Nature, Art, Little Havana and The Fontainebleau Hotel: Fab Tours and a Great Place to Stay in Miami

I was recently in Miami for several days for the Florida Huddle tourism event and got to take several excellent tours. I also had the luxury of staying in the posh Fontainebleau Hotel in North Miami Beach, a historic property with 11 swimming pools and stylish rooms.

Here’s a look at some of the great things to check out next time you’re in Miami.

LITTLE HAVANA FOOD TOUR

Our group had the wonderful Ariel Gonzalez from Miami Culinary Tours as a guide. He’s a fun, friendly fellow who seems to know just about everything about the area.

We started near Domino Park, which was created so gather Cuban domino players in one spot rather than having them play helter skelter on the streets. There are strict rules for the park. It’s only for seniors, and there’s no swearing or gambling allowed, and no spitting.

Gonzalez told us about the Cubans who came to south Florida after the revolution in 1959, and showed us the famous Ball and Chain bar. Apparently the one-time owner was sent to jail for some offence and came back with a new name in honour of his prison time. Top stars such as Count Basie and Billie Holiday have played here, and it’s said that Frank Sinatra performed one night.

Our tour included several food stops, where we sampled Cuban coffee and crispy, light empanadas at El Pub. At Party Cake Bakery we try fabulous, flaky guava and cheese pastries; a Little Havana specialty. I noticed several police officers wolfing down the pastries, and admired them for choosing this place over Dunkin Donuts. There’s a joyous mural of musical star Celia Cruz above the shop.

We also checked out some of the hundreds of neighborhood chickens and stop at the Bay of Pigs monument to learn about one of the biggest miscues in U.S. military history. We also stopped for sugar cane juice (oddly, not at all sweet) and gobbled down crispy, fried croquetas at Dos Croquetas (because one croqueta is obviously not enough). Our last stop is the Bello Cigar shop, where we met a woman who rolls 150 cigars a day and has been working six days a week for 27 years. That’s roughly 900 cigars a week, or 46,800 per year, or, for her career, 1,263,600 cigars rolled! We also check out the various types of cigars on hand. Some are mild and others stronger, and some are mixed. It’s said that President John F. Kennedy liked the green ones.  

A FAB BOAT TOUR AND CELEBRITY HOMES

It was a little windy and we couldn’t get out to see Stiltsville, a series of old wooden homes built high above the water line in Biscayne Bay (sadly no longer lived in). But the folks at Ocean Force Adventure Boat Tours took us up the Miami River, admired gleaming yachts and check out amazing homes on man-made Star Island.

Our guide, Kim Falconer, told us one Star Island home was sold for $68 million as a tear down. She pointed out homes once owned by Shaquille O’Neal and Rosie O’Donnell, and told us a fun story about how O’Donnell once came by on a jet ski with Cyndi Lauper riding behind her. We also went past a home owned by Gloria Estefan and a plastic surgeon who calls himself “The Boob King.” Only in America.

We also passed Fisher Island, which is entirely private and was once owned by the Vanderbilt family. Past residents have included Oprah Winfrey and Andre Agassi, Falconer said.

We had a nice ride on Biscayne Bay, where we spotted some frolicking dolphins, and then headed up the Miami River. There used to be independent fishing boats lining the banks of the river, but now it’s mostly tall, glassy condos and office buildings.

Further up the river we passed some nice-looking restaurants. Falconer told us to try Garcia’s Seafood Grille next time we’re in town.

WYNWOOD WALLS AND WYNWOOD ARTS DISTRICT

On our last full day in town, we had a tremendous visit to Wynwood Walls and the neighboring Wynwood Arts District. Twenty five years ago this was an area of Miami a tourist would never have visited. But a developer named Tony Goldman looked at the many warehouses in the area with massive walls and small windows and thought, “Looks like a giant canvas to me.” He worked with an art dealer to create a series of giant murals and started Wynwood Walls, where you’ll find exotic and beautiful murals and street paintings galore.

The Wynwood District continues to expand with new cafes, restaurants and condos, and there’s hardly a speck of wall that isn’t covered with some sort of inventive art work. It’s even to the point now that artists are painting the pavement.

After checking out the art at Wynwood Walls, including the Baby Hulk statue, a monkey designed out of discarded pieces of plastic and other trash, and wild murals that date back some 20 years, we headed out on golf carts to see the area. Our guide explained how artists use different types of paint and spray cans with varying nozzle sizes to help create their works.

Not all of it is brilliant, but we saw some truly spectacular work, including a gorgeous Mexican goddess being painted by local legend Adrian Avila.

“You’re going to bore them all,” Avila told our guide with a laugh as we examined his delicate strokes.

We were told there are some 28 members of the Miami Style Gods, a group and that only one is a woman.

BISCAYNE NATURE CENTER

One of the great things about Miami is that you can escape the big city very quickly and be surrounded by quiet nature. In fact, I was told the only city in the United States that’s home to two national parks; Biscayne N.P. and Everglades N.P.

Located at Crandon Park, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center (named for famous environmentalist and author Marjory Stoneman Douglas, who pretty much saved the Everglades from destruction with her book “River of Grass,”)  is just a few minutes east of the towers of downtown Miami and can be reached by bus or bike.

The center has aquariums with colourful fish, a touch tank with sea creatures you can interact with, and displays about the local ecological system, which makes it great for kids and school groups. You also can enjoy a quiet garden and arrange walking tours of the area.

There’s no charge to visit the center, but guided tours and special events will incur a fee.

We had a lovely young guide named Ali King, who showed us quiet, woodsy paths lined with palmettos, sea grapes, prickly pear and gumbo limbo trees with peeling red bark, as well as a quiet boardwalk and a long, pretty stretch of beach. We also spotted cormorants flying low over pale blue ocean water, white egrets hunting for a late breakfast, and tiny, white butterflies dancing on a warm winter’s breeze.

“We want people to help protect this land, and they need a natural connection to the land for that to happen,” she said.

FONTAINEBLEAU HOTEL

This North Miami Beach beauty is celebrating her 70^th year in 2024, and often tops the list of the best hotels in the city.

The 22-acre property, which has four towers, recently underwent a $1 billion renovation and has 11 swimming pools, not to mention the big pool known as the Atlantic Ocean.

Frank Sinatra used to visit here a lot, and there’s a lovely hallway decorated with dozens of photos of Ol’ Blue Eyes, along with other celebrities.

The Fontainebleau lobby is sleek and ultra-stylish, all done in up in a style known as Miami Modern.

I had a nice room in the Chateau wing, with lovely xxx. An in-room coffee maker would have been nice, but they do have a great coffee shop in the lobby for cappuccino, yogurt, flaky croissants, and more.

The hotel boasts more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, and there’s also a two-level spa.

Mirabella features award-winning chef Michael White and serves superb Italian coastal cuisine, including fine pasta and tremendous branzino. I didn’t get a chance to try them, but the hotel’s Hakkasan (Cantonese) and Prime 54 (steakhouse) restaurants also come highly rated. Stop in the Bleau Bar for a super-romantic experience and a fine cocktail.

OTHER BITS

Superblue is a wondrous art center with shimmering lights that reflect your pulse rate and giant, immersive art displays that will take your breath away. Don’t miss a trip to the bubble room, where you’ll be enveloped in a sea of foam.

The Perez Art Museum has a lovely location on the Miami waterfront and wonderful, cutting-edge exhibits.

Maybe 10 years ago I enjoyed a wonderful Art Deco tour of South Beach. I highly recommend it.

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a stunning, tranquil spot on the water, just south of downtown Miami.

I also suggest a Hop On and Off Tour of the city so you can see some of the highlights.