animals after the show for audience members to see up close and take photos.

In addition to shows, Zookeeper Talks and animal feedings start at 11 a.m. and run until 4 p.m. at various areas of the park. Your zoo map should have the day’s schedule printed on the back. Scheduling your day around these presentations gives you a good chance to see the animals active and in the open, since they know when to emerge for a meal. Also, the zookeepers will talk about the animals and answer questions.

If you get tired or can’t stand the heat, then take a break at one of the shaded benches by most animal pens, covered gazebos or cooling misters scattered along the walkways. Unlike most other local animal attractions, there are plenty of visible water fountains throughout the zoo. They may not be ice-cold, but they’ll keep you hydrated for free. There’s also a Splash Pad with water features to keep the kids entertained and cooled off.

For lunch, hit up the Lakeside Grille, located next to a full playground with swings, slides and a jungle gym. The diner offers the much-welcomed option of indoor, air-conditioned seating. However, there’s plenty of outdoor tables of you happen to visit on one of Miami’s cooler days. All food items around the zoo are under $6, but portions are small.

With so many animals to see, it’s easy to miss a few, but make sure you get a look at the Sahara’s giant elands, the Komodo dragon, river otters, Bengal tigers, African and Asian elephants, camels and giraffes (for a small fee, you can feed them from an elevated deck). If you’re with little ones, then stop by the Children’s Zoo, which has a butterfly garden, meerkat colony and Petting Yard with roosters, chicken, ducks, pigs, goats and parrots. There’s also Diego’s Discovery Den with shows featuring the popular Nickelodeon cartoon star and a wildlife carousel offering rides for $2.

Next door is the 55,000-square-foot Wings of Asia Aviary that houses more than 300 free-flight rare and endangered Asian birds of 70 species. Stroll through the aviary’s canopy, wetlands and lowland forest as brightly colored pheasants, hornbills and pigeons soar overhead. Also, stop by the Avian Dinosaur Connection, which has a fossil-digging pit, interactive exhibits and an air-conditioned theater that shows films about dinosaurs’ ancestry.

Finally, don’t leave without stopping by Dr. Wilde’s World, an air-conditioned gallery with more than 7,000 sq. ft. of rotating interactive exhibits, artifacts and specimens that explore topics of biodiversity, conservation and animal science.