In a destination as diverse as Greater Miami & Miami Beach, there is no shortage of unique places to explore. Often, the most spectacular experiences happen when you venture off the beaten path to find Miami’s hidden gems. Dive into these extraordinary and otherworldly attractions.
View the published article on the Greater Miami & Miami Beach Tourism Bureau website.
Try The World’s First Avocado Wine At Schnebly Redland’s Winery & Brewery
Wine lovers, take your sommelier training to the next level at Schnebly Redland's Winery & Brewery, where you can sample exotic wines crafted from tropical fruits instead of grapes. Try the avocado wine, the world’s first of its kind. Impeccably smooth in taste, it offers a citrus-pear nose with refreshing notes of grapefruit. Sip other one-of-a-kind tropical wines while overlooking natural coral waterfalls and a koi pond in this winery in the middle of Homestead’s farmland.
Watch Jai Alai, The Fastest Ball Game On Earth
The sport of Jai Alai holds the Guinness World Record for being the fastest ball sport, moving upward of 190 mph. Witness the maddening speed of the record-breaking sport and watch live matches with the most talented players, from February to November at Magic City Casino, near Miami International Airport. Watch two to four players bounce a ball in a three-walled court using a hand-held wicker cesta while playing the centuries-old sport that originated in the Basque areas of Spain and France.
Dive Or Snorkel Neptune Memorial Reef
Scuba dive or snorkel at Neptune Memorial Reef, where you’ll swim with barracudas, parrotfish, porcupine fish and other marine life among the 14 species of reef-building coral thriving in this artificial reef ecosystem about 40 feet below the surface. Just a few miles off the coast of Key Biscayne, it was mindfully engineered by a marine biologist to create an ecosystem that attracts, supports and promotes the growth of corals and other marine life. With structures designed by the Lost City of Atlantis, much of the reef incorporates cremated remains of ocean-loving souls (and their pets) with a natural concrete substance to create a foundation for the reef ecosystem.
See Monkeys Roam Free At Monkey Jungle
Back in 1933, animal behaviorist Joseph DuMond released six Java monkeys into a forest in South Dade. Today, you can watch their offspring, plus hundreds of other exotic monkeys, running free at Monkey Jungle’s eco-show park. The 30-acre jungle park offers a rare opportunity to see them up close as they play in an environment that mimics their natural habitats. Monkeys aren’t the only astonishing part of Monkey Jungle – you also get to see one of the largest concentrations of fossils in Miami, with more than 5,000 specimens dating back over 10,000 years.
Float In A Historic Coral Rock Quarry At The Venetian Pool
Go for an energizing swim at the Venetian Pool, a spring-fed swimming pool fitted with two picturesque waterfalls, stone bridges with scenic backdrops and cave-like grottos for you to dive into. First created in 1923 from a coral rock quarry, the historic 820,000-gallon pool in Coral Gables is fed with spring water daily from an underground aquifer. Float around in the brisk 77-degree water as you soak in the Venetian Pool’s 1923 colonial Spanish-style architecture of loggias and porticos, surrounded by palm trees. The Venetian Pool is typically closed in December and January.
This Sexy Art Gallery Will Titillate Your Imagination
Celebrate the art of human sexuality from cultures across the globe at the World Erotic Art Museum in South Beach. With more than 4,000 pieces of erotic fine art, the collection boasts 20 rooms of paintings, statues and folk art from North America, Europe, Asia and Africa arranged in a tasteful historic timeline that ranges from 300 BCE to the present. Stroll through the gallery to explore erotica that celebrates LGBTQ+ experiences, elderly communities and eye-opening risqué art.
Unwind At The Kampong’s Magical Bayfront Oasis
Enter through the grand red gates of The Kampong, and the sweet aroma of exotic fruits and flowers immediately delights your senses. Nestled in the lush tropical jungle of Coconut Grove with breathtaking views of Biscayne Bay, The Kampong is a nine-acre, one-of-a-kind botanical garden that was once the former estate of esteemed botanist Dr. David Fairchild. Marvel at an 80-year-old baobab tree from Tanzania while surrounded by an array of vibrant flora from Southeast Asia, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Visit A Prehistoric Structure Right In Downtown Miami
Unearth your inner archaeologist at the Miami Circle, where you can visit the earliest known evidence of the oldest settlement in the eastern United States. Discovered in 1998, the 38-foot Miami Circle astonished scientists with its perfect circumference and its many holes cut into the limestone bedrock. It’s believed to have been built by the Tequesta Native Americans 1,700 to 2,000 years ago. Tucked amid Brickell’s high rises at the mouth of the Miami River, the historic landmark may have been the foundation of the tribe’s capital, a ceremonial gathering space, or – some believe – the site of something otherworldly.
Attend Mass At A 900-Year-Old Church
Teleport back to the year 1133 AD while sitting in the pews of the stunningly beautiful Ancient Spanish Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux in North Miami Beach. It’s not your average house of worship – rather, it’s home to a medieval church built in northern Spain nearly 1,000 years ago – which was subsequently purchased by William Randolph Hearst, dismantled stone by stone, then shipped to the United States in 1925. Revel in the angelic splendor of the Church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux, wander through the arched hallways and soak in the captivating views of a pristine garden with huge banyan trees as you walk through its labyrinth.