Miami Children’s Museum
Venetian Pool
Credit: Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau
VENETIAN POOL
Inspired by Mediterranean architecture, the Venetian Pool in Coral
Gables is a unique part of Miami’s history and offers a relaxing oasis
away from the bustle of South Beach. Carved out of a limestone
quarry in 1923, it is actually the only swimming pool on the National
Register of Historic Places. The 820,000-gallon pool is fed with spring
water from an underground aquifer and refilled daily to ensure
cleanliness. Waterfalls, cave-like grottos, bridges, porticos and stone
loggias add the beauty of the public swimming pool. Parents should
note that children must be three years or older and at least 38 inches
tall to swim there.
J O H N P E N N E K A M P C O R A L R E E F S TAT E PA R K
Key Largo is one of the most northern of the Florida Keys and easily
accessible from Miami via U.S. Highway 1. The crystal clear waters
making the island a hub for kayakers, paddle-boarders, snorkelers,
scuba divers and eco-tourists alike. One of the most picturesque spots
is the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, which was the first
undersea park in the U.S. when it was established in 1963 to protect
the living coral reef. The park now covers about 178 nautical square
miles of coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove swamp. Those who
venture below the surface can explore dive sites including the Christ
Statue, Carysfort and Molasses Reef, or investigate of the remains
of the Benwood, a WWII era shipwreck now exploding with wildlife.
Alternatively, a glass-bottomed boat tour on a 65-foot long catamaran
lets you experience the shallower reefs without even getting wet.
T H E AT E R O F T H E S E A
About 75 miles south of Miami by car and 20 minutes from Key Largo
is the village of Islamorada, which spreads across five islands of the
Florida Keys. Breath takingly beautiful in its own right, the tropical
community is best known for the Theater of the Sea, one of the oldest
marine mammal facilities in the world. The most popular attraction
is the Swim With Dolphins program, where you can snorkel and play
with bottlenose dolphins in the salt-water lagoon (non-swimmers
of all ages can do the Wade With Dolphins option in less than four
feet of water). Other animal encounters include sea lions, sea turtles,
stingrays, docile lemon sharks and (not-so docile) alligators. General
admission tickets cover the dolphin, sea lion, and parrot shows,
bottomless boat ride, lagoon-side beach, plus a fish and reptile tour.
GETTING THERE
Until Dec. 19, 2018, American Airlines has twice daily flights from IAD
to MIA. Starting Dec. 19, 2018, United Airlines flies direct from IAD to
MIA daily, and American Airlines flies direct from DCA to MIA multiple
times per day. From MIA, it is 12 miles to South Beach, and there
are multiple ways to get there if your hotel doesn’t have a courtesy
shuttle. Taxis, Uber and Lyft all pick up at the airport, and most major
rental car companies have hubs at the Rental Car Center next to the
Miami Intermodal Center, which you can access via the MIA Mover
train. The Miami-Dade Transit also operates the Airport Flyer bus,
a.k.a. route 150, which has a flat rate of $2.25 each way.
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