Coral Gables Travel Guide
"The City Beautiful"
Jorge Castillo: Get away from all of the hustle and bustle of South Beach in Coral Gables.
Glenn Lindgren: Coral Gables in an oasis of beautiful tree-lined streets, historic homes, a historic hotel and three golf courses in the middle of a large metropolis.
Raúl Musibay: We always take visitors for a drive through Coral Gables. After the craziness of Bird Road, they are amazed at how peaceful this neighborhood is.
Glenn Lindgren: The City of Coral Gables was created by developer George Merrick in 1925. His dream was to create a planned community with both residential and commercial areas.
Jorge Castillo: Believe it or not, Coral Gables actually sits on some of the highest ground in Miami. There are actually a few areas where you can almost imagine a hill!
Glenn Lindgren: What attracts everyone to Coral Gables is the beautiful houses and the variety of architectural styles that went into their design. The Spanish style of architecture is the most common. However, Merrick also created Coral Gables Villages, which have various international themes.
Jorge Castillo: There is a French City Village, French Country Village, Normandy Village, Dutch South African Village, Italian Village, and so on. Check out the Chinese Village at the 5100 block of Riviera Drive.
Glenn Lindgren: Just look for the wall with the bamboo and the houses with the blue tile roofs.
Jorge Castillo: Coral Gables is known for the many formal entrances to the city. The Coral Way Entrance, Douglas Entrance, Granada entrance and so on. Each has distinctive architectural and landscaping features.
Glenn Lindgren: Other highlights of your Coral Gables tour include the Alhambra Plaza, and the Alhambra Water Tower at the intersection of Alhambra Circle, Greenway Drive, DeSoto Blvd. and Anderson Road.
Raúl Musibay: One of my favorite areas is the Church of the Little Flower Historic District. It's between Valencia Avenue, Palermo Avenue, Palos Street, and Indian Mound Trail.
Jorge Castillo: Don't forget the Columbus Plaza -- Coral Way at Columbus Blvd. and Indian Mound Trail.
Glenn Lindgren: The section of Coral Way (including the Coral Way Entrance) between LeJeune Road and Red Road is very pretty. You can find George Merrick's House at 907 Coral Way.
Glenn Lindgren: In addition to the historic Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables features the Omni Colonnade Hotel and the Hyatt Regency Coral Gables. These are world-class hotels, not for the budget traveler.
Jorge Castillo: Even if you don't stay there, make sure you stop for an informal tour of the Biltmore. The architecture here is stunning. The hotel's Giralda tower is a replica of the Giralda Tower in the Cathedral of Seville, Spain. And they also have the world's largest hotel pool and a great golf course.
Jorge Castillo: Coral Gables has many high-class, formal restaurants. Even 3 Guys From Miami like to get dressed up now and then and really enjoy a gourmet dinner.
Glenn Lindgren: Like to shop?
Jorge Castillo: And who doesn't?
Raúl Musibay: I don't. I'd rather be fishing!
Glenn Lindgren: Well for you shoppers, there is the famous Miracle Mile shopping district, a beautiful tree-lined boulevard of shopping. Many small shops offer something for everyone in your group.
Raúl Musibay: Coral Gables is a good starting point for many side trips. From Coral Gables you are adjacent to Bird Road -- where you will find many of the restaurants and bakeries that we recommend.
Jorge Castillo: We have frequently recommended a run through Coral Gables to out of town visitors looking for a nice shady place to jog.
Glenn It's also a great place to walk -- very peaceful.
Jorge Castillo: If you get tired of looking at all of the great houses, Coral Gables also has a great 83-acre tropical garden.
Glenn Lindgren: The Fairchild Tropical Gardens is a great place to enjoy native plants.
Raúl Musibay: You will see many plants that we had in Cuba.
Jorge Castillo: You can take a walk on trails that take you around eleven scenic lakes
Raúl Musibay: You'll see many plants, a rain forest, flowers, and fruits.
Jorge Castillo: They also have some beautiful orchids here.
Glenn Lindgren: Finally, take advantage of the many cultural and entertainment venues that Coral Gables has to offer.
