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A lovesick Latvian immigrant’s valentine to the girl back home who spurned him. These bizarre monoliths form one of the area’s oddest monuments, yet it is strangely touching nevertheless (see Coral Gables Merrick House).

Resembling a plump lighthouse, this colorful tower (built 1924) was the work of Denman Fink, George Merrick’s uncle. Neglected for decades, it was fully restored in 1993 and, although no longer used, the tower’s elegant Moorish touches make it an intriguing piece of industrial architecture.

Built in 1966 on the edge of Biscayne Bay, this peculiar conical church draws in Miami’s Cuban exiles. The altar is oriented toward Cuba, rather than to the east, and above it is a mural depicting the history of the Catholic Church in Cuba. The shrine is dedicated to the Virgin of Charity, the Cuban patron saint.

Another delightful example of the quirky fantasy architecture dreamed up in the 1920s. Unfortunately, the run-down area around is anything but a dream.

In all the world, it is unlikely that you’ll find any lifeguard huts so aesthetically pleasing as these Deco-style delights (see Beach Patrol Stations).

South Florida at its most darkly exotic. The botánicas (shops) carry all sorts of magic potions and power objects used in the practice of the hybrid religions of Santería and Vodou (voodoo) – a little Roman Catholicism mixed with a lot of ancient West African ritual and belief (see Santería (mystical belief system)).

Drive to the southernmost tip of Key Biscayne, look way out on the water, and you’ll spy six lonesome structures built on stilts. These fishermen’s bungalows are the last of what was once quite a community. Their number has dwindled considerably due to hurricanes and legal squabbles.

In 1929 one Richter C. Perky, a property speculator, built this awkward structure, designed to be every bat’s dream-home; in exchange, the bats were supposed to rid the area of its voracious mosquitoes. Unfortunately, the bats he imported instantly flew away, while the mosquitoes thrived.

Imagine entering a timeless world, full of humor and a funky, indefinable Key West aura (see Nancy’s Secret Garden).

Devoted nudists can find an appreciative milieu in this bar (see The Bull), as they can within the walls and gardens of many guesthouses around town.