Miami: The Biscayne Corridor

SEE The Biltmore Hotel1200 Anastasia Ave., 305/445-1926, biltmorehotel.comEnormous landmark modeled after the same Seville cathedral as the Freedom Tower. It looks like a movie set, with 25-foot-high frescoed walls, vaulted ceilings, and immense fireplaces. A one-time celebrity hangout for the likes of Judy Garland and Al Capone, it's now a mainstream hotel, though the huge pool still oozes glam. Free tours of the premises every Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. SEE International Villages Coral Gables was built in the 1920s as a planned city and intended as a livable, beautiful alternative to then-grimy Miami. The developers cleverly incorporated points of interest around town, including clusters of buildings designed to ape exotic overseas lands; these hamlets were nicknamed the International Villages. The most photo-worthy? The Chinese Village, with brightly colored roofs and ornately carved balconies (on Sansovino and Castania aves.); and the French Normandy Village, which looks thoroughly Renaissance thanks to its thick, chocolate-brown stucco facade and red-tile roofs (400 block of Viscaya Ave. at Le Jeune Rd.). SEE Venetian Pool2701 De Soto Blvd., 305/460-5356, venetianpool.comA coral rock quarry that was dug in 1923, while the city was being constructed, and then turned into a public pool. Surrounded by shaded porticos, wrought-iron railings, and Venetian-style bridges, the water winds its way through coral rock caves and spills over two waterfalls. There's even a man-made beach for sunbathers. $6.25-$9.50, depending on season. EAT Burger Bob's2001 Granada Blvd., 305/567-3100A homey café in the clubhouse of the public Granada Golf Course. Expect green Formica chairs, white plastic tables, yellow mustard bottles, and first-rate chili. EAT Estate Wines92 Miracle Mile, 305/442-9915Wine store-café specializing in hot and cold sandwiches (the gooey ham-and-cheese is a standout) and house-baked pastries. Sit at the communal table and meet the locals. EAT Les Halles>2415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., 305/461-1099, leshalles.netCozy, mid-priced French bistro that serves classics such as steak tartare and mussels and fries in an authentic atmosphere. SPLURGE Ortanique on the Mile278 Miracle Mile, 305/446-7710 Understated foodie favorite that couldn't be more different than the faddish hotspots in South Beach. Serving innovative, adventurous, tropical fusion in a lush setting, it's the ideal place for an anniversary dinner or a first date. (Save room for the passion fruit sabayon.) DRINK JohnMartin's 253 Miracle Mile, 305/445-3777, johnmartins.comA friendly Irish bar where you can drink a pint of Guinness amid wood-paneled veneer. Free live music starts around 8:30 p.m. every Fri. and Sat. DRINK Titanic Brewery & Restaurant 5813 Ponce de Leon Blvd., 305/667-2537, titanicbrewery.comCaptain Smith's Rye Ale and other top-notch beers are made on the premises. A Wed.-Sun. lineup of live pop/rock bands is another draw for frat boys and students from the nearby University of Miami. The free shows start at 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends. SHOP Books & Books265 Aragon Ave., 305/442-4408, booksandbooks.comLovingly stocked independent bookstore with browsable shelves featuring an impressive selection of travel and local-interest titles. There's also an on-site café with seating in the enclosed courtyard. Free jazz starts at 7 p.m. on Fri. SPLURGE Rene Ruiz Couture 262 Miracle Mile, 305/445-2352A local fashion legend, red-carpet staple Ruiz is known for his stretchy chiffon-and-lace gowns and sequined accessories-all at couture prices. PLAY Actors' Playhouse280 Miracle Mile, 305/444-9293, actorsplayhouse.orgRestored 600-seat art deco movie theater that's now home to many excellent Broadway projects, like Little Shop of Horrors. Tickets from $30. PLAY GableStage1200 Anastasia Ave., 305/445-1119, gablestage.org Florida premieres of off-Broadway hits set against the stunning Biltmore backdrop. Worth checking out even if you're not a diehard theater fan. From $35.

SEE The Holocaust Memorial 1933-1945 Meridian Ave., 305/538-1663, holocaustmmb.org A contemplative, sobering experience, nodding to the large number of Holocaust survivors who chose to make Miami Beach their home. Graphic and unflinching, a massive cast-bronze hand reaches for the sky, surrounded by black granite panels etched with the names of victims. $2 donation for brochure. SEE Lincoln Road MallPart outdoor mall (it's lined with trendy shops and restaurants) and part catwalk (locals strut here daily, with dog-walking throngs on Sundays), Lincoln Road is the soul of South Beach. No one should leave Miami without grabbing a coffee and watching the skaters whiz by, or window-shopping at the high-end stores. SEE Ocean DrivePhoto shoots are a rarity along Ocean Dr. now, but at 7 a.m. it's easy to understand why South Beach became the fashion location of choice in the early 1990s-the light is sensational. What to look for: the Versace mansion, now a private members-only social club, at no. 1116; and ravishing art deco hotels, including the Park Central at no. 640. For maximum art deco sights, concentrate on the strip between 5th and 14th sts. SEE Parrot Jungle Island1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Watson Island, 305/258-6453, parrotjungle.comOne of the city's best family attractions, built on an island close to South Beach and easily accessible by car. The vast aviary and gardens are home to more than 300 parrots, including hatchlings in the parrot nursery, as well as hundreds of other creatures, such as monkeys, reptiles, and a showy flock of flamingos. Adults $25, kids $20, parking $6. SEE The Wolfsonian1001 Washington Ave., 305/531-1001, wolfsonian.fiu.eduA hulking old Mediterranean revival building, once the headquarters of a storage company, houses the decorative-arts museum's collection of trinkets, which includes World's Fair-related ephemera and propagandist posters, as well as British arts and crafts furniture by William Morris and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. $7, free Friday 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Closed Wed. (and Mon.-Tues. in summer). EAT Big Pink157 Collins Ave., 305/532-4700, bigpinkrestaurant.com A Day-Glo diner that's famous for its satisfying TV dinners served on vintage trays at cafeteria-style tables. The huge menu offers burgers, salads, and desserts like red velvet cake. EAT David's Café II1654 Meridian Ave., 305/672-8707 Above-average Cuban restaurant with a take-out window serving hearty sandwiches and coffee, plus an eat-in dining room serving staples like ropa vieja (shredded beef stew). EAT Miss Yip Chinese Café1661 Meridian Ave., 305/534-5488, missyipchinesecafe.comWith a slick feel recalling Shanghai's decadent 1930s heyday, this Chinese restaurant serves old-world Cantonese fare. Try dim sum at lunchtime and dinner staples like moo shu pork. EAT News Café800 Ocean Dr., 305/538-6397 A major player from the early-'90s South Beach scene, the café is still a great place to hang out-just don't expect much from the food. The ratio of models to mortals is 1:1. EAT Pizza Rustica863 Washington Ave., 305/674-8244Beach pit stop serving huge slices of tangy pizza. Order the namesake, piled high with artichokes, olives, ham, and sun-dried tomatoes. EAT Tap Tap819 5th St., 305/672-2898 Haitian fave known for its intriguing menu-say, goat stewed in a peppery tomato broth, or a mango, avocado, and watercress salad-and bright fruity drinks. Caribbean art plasters the walls. Live Haitian folk music at 8:30 p.m. on Thurs. and Sat. SPLURGE Prime One TwelveIn the Browns Hotel, 112 Ocean Dr., 305/532-8112, prime112.comOne of South Beach's hottest restaurants, in a converted 1915 hotel; it's popular with visiting celebs like Calvin Klein, Claudia Schiffer, and Sting. The waiters sport butcher-style aprons and the menu is steak-heavy. The flavor-packed $20 Kobe beef hot dog is more than worth it. TIPGawk at gothic castles Of the sand variety, that is, reaching upwards of 10 feet with turrets, towers, and spires. They're built and touched up daily by a 20-something artist known around town as "the Sand Castle Guy." At Lummus Park and 10th St. in the heart of South Beach. DRINK Raleigh Martini Bar Inside the Raleigh Hotel, 1775 Collins Ave., 305/534-6300Chic, wood-paneled spot for sipping signature martinis like the Campari-heavy Bitter Queen. Jazz and 1940s classics provide the appropriate soundtrack. SHOP Bal Harbour Shops9700 Collins Ave., Bal Harbour, 305/866-0311, balharbourshops.comHead north for 15 minutes or so along Miami Beach to reach the most famous mall in Miami. Home to every designer name imaginable as well as a few more-wallet-friendly labels. SHOP Banana Republic 1100 Lincoln Rd., 305/534-4706A local branch that merits a visit for the space, not the styles. Once a bank, the store retains many of its original features: The fitting rooms, for instance, are in the old vault, complete with huge, swinging metal door. PLAY Lincoln Theatre541 Lincoln Rd., 305/673-3330, nws.org Home base for the New World Symphony, which is composed of grad students from across the world who endure rigorous auditions to secure three-year fellowships. The performances are consistently superb. Occasionally free, tickets from $12. PLAY MyntLounge1921 Collins Ave., 786/276-6132, myntlounge.com There's a 30-foot waterfall cascading down the wall in the main room and an enormous mosaic-tiled bar at this reigning hotspot. Dress up and be prepared to sweet-talk the bouncer. Cover $20 on weekends, free on Wed. and Thurs. SPLURGE Crobar1445 Washington Ave., 305/531-5027, crobarmiami.com Hardest-partying nightclub on the beach, with young, frenetic dancers and thumping music in its massive honeycomb of rooms. Cover from $20. ESCAPES Key WestA four-hour drive down the US-1 highway, Key West is the "anything goes" capital of the United States. It's full of artsy locals, old wooden houses, and laid-back bars and restaurants. It was a hippie hangout in the 1970s before becoming a popular gay destination. Now, it's rapidly gentrifying while trying to hold on to its avant-garde edge. Rent a car and make sure to allow plenty of time for the journey: Traffic can be heavy, though at least you'll catch views of the other keys along the way. Best spot for an overnight stay is undoubtedly one of the cozy cottages at the Key Lime Inn (725 Truman Ave., 305/294-5229, keylimeinn.com) where doubles start at $109. More info: fla-keys.com. The EvergladesRent a car and head south from Miami on US-1, following the signs for the community of Homestead. From there, it's a short drive to The Everglades, a waterlogged, mysterious national park that fills the southern tip of Florida. You can stare out across a horizon with nothing but the occasional tree interrupting the acres of knee-high grass; see alligators swim wild in the rivers; spot rare nesting birds; or kayak through the ragged, mangrove-crammed coastline. If you want to stay in the park, it's best to camp, though there is a no-frills hotel, the Flamingo Lodge & Marina (239/695-3101, flamingolodge.com, doubles from $65), at its southernmost tip. More info: nps.gov/ever. THE TOP BEACHES The Miami Beach sandbar is edged with beautiful beaches, but the strip down at 3rd St. by Ocean Dr. is the best place for families-it has lifeguards, restrooms, picnic tables, and showers. If you're more adventurous, there's a popular nudist beach a few miles north at Haulover Beach Park. Note that the beaches at Sunny Isles Beach, heavily promoted for family fun, are less appealing-the vicious riptides near the shore can make swimming tricky. TipSalsa on the cheap Miami specializes in the square dance-style salsa called Rueda de Casino. Brush up with a free hour-long lesson at Café Mystique (7250 NW 11th St., 305/262-9500, Thurs. at 11 p.m.).

SEE Bayfront Park301 N. Biscayne Blvd., 305/358-7550, bayfrontparkmiami.com A generous waterfront green space, dotted with sculptures and large, leafy trees as well as wide benches where you can rest a while and watch the boats in the harbor. Isamu Noguchi's moody, white, geometric memorial to the 1986 Challenger disaster is at its southern end, and the controversial Torch of Friendship is to the north of the park, on Biscayne Blvd. It's a visual emblem for Cuba's political isolation: There are coats of arms from every Latin American country showcased here alphabetically, with a telling gap where the insignia of Castro's country should sit. SEE Freedom Tower600 Biscayne Blvd., 305/416-4456, terradevelopers.comMiami's answer to Ellis Island, this Mediterranean revival replica of the striped Giralda Tower at the Seville Cathedral in Spain (the same one used as a model for the Biltmore Hotel-see "Coral Gables") served as an immigration processing post and community center for the more than 650,000 Cuban refugees who arrived between 1961 and 1974. There's no public access to the interior now, though, as the building is earmarked for development; even so, it's an irresistible, iconic photo op. SEE Miami Art Museum101 W. Flagler St., 305/375-3000, miamiartmuseum.orgA remarkable collection of postwar art, accessibly and intelligently curated in a building designed by architectural icon Philip Johnson. Look for surrealist works from Marcel Duchamp and conceptual art by the late Cuban-American artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres, including a stack of paper intended to look like sculpture. (Help yourself to one of the sheets.) The museum also hosts temporary exhibits. $5, free every Sunday and the second Saturday of each month. Closed Mon. EAT Garcia's Seafood Grille398 NW N. River Dr., 305/375-0765Join the Customs guys at this riverside fish café. It's bustling and efficient, with a small counter in the front and racks of waterfront picnic tables out back. Look for specials on the blackboard, or try the lemon-grilled grouper. EAT La Paris251 SE 2nd St., 305/371-5181One of downtown's better divey Cuban diners. Try a pressed pork sandwich for $5 and, of course, a thimbleful of toxically sweet café cubano. The counter seating is limited, but the turnover is fast. EAT Mosaico1000 S. Miami Ave., 305/371-3473, mosaicorestaurant.com An upscale Spanish restaurant in a former firehouse. Some nights the huge wooden patio is open for dinner as well as drinks. Opt for the soupy arroz caldoso (lobster risotto). DRINK The Pawn Shop Lounge1222 NE 2nd Ave., 305/373-3511, thepawnshoplounge.comA massive pawnshop converted into a bar (the exterior is unchanged). Inside, it's decked out in a trippy, postmodern style. Somehow there's room for a school bus inside the bar. Cover from $15. DRINK Tobacco Road626 S. Miami Ave., 305/374-1198, tobacco-road.comGritty and fun, and Miami's first bar (it holds the oldest liquor license still in circulation). Two stages host mostly jazz and rock; the menu is burgers and basics. Free weekdays; Fri. and Sat. $5 for cabaret upstairs. PLAY I/O30 NE 14th St., 305/358-8007, iolounge.comClub-cum-music venue known for its vast selection of dance, indie rock, punk, and pop music. There's a large bar with cheap drinks and an outdoor garden; the main space features live bands every night at 11 p.m. Free-$15. PLAY Nocturnal50 NE 11 St., 305/576-6996, nocturnalmiami.comA high-tech nightclub where waiters carry gizmos that not only summon a bottle to your table wirelessly, but can also ask the valet to prepare your car so that it's already waiting by the time you get downstairs. There are several dance floors, as well as a dreamy roof deck with dazzling city views. From $20. PLAY Olympia Theater Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, 174 E. Flagler St., 305/374-2444, gusmancenter.org Beautifully renovated vintage performance space home to an eclectic program: classical music, dance, and touring productions. One of its hits: Sing-a-Long Sound of Music. From $30. TIPEspañola Way Picturesque Hispanic crafts market, lined by shops, restaurants, and galleries. Between Drexel and Washington aves., 305/531-0038. Open Sat., 10 a.m.-midnight, and Sun., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Also open Fri., 7 p.m.-midnight from Nov. to July. For sangria and live music, Tapas & Tintos (448 Española Way, 305/538-8272).

CORAL GABLES Gables Inn730 S. Dixie Hwy., 305/661-7999, thegablesinn.netA comfortable Mediterranean-style motel with arched, deep-ocher walkways and marble-tile floors. The downside: The highway location can make it noisy, so bring earplugs if you're a light sleeper. Doubles from $68. DOWNTOWN Holiday Inn Port of Miami Downtown340 Biscayne Blvd., 305/371-4400 or 800/526-5655, holiday-inn.com Recently renovated, with a nice view of the Port of Miami. Large, light rooms and easy access to public transportation. Outdoor pool. Kids eat free. Doubles from $109. DOWNTOWN Miami River Inn 118 SW S. River Dr., 305/325-0045 or 800/468-3589, miamiriverinn.comAn offbeat charmer with 40 guest rooms in a cluster of cottages around a courtyard and small pool. Rooms have hardwood floors and antique beds and dressers. "Well-behaved" pets welcome. Doubles from $69 in summer, $89 in winter. SOUTH BEACH Aqua Hotel1530 Collins Ave., 305/538-4361, aquamiami.com Funky motel conversion a block from the beach with spartan-chic rooms (concrete floors, modern furniture) overlooking a courtyard. The private sundeck makes a terrific (and quiet) sunbathing spot. Doubles from $99 in summer, $150 in winter. SOUTH BEACH Hotel Astor956 Washington Ave., 305/531-8081 or 800/270-4981, hotelastor.comThe beige rooms are huge for an old deco hotel, with nice touches like TVs on swivel poles and rain-head showers. The staff is reliably friendly. It's a two-block walk to the beach. Doubles from $125 in summer, $190 in winter. SOUTH BEACH Royal South Beach Condo Hotel758 Washington Ave., 305/673-9009 or 888/394-6835, royalsouthbeach.comA funky bargain with a candy-colored lobby and futuristic accents. White rooms have injection-molded plastic bed frames, curvy chaise lounges, and other Jetsons-style furniture. Every room has a microwave, coffeemaker, and free toothpaste. The beach is two blocks away. Doubles from $89. SOUTH BEACH South Beach Plaza Villas1411 Collins Ave., 305/531-1331, southbeachplazavillas.comA shady group of buildings crowded together and outfitted with dark-wood furniture and handsome, tone-on-tone fabrics. One of the best low-cost options near the water, with a lush tropical courtyard just a half-block off the beach. Doubles from $129. SOUTH BEACH The Standard 40 Island Ave., 305/673-1717, standardhotel.comA scene-y hotel on South Beach's western side, 10 blocks from the beach. There's a sumptuous spa with Turkish baths, waterfall hot tubs, nude mud baths, and an on-site yoga center. Rooms are small and basic. Doubles from $150, opens Oct. 2005. SOUTH BEACH Townhouse150 20th St., 305/534-3800 or 877/534-3800, townhousehotel.comThe best boutique hotel near the beach, with an attentive, laid-back staff; small, beautifully minimalist rooms; and an inviting roof deck with crimson water beds for sunbathing. A two-minute walk to the water. Doubles from $135. Appreciating Art Deco Miami is famous for its art deco architecture, especially the hotels that dominate South Beach's skyline. Deco comes in different styles that are easy to spot.   Art deco boasts bas-relief murals, neon lights, "eyebrows" (3-D concrete shades) above the windows, and details designed to look like ships, right down to their porthole-shaped windows.   Depression moderne is less ornamental, and most of its decorations are on the interior. A prime example is the Miami Beach Post Office building at 1300 Washington Ave.   Streamline moderne is marked by rounded-off corners and curves that make buildings seem to move.   To learn more, take one of the walking tours run by the MDPL (see the Essentials page).