traveldk.com

This is the oldest Europeantradition building in the Western Hemisphere, originally built in 1133–41 near Segovia, Spain. In 1925, William Randolph Hearst bought the magnificent cloisters, had them dismantled stone by stone, and sent to the US. After many trials and tribulations, the stones were reassembled here in the early 1950s for $1.5 million. Call before visiting on weekends as the monastery will close for events such as weddings.

Created around a natural limestone bridge formation, this location used to be part of an important Native American trail. A museum/nature center contains artifacts left by those peoples. Naturalists will be your guides as they point out native birds, animals, insects, and trees.

An oak-shaded haven for runners, golfers, and other outdoor enthusiasts, Greynolds Park is landscaped with native and exotic plants, including mangrove, royal palm, palmetto, pampas grass, sea grape, and gumbo limbo. You’ll also find beach volleyball courts, a children’s playground, and plenty of picnic tables.

Thoroughbreds race here on two tracks between January and April, and the park is also home of the prestigious million-dollar Florida Derby, which takes place in March every year. During the racing season, concerts are held here on weekends, with national and international performers.

Haulover Park contains one of south Florida’s most beautiful beaches – a mile and a half of golden sand drawing people from all walks of life. Nestled between the Intercoastal Waterway and the Atlantic, the beach is ideal for surfing and swimming and on warm weekends it is jam-packed with sun bathers. The park itself has a marina, restaurant, tennis courts, a nine-hole golf course, and a kite shop.

Little Haiti is not so much dangerous as disconcerting – to see so much poverty just steps away from such wealth. The one attempt at promoting tourism was the Caribbean Marketplace. Though critically acclaimed, it has had mixed success.

Nicknamed the “Baghdad of Dade County,” the fantasy follies of this now-depressed district were the brainchild of Glenn Curtiss in the 1920s. All in pink, with minarets, burnished domes, and keyhole arches, the restored City Hall is the best example left. (But don’t stray far from it.)