Spanish Treasure

North Miami Beach’s medieval Church of St. Bernard de Clairvaux (16711 W. Dixie Hwy.; 305-945-1461; www.ilovegardens.com), better known as the Ancient Spanish Monastery, is an outstanding example of early Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Built between 1133 and 1141 in Segovia, Spain, the monastery was purchased by William Randolph Hearst in 1925. Upon its arrival into the country, the dismantled building was quarantined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The crates remained in a Brooklyn warehouse until 1952, when it was reassembled. Open daily except for when there’s an event.

Estate of Grace

At the Deering Estate at Cutler (16701 S.W. 72nd Ave.; 305-235-1668; www.deeringestate.com), tour 440 acres that includes eco-preserves, archaeological sites, recreation facilities and a view of Biscayne Bay. The estate also boasts the historic Richmond Cottage, portions of which date back to 1896, and the Mediterranean Revival winter home of industrialist Charles Deering,
completed in 1922. Open daily.

Gardens of Delight

Fondly referred to as “Miami Beach’s best-kept secret” by tropical plant enthusiasts, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden
(2000 Convention Center Drive; 305-673-7256; www.mbgarden.org) is a lush, four-and-a-half-acre retreat. Visitors can stroll among the multitude of plant varieties, unusual blossoms and even research their favorites in the gardening and horticulture library.

Free daily tours, Tuesday–Sunday, 11am-noon, closed Mondays and major holidays. An octagonal pavilion in the style of a Japanese Buddhist shrine and an eight-ton granite statue of Hotei, the smiling god of prosperity, are focal points of the Ichimura Miami-Japan Garden (950 MacArthur Causeway, Watson Island; 305-662-8008; www. ilovegardens.com). Donated to the City of Miami in 1961 by Kiyoshi Ichimura, founder of Ricoh Corp., the garden also includes a pond, a rock garden and a 300-year-old stone pagoda.

The largest tropical botanical garden in the continental United States, Fairchild Tropical Garden (10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables; 305-667-1651; www.fairchildgarden.org) opened in 1938. Home to 83 acres of plants from around the world, the garden features 400 species of palms, a 2-acre rain forest, a sunken garden and more.

Wild Times

With 300 acres of jungles, plains and forests, it’s no wonder that the Miami Metro Zoo (One Zoo Blvd., 12400 S.W. 152nd St.; 305-251-0400; www.miamimetrozoo.com) is wildly
popular. Nine hundred rare and exotic animals of 236 species roam freely — there are no cages or bars to impede their curious natures. Discover the zoo on foot along misted trails, or travel above the herds in an air-conditioned monorail. There are also daily animal shows, a children’s petting zoo, interactive, hands-on exhibits in
Dr. Wilde’s World and a new aviary with more than 300 birds. The zoo is open daily, including holidays. Thirty species of primates are represented at Monkey Jungle (14805 S.W. 216th St.; 305-235-1611), where nearly 400 primates run free on a 30-acre reserve. Visitors can get an up-close look at black-capped capuchins, gorillas, howler monkeys, orangutans, lemurs and more. Open daily.

The Grove

The area now known as Coconut Grove was first inhabited by Bahamian seamen who salvaged treasure from wrecked vessels offshore. When yacht designer Ralph Munroe, from New York, and his friends, the Peacock brothers from England, came to Coconut Grove at the turn of the 20th century, the village began to flourish. The Peacock Inn attracted famous writers, scientists and artists. James Deering built Vizcaya, and plant mavens Robert H. Montgomery and David Fairchild created Fairchild Tropical Garden. Today, the Barnacle (Munroe's home), the Museum of Science and Space Transit Planetarium, the Coconut Grove Playhouse and Plymouth Congregational Church are other points of interest.

Native American Heritage

Deep in the heart of the Everglades, inhabitants of the Miccosukee Indian Village (Mile Marker 70, U.S. 41 Tamiami Trail, Dade County; 305-223-8380; www.miccosukee.com) preserve the tribal customs and traditions dating from their 19th-century emigration here to escape the Indian Wars. In late December, an Indian Arts Festival is held, and during the remainder of the year, exhibits and demonstrations offer a glimpse of their unique culture. Airboat tours, alligator shows, crafts and more are featured. The village is located approximately 25 miles west of Miami.

Miami Babylon

Today’s Miami bears the marks of each generation of architects, and Miami has always seemed to grow by magic rather than plan, perfectly free to be Spanish, Moorish, Caribbean, art deco, postmodern or just plain whimsical. One of the earliest and most enduring influences on the look of Miami was Vizcaya (3251 S. Miami Ave.; 305-250-9133, www.vizcayamuseum.org) built by F. Burrall Hoffman, Jr. and Paul Chalfin in 1916.

Vizcaya inspired a wealth of Mediterranean–style buildings, including the former Miami Daily News building (600 N. Biscayne Blvd.). Built by Schultze and Weaver in 1925, the building was modeled after the 15th-century Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain.

The Fontainebleau (4441 Collins Ave.; 305-538-2000; www.hilton.com.), built by Morris Lapidus in 1954, is the paragon of Miami Beach’s MiMo style.

Communing with Nature

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center (Crandon Park, 6767 Crandon Blvd., Key Biscayne; 305-361-6767; www.biscaynenaturecenter.org) is a hub of environmental activity in South Florida, sponsoring sea turtle spawning refuges, dune restoration and indigenous sea life protection efforts. The center offers
lectures and a variety of trips led by naturalist guides, from marine exploration to bike trips to hikes along beaches and through coastal hammocks. Call for reservations.

Sitting on 40 waterfromt acres, The Barnacle Historic State Park (3485 Main Highway, Coconut Grove; 305-448-9445; www.ona1a.com) is the site of one of Dade County’s oldest homes, the Barnacle, a name given by its builder Ralph Monroe, an inventor, businessman and one of Coconut Grove’s earliest settlers.

For the Birds

Macaws and parrots, cockatoos and flamingos strut their fine-feathered stuff on 18.6 acres of tropicana at the new Parrot Jungle Island (1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, btwn. downtown Miami and South Beach; 305-258-6453; www.parrotjungle.com). Joyfully colorful and noisy, this park is a great place for kids of all ages. The trained bird shows are terrific, and the gardens hold hundreds of varieties of exotic plants. There’s a serpentarium, an Everglades habitat, aviaries, a petting farm and playground area, a Kidz Cove, a rare plant nursery, and jungle trails. There’s also gators, crocs, tigers chimps and orangutangs.

Open daily. At Butterfly World (3600 W. Sample Road, Coconut Creek; 954-977-4400; www.gardens@butterflyworld.com) you see first hand what is meant by “flying art.” Breeding 150 species, BW has 5 acres of tropical gardens and a screened walk-through re-creation of a tropical rain forest to enjoy. You can even watch newborn butterflies emerge from their cocoons.

Making things Spicy

One of South Florida's spiciest attractions is the Fruit and Spice Park (24801 S.W. 187th Ave. at 248th St., Homestead; 305-247-5727;www.miamidade.gov/parks), which grows some 200 species and 500 varieties of fruits, spices, vegetables, herbs and nuts. Picnic facilities are available. Open daily.

A Moving Tribute

The Holocaust Memorial (1933-1945 Meridian Ave.; 305-538-1663; www.chgs.umn.edu) is a stirring tribute to the millions
whose lives were taken by the Nazi regime in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. The centerpiece, a 42-foot-high bronze statue by artist Kenneth Treister, depicts a mass of people crawling toward the promise of freedom, represented by an upraised, open hand. Around the monument, a tunnel-like passageway lined with documentary photographs chronicles the experience of the concentration camps. On a memorial wall with black granite panels are the names of these camps and their victims. A meditation garden and the Dome of Contemplation suggest that the moving and powerful tribute is at once a mournful remembrance and a prayer for tolerance. Guided group tours are available, and reservations are required for school tours.

Keys to Happiness

More than 400 islands make up the 150-mile-long chain of islands known as the Florida Keys. The southernmost of these, lying at the end of the Overseas Highway (U.S. 1) and a mere 90 miles north of Havana, Cuba, is Key West. The island has long attracted seekers of the laid-back beach lifestyle, as well as artists, writers and notable personalities. Harry Truman escaped to his getaway house, and both Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams lived and worked here. While in Key West, visit the Key West Lighthouse Museum (938 Whitehead St., Key West; 305-294-0012; www.ohwy.com/fl/k/keyweslm.htm) take advantage of world-class diving, snorkeling and fishing.

Aquatic Adventures

Those who love all things aquatic should hurry to the Miami Seaquarium (4400 Rickenbacker Causeway; 305-361-5705; www.miamiseaquarium.com). Continuous daily shows star some of the world’s most entertaining ocean mammals, from dolphins and killer whales to playful sea lions. Trainers put these creatures through their paces to the cheers of the crowd, and you can even offer your cheek for a kiss. Also featured: exhibits, feedings, and a chance to swim with the dolphins (305-365-2501). Open daily.