Page 300 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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Greater Miami r North Beaches
The areas north of Miami Beach and downtown and Map F4. Collins Ave. @ H, L, or S from
South Beach or downtown.
south of Coral Gables are seldom very scenic, but they
are still well worth exploring for the great beaches and The Barrier Islands to the
family amusements. To the south of the city, past citrus north along Collins Avenue
are occupied mainly by
groves, coastal mangrove swamps, and the edges of the posh residential areas and
Everglades, visitors can find the city’s zoo, along with inexpensive resorts, popular
several stunning gardens. with package tours. A quiet strip
of sand between 79th and 87th
Streets separates Miami Beach
from Surfside, a simple
community popular with
French Canadians. At 96th
Street Surfside merges with
Bal Harbour, a stylish enclave
known for its flashy hotels and
one of Miami’s swankiest malls,
Bal Harbour Shops. To the north
is the pleasant Haulover Park,
with a marina on the creek
side and dune-backed sands
Beach at Haulover Park, under the protective eye of a lifeguard facing the ocean.

t Ancient Spanish of foot-and-mouth disease decided to piece together
Monastery led to the crates being opened “the world’s largest and most
(to check the packing straw), expensive jigsaw puzzle.”
Map F4. 16711 W Dixie Hwy, N Miami and the stones were repacked The cloisters resemble the
Beach. Tel (407) 945-1461. @ H from incorrectly. Once in New York, original, but there is still a pile
South Beach, 3 from downtown. they remained there until of unidentified stones in a
Open 10am–4:30pm Mon–Sat, 1952, when it was corner of the gardens.
11am–4:30pm Sun. Closed public
hols, may close for special events. &
7 ∑ spanishmonastery.com
Chapterhouse The Chapel, at
one time the
These monastery cloisters have dining hall, is still
an unusual history. Built in Spain used for worship.
between 1133 and 1141, they
were bought in 1925 by news-
paper tycoon William Randolph
Hearst (see p676), who
had their 35,000 stones
packed into crates.
An outbreak
Statue of Alphonso VII,
patron of the
monastery

The cloister
entrance is a
carved, early
Gothic arch.

The bell outside the
chapel door The quiet gardens
are a popular spot for
wedding photos.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp326–8 and pp329–31

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