Lisa Simundson
Hunter Publishing, Inc.
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Edison, NJ 08818-7816
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Ulysses Travel Publications
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ISBN 1-55650-913-8
© 2001 Hunter Publishing, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be repro-
duced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form,
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, record-
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This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activi
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ties contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated in
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dividuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any
injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by

use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to in
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sure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher
and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability for
loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading informa
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tion or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if
such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any
Maps by Lissa K. Dailey and Toni Carbone,
© 2001 Hunter Publishing, Inc.
Indexing by Nancy Wolff
4321
About the Author
Lisa Simundson is a lifelong resident of Miami and a fre-
quent visitor to the Florida Keys. Now a freelance travel
writer, she was previously the editor of a local visitors
guide and the managing editor of a national travel indus-
try publication, for which she covered Florida, Latin Amer-
ica and the Southeastern United States.
About the Alive Guides
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For David, Kelly and Veronica
Acknowledgments
Thanks to the following for their invaluable assistance in
compiling the information for this book: Jack Dunlavey,
Media Relations for Hawk’s Cay Resort; Andy Newman,
Vice President, Stuart Newman Associates; Emily O’Brien,
Research Assistant; and the helpful staff members at the
Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, the Islamorada Cham
-
ber of Commerce, the Marathon Chamber of Commerce,
the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce, the Key West
Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Miami Convention &
Visitors Bureau, and the Miami Beach Chamber of Com-
merce.
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Contents

Introduction
A Brief History of Miami 2
The 20th Century 2
Miami Today 4
A Brief History of The Keys 6
The 1800s 6
The 1900s 7
Miami
The Magic City 9
Dining & Shopping 9
Attractions & Nightlife 10
Accommodations 12
Orientation 12
Key Biscayne & Virginia Key 13
Miami Beach 13
Northeast Miami 20
Central Miami 21
Coconut Grove 26
Coral Gables 27
Northwest Miami 29
West Miami & Airport Area 32
South Miami-Dade County 32
The Everglades 35
Getting Here 35
ByAir 35
By Bus & Train 40
ByCar 40
By Water 41
Getting Around 42
Public Transportation 42

Car Rental 44
Specialty Rentals 44
Taxis & Limousines 45
Bicycle & In-Line Skate Rentals 45
Climate 46
Planning Your Trip 48
Information Sources 48
Packing Tips 50
Safety Tips 51
Sunup to Sundown 53
Beaches 53
Watersports 58
Golf 75
Tennis 77
Spas 80
Spectator Sports 82
Shop Till You Drop 86
Attractions 101
Fairs, Fiestas, Festivals & Food 120
January 120
February 121
March 122
April 123
May 123
June 123
July 124
August 124
September 124
October 124
November 125

December 125
Arts & Culture 126
Performance Venues & Organizations 126
Tours 136
Best Places to Stay 141
Downtown Miami 143
South Beach 149
Miami Beach 161
Coconut Grove 167
Key Biscayne 171
Coral Gables 172
Airport Area 176
The Everglades 179
Best Places to Eat 182
Cuisine 183
What to Wear 186
Downtown Miami 187
viii Miami & The Florida Keys Alive!
Little Havana 192
Northeast Miami 195
Miami Beach 204
Coconut Grove 215
Key Biscayne 221
Coral Gables 224
Kendall 232
South Miami 235
Homestead 236
Central West Miami 237
Northwest Miami 240
After Dark 244

South Beach 245
Downtown Miami 253
Northeast Miami 254
Coconut Grove 256
Coral Gables 258
South Miami 259
Airport Area 261
Miami A to Z 261
The Florida Keys
The Great Escape 269
Attractions 270
Dining & Shopping 271
Accommodations 271
Orientation 272
Upper Keys 272
Middle Keys 275
Lower Keys 275
Key West 276
Getting Here 279
ByAir 279
By Water 280
By Road 281
284
Getting Around 285
Upper, Middle & Lower Keys 285
Key West 287
Climate 289
Planning Your Trip 290
Contents ix
Information Sources 290

Packing Tips 290
Tourist Safety Tips 291
Sunup to Sundown 291
Beaches 291
Diving 296
Boating 313
Fishing 323
Golf & Tennis 331
Shop Till You Drop 332
Attractions 343
Festivals & Events 366
January 366
March 367
April 367
July 367
August 368
September 368
October 368
November 369
December 370
Arts & Culture 370
Performance Venues & Organizations 371
Art Galleries 372
Touring the Keys 373
Guided Tours 374
Walking Tours 376
Best Places to Stay 382
From Luxury to Laid-back 382
Seasonal Rates 385
Upper Keys 386

Middle Keys 409
Lower Keys 420
Key West 426
Best Places to Eat 445
What to Wear 447
Key Largo 448
Islamorada 453
Marathon 457
Lower Keys 460
Key West 463
x Miami & The Florida Keys Alive!
After Dark 473
Upper, Middle & Lower Keys 473
Key West 475
TheKeysAtoZ 478
Index 483
Contents xi
Maps
Miami & Vicinity 11
Key Biscayne 14
Miami Beach & South Beach 15
South Beach & Art Deco District 17
North Miami Beach Area 19
Downtown Miami 23
Coconut Grove 28
Coral Gables 30
South Miami-Dade 34
The Florida Keys 273
Key West Overview 277
Old Town Key West 278

Introduction
W
elcome to Miami and the Keys, a subtropical
oasis of fun-in-the-sun excitement on the south
-
ern tip of the Florida peninsula. Get ready for a day
at the beach and a night on the town; a culinary tour
of the world and an exploration of fascinating cul
-
tures and history; shopping sojourns that lead from
the biggest malls down to the smallest roadside
stands; and wildlife expeditions that lead to a "river
of grass" and below the waves to the only living coral
reef in the continental US. It's all here in the place
where major highways end and adventures begin –
Greater Miami and the Florida Keys.
Yes, you can say them in the same breath. But you
can't experience them in the same day, or even re-
ally compare them as the same destination in any
way. Where the Keys are laid-back and carefree, Mi-
ami is fast-paced and energetic. Though both were
geographically isolated from the rest of the country
in the early years of the 20th century, Miami has
"opened up" and developed into a major metropolis
while the Keys still remain somewhat secluded.
That's why combining them both into one vacation is
so exciting and satisfying. You literally get the best
of both worlds.
Introduction
A Brief History

of Miami
The 20th Century
1920-1940
One man figures prominently in the modern history
of both Miami and the Keys: Henry Flagler.Ina
prescient move in 1896, the Standard Oil executive
extended his Florida East Coast Railroad to Miami,
paving the way for the development of tourism,
which would become Miami's dominant industry by
the mid-1900s.
HENRY FLAGLER
Henry Flagler originally intended for Palm
Beach to be the terminus of his Florida East
Coast Railroad, but severe freezes in 1894
and 1895 made him re-think his decision.
Legend has it that South Florida pioneer
Julia Tuttle mailed Flagler a fresh orange
blossom from Miami in the middle of that
winter, leading him to head southward. Actu
-
ally, Mrs. Tuttle offered Flagler half her
property in the then-unincorporated com
-
munity of Miami if he would extend the rail
-
road and build a grand hotel. Flagler com
-
plied, and the city of Miami was incorpo
-
rated in July of 1896. His exclusive Royal

Palm Hotel opened in 1897.
2 A Brief History of Miami
Miami's popu
-
lation had
grown to
29,571 by
1920, an in-
crease of 440%
from the previ-
ous decade.
Miami went through a number of booms and busts,
including a devastating blow in 1926 when a major
hurricane in September killed more than 100 people
and caused millions of dollars in damage, putting an
end to what had been a vigorous land boom. But the
city recovered and went on to establish itself as a
major aviation center with the birth of Pan Ameri
-
can World Airways, which connected Miami to a
number of Central and South American cities by
1935. At the same time, Eastern Airlines was flying
daily between Miami, New York, Chicago and inter
-
mediate cities. Miami's early '20s land boom in
-
cluded the development of Coral Gables, Miami
Shores, Hialeah, Miami Springs, and Opa-Locka.
Also during this period, a new architectural style
was drawing national attention to Miami – Art

Deco. Between 1935 and 1941, more than 200 Art
Deco hotels were built on Miami Beach, and tourists
flocked to visit them. Though the picturesque region
declined in later decades, its renaissance began in
1979 when it was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places and the renovations began. Today,
Miami Beach’s Art Deco District and South Beach
are among Florida’s most popular destinations.
The Post-War Boom
Another boom period in Miami followed World War
II, with construction, tourism and aviation the lead
-
ing industries. Land was protected and set aside for
recreation with the creation of sprawling parks like
Crandon, Cape Florida State Recreation Area, Bis
-
cayne National Park and Everglades National Park.
Meanwhile, a new facet of the tourism industry was
developing – cruising. Miami was a perfect location
The 20th Century 3
Introduction
The flight of a
Fokker F-7
from Key West
to Havana on
October 28,
1927 marked
the birth of
Pan American
World Air

-
ways.
for a port, and it didn't take long before the city be
-
came known as "the cruise ship capital of the world."
The Cuban Influx
Another significant milestone occurred during the
1960s, something that changed Miami's social, cul
-
tural and economic landscape forever – the arrival of
thousands of Cuban refugees fleeing a Communist
regime. To say their arrival had a major impact is
something of an understatement. Today, Miami is
as much Spanish-speaking as English-speaking,
and has developed into the "crossroads of the Ameri-
cas" for business and finance.
Following the Cubans came smaller influxes of im-
migrants from Central America, Haiti and other Ca-
ribbean and Latin nations.
Miami Today
Today, Miami's mix of cultures has created a colorful
mosaic that gives it the flavor of other lands without
the hassles of foreign travel.
For the visitor, Miami's cultural diversity yields rich
rewards, from gourmet dining and unique shopping
opportunities to restaurants and stores offering daz
-
zling diversity with a special tropical tang – meals
and merchandise that are just not available any
-

where else. Miami's concerts and art galleries, sport
-
ing and cultural events, museums and book fairs,
and especially its festivals, are also seasoned with
this potent tropical brew. Taste and enjoy!
4 A Brief History of Miami
EARLY INHABITANTS
The first human inhabitants of South Flori
-
da were the Native American ancestors of
the Calusa and Tequesta Indians who migra
-
ted here and established permanent villages
at the mouth of the Miami River. Then came
the trickle that was soon to develop into a
tidal wave: the arrival of the Europeans.
First came the Spanish, then the English,
bringing European diseases and warfare
with them. By 1763 – the year Spain ceded
Florida to the British – the Calusas and
Tequestas were virtually wiped out.
They were followed by Creek Indians mi-
grating from Georgia, Alabama and the Car-
olinas, who came to be known collectively as
the Seminoles. In 1830, after Congress
decreed that all Indians living east of the
Mississippi River had to move west to Okla-
homa, these hardy Seminoles refused to sur-
render their freedom and join the “Trail of
Tears,” engaging in three wars with the US

Army before finally retreating into the vast
-
ness of the Everglades.
The descendants of these brave, proud peo
-
ple are today's Seminole and Miccosukee
tribes, who still live in South Florida.
Visitors to Miami can observe day-to-day life
in the Miccosukee Tribe, located off US-41 in
the western reaches of Miami-Dade County.
The Miccosukees also operate a lavish re
-
sort, complete with gaming casino.
Miami Today 5
Introduction
A Brief History of
The Keys
The 1800s
Well before Flagler's railroad set Miami on the road
to becoming a major metropolis, Key West was a
thriving community of commerce and industry, pop
-
ulated by settlers from the Bahamas and New Eng
-
land who began arriving after Florida became a US
territory in 1821.
These first settlers established prosperous fishing,
sponging, turtle harvesting and wrecking indus-
tries. The latter industry, wrecking – or salvaging
from ships run aground by bad weather or bad luck –

came under fire by the US government who sus-
pected local wreckers of deliberately luring unsus-
pecting navigators onto dangerous shoals. In 1825,
legislation was passed requiring salvage from wrecks
in US waters to be brought to an American port of
entry. It turned out to be a boon for the Keys' wreck
-
ing industry, and soon Key West became one of the
new country's wealthiest cities. (Unfortunately for
these new entrepreneurs, the wrecking industry
began to wane with the advent of effective light
-
houses.)
During this same period, cigar makers from Cuba
established successful factories in Key West, and
Bahamian farmers familiar with the techniques of
coral-island farming began settling in the Upper
Keys. They were joined by homesteaders from
around the US. Soon, there were productive groves
of Key limes, tamarind and breadfruit throughout
6 A Brief History of The Keys
Early Keys in-
dustries in-
cluded
wrecking,
sponging,
farming, fish
-
ing, turtle
harvesting, ci

-
gar making,
salt and char
-
coal making.
the Keys, while a profitable pineapple industry flour
-
ished in the Upper Keys during the late 1880s and
early 1890s.
This was the climate of prosperity that existed when
Henry Flagler decided to extend his railroad to Key
West. For the most part, Flagler's decision was based
on the fact that Key West was the country's closest
deep-water port to the canal that the US govern
-
ment planned to build in Panama, and he wanted to
take advantage of trade with Cuba and Latin Amer
-
ica as well as additional trade via the Panama Ca
-
nal.
The 1900s
In 1912, the Florida Overseas Railroad to Key West
– dubbed “the railroad that went to sea” – was com-
pleted. Unfortunately, the Keys' boom was swept
away with the railroad in a 1935 hurricane. At the
same time, the country was in the grips of the Great
Depression and the Keys were not immune. Key
West went bankrupt.
Like Miami, though, the Keys made a comeback

with the construction of the Overseas Highway in
1938, which followed the same route as the railroad
to Key West and opened the region to tourism. And
once the tourists began arriving after World War II,
the Keys' future was assured.
The 1900s 7
Introduction
The 1870 Key
Largo Census
listed about
60 people.
By 1942,
there was a
water pipe
-
line and
electricity
throughout
the Keys.
KEY WEST – ISLAND OF INSPIRATION
Tourists weren't the only ones who were en
-
chanted by eclectic Key West. It's been said
that the idiosyncratic nature and laid-back
style of this two-by-four-mile island have
nurtured the talents of more writers per ca
-
pita than any other city in the country. More
than 100 published authors live full- or part-
time in Key West, while an equally prolific

artistic community exhibits its works in
local galleries. Among Key West's most illus
-
trious artists-in-residence, past and present,
are Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Wil-
liams, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost and
Jimmy Buffett.
8 A Brief History of The Keys
Miami
The Magic City
R
ome may not have been built in a day, but it al
-
most seems as if Miami was. In just 100 years, it
has gone from a sleepy fishing village by the bay to
an international metropolis and business center –
where sleek office buildings rise alongside luxury
hotels, where arts and culture not only thrive but re-
define artistic frontiers, where local restaurants fea-
ture the flavors of many different cultures, and clubs
sizzle until dawn.
Dining & Shopping
Miami can anchor a family vacation that includes
the “kiddie carnivals” of Orlando, the islands of the
Florida Keys and the Bahamas, or the unique eco-
tourism adventures of the Everglades, but it also
works as an adult destination in its own right, spar
-
kling with activity.
Here, visitors delight in gourmet dining and world-

class shopping, discovering the diversity of restau
-
rants filled with the flavors of Latin America and
the Caribbean and shopping opportunities that run
the gamut from boutique shops to enormous malls
boasting their own tempting eateries.
From haute cuisine to haute couture, Miami’s high-
end restaurants and designer boutiques are quite
posh, and the servers and salespeople dress accord
-
ingly. You’ll probably want to dress for fine dining.
Miami
However, it’s not unusual to see folks in shorts and
tennis shoes browsing through the Gucci watches at
an upscale boutique, especially in heavy tourist ar
-
eas such as South Beach. At cultural events you
might see everything from evening gowns to jeans.
Attractions & Nightlife
Miami’s many moods also flavor the myriad concerts
and cultural events, art galleries, museums, book
fairs and festivals that fill its cultural calendar all
year long.
If sports are your game, you’ve also come to the right
place. Along with professional franchises in all the
major sports, Miami is home to sprawling golf cour-
ses that host world-class tournaments; champion-
ship racetracks where sleek thoroughbreds race to
the finish; Jai-Alai; greyhound racing; and motor
sports events. And today’s high rollers can tempt

lady luck at local Indian gaming palaces or hop on
luxury ships that sail out beyond the limit of the law
for some big-stakes gaming.
Mega-city though Miami is, the glory of nature is
never far away, from the blue waters and green in
-
lets fringing the coast to the sawgrass-and-man
-
grove swamps of the Everglades along its western
-
most boundaries.
When the sun sets, many visitors head back east to
-
ward South Beach, holiday kingdom of the night.
Here, in a Deco-designed district of pastel neon,
clubs throb with a mesmerizing mix of music, from
salsa to reggae to hard rock. Daytime visitors to
South Beach enjoy the boutiques, beachfront parks,
charming restaurants and cafés and art galleries.
But at night, the rhythms of South Beach’s club
10 The Magic City
Attractions & Nightlife 11
Miami
scene overwhelm the beat of the Atlantic thundering
onto the famous beaches, giving way to the tropical
sunrise that lights the way home to luxury hotels af
-
ter evenings full of revelry.
Accommodations
With its dual status as a convention and tourism

destination, Miami’s hotel variety is staggering. All
the major chains are here, from business-friendly
airport hotels to sumptuous, full-service beach and
golf resorts and gleaming, high-rise and high-style
city hotels. And don’t forget the Art Deco master-
pieces of South Beach – small boutique hotels lining
Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue offer personalized
service, unique amenities and fascinating histories.
The price range among hotels (see pages 142 and
143 for scale) is just as varied, but expect to pay
more for high-end accommodations offering elegant
amenities and a prime location. Prices also go up in
season, which runs from November to April.
Orientation
The Magic City of Miami is a mosaic of distinct and
diverse nationalities and neighborhoods. Each area
of the city has its own culture, characteristics, cui
-
sines, sights, style, and shopping opportunities, lend
-
ing the flavor of far-off places right here in the
Florida sunshine.
12 Orientation
Key Biscayne & Virginia Key
The archipelago known as the Florida Keys begins
with Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, a park-studded
paradise just a 20-minute drive from Miami Inter
-
national Airport across the scenic Rickenbacker
Causeway.

Both islands boast spectacular beaches with crystal
clear waters. Attractions include the Miami Sea
-
quarium marine mammal park, where superstars
Lolita the Killer Whale, Flipper the Dolphin and
Salty the Sea Lion perform.
Beaches, bike trails, and nature tours are the star-
ring attractions at Key Biscayne’s two picturesque
parks, Crandon Park and Bill Baggs Cape Flor-
ida State Recreation Area. Part of the island is
developed with homes and hotels, to make the most
of the delightful location, the surrounding parks,
and the thundering surf. In addition to swimming,
Crandon Park offers tennis and golf in secluded syl-
van settings. Cape Florida harks back to an earlier
day, with landscapes created by nature and the fa
-
mous Cape Florida lighthouse perched at the very
edge of the island, recalling the days of old.
Miami Beach
Mention Miami and the first thing that usually co
-
mes to mind is an image of the world-famous beach,
with mile after mile of sparkling waters, golden
sands, tanned tourists, celebrity-studded hotels, and
neon-lit nightlife. The images are glitzy and glamor
-
ous, and surpassed only by the reality. Miami Beach
is legendary as a resort destination, and is con
-

Key Biscayne & Virginia Key 13
Miami