There’s never a dull moment in Miami.
From world class dining, fashion, nightlife, and art to iguanas falling from trees to half-naked men on Segway scooters carrying live flamingoes, Miami — which brought us Pitbull, Dave Barry, Scarface, Dan Marino, Ace Ventura and the iconic Freedom Tower — truly defines what it means to live out the American dream one steamy “it’s always summer” day at a time. Dale!
College Town Season 2 is here! You can find all the episodes we’ve done here, but today’s episode focuses on Miami and Coral Gables. Check it out below:
The Magic City tends to be too hot to be hot and bothered and the surrounding areas, including Coral Gables, home to the University of Miami campus, embrace the Magic City’s “What are we doing now?” impromptu.
The city of Miami also invented the sport of football in 1972 and perfected college football in the 1980s and early 2000s. Just ask a local! They’ll tell you all about it!
While Mario Cristobal and the resurgent Miami Hurricanes may not play in Coral Gables, that shouldn’t prevent Canes fans and college football lovers alike from making the trek to the City Beautiful to tour the grounds of the University of Miami and enjoy a weekend in one of the most picturesque college settings and cities in the United States.
If you get down there, be sure to pack white linen, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
Once you have the wardrobe ready, here are 10 things to be sure to check off your list on any campus trip to Coral Gables.
10. Rent a kayak and cruise the Gables waterway and canals for a taste of old Florida
There are myriad places in Coral Gables and nearby Pinecrest where you can rent a kayak for the day and the payoff is worth the rental fee and deposit.
George Edgar Merrick, the famed Florida real estate developer who designed Coral Gables, used a series of canals and a main waterway, locally known as the Gables waterway, to build a city that features grandiose homes, old Spanish style architecture, and idyllic water views. The waterways themselves beckon back to old Florida, with mangrove and cypress trees soaking up the brackish water, sabal palms flourishing on the water banks, and in wider water areas, enchanting views of the royal palms that line the city’s broad boulevards.
If you rent a kayak and travel through the waterway and Gables canals, you’ll also get a unique view of some of the University of Miami’s hottest spots on campus, from Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field, home to the powerhouse Miami baseball program, or Lake Osceola, the man-made lake that dominates the landscape of the UM campus. Titanic Brewery, a longtime Gables watering hole, also sits just off the waterway if you want to grab an adult beverage on a hot afternoon.
9. Grab a drink at “The Bar”
The Bar opened in 1946 in the post-war boom as one of the first Coral Gables beer halls.
It’s been an institution since, playing everything from Jimmy Buffett on weekday afternoons to hosting karaoke and DJs on Saturday evening. The crowd trends younger, but there’s still plenty of Gen X and millennial clientele who remain loyal long after they become “professional.” The Bar’s unofficial motto is that it’s a place “where spirits are high, the lighting is low, and the vibe is just right” and there’s no weekend trip to the Gables that shouldn’t include a check-in. If you are hungry, don’t knock the pared down menu, either. The chicken wings are terrific and the loaded tater tots hit different after a long walk/swim through the South Florida heat and humidity.
8. Catch Miami Baseball at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field
Miami isn’t just a football school. The baseball program has won 4 national championships and advanced to the College World Series on 25 occasions, both the high water marks in the state of Florida. While Hall-of-Famer Alex Rodriguez didn’t play for the Canes, he grew up in Miami idolizing Hurricanes baseball and his connection and contributions to the program led to the University of Miami naming the picturesque ballpark the U calls home in his honor. Miami hasn’t been to the College World Series since 2016, but new head coach J.D. Arteaga won a NCAA Regional last summer in just his second season and if you’re in the Gables in the spring, there’s not a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than at the ballpark. Get a milkshake at Mark Light ice cream and learn why it’s one of the most famed ballpark concession items in collegiate athletics.
7. Spend a morning at Lowe Art Musuem
As on-campus art museums go, it’s tough to top the range and diversity of the art you’ll see at The Lowe. From celebrated permanent exhibitions featuring acclaimed sculpture and glass artists, an incredible display of art from the ancient Americas, and relics from the Spanish colonization of Florida to a rotating set of exhibitions exploring everything from landscape photographers to contemporary artists pushing boundaries, there’s a little something for everyone, even the grumpy Boomer who doesn’t think art is anything beyond paintings from the 15th to 18th century. (And yes, they have that stuff, too!)
6. Have a picnic at Matheson Hammock Park and Marina
Scenic Matheson Hammock Park offers splendid views of Key Biscayne across the water and is famous for its beach and a man-made atoll pool, flushed naturally with tidal water from the Biscayne Bay. The park has a full-service restaurant, marina, and snack bar and is open from sunrise (gorgeous) to sunset. Pack a lunch, grab a table under a moss-draped oak, and let the warm, salty air spill over you for a little while. You’ll realize why so many folks have come to Miami and found it difficult to leave, from Ponce de Leon in 1513 to the thousands of newcomers who make the city a new home each year.
5. Dinner at Daniel’s Steakhouse or Talavera Cocina, 2 Gables classics
Depending on what you’re in the mood for, there’s really no meal you can’t find in the Gables.
The 2 prize spots, though, are Daniel’s Steakhouse on San Ignacio in downtown Coral Gables or Talavera Cocina Mexicana, also downtown off Ponce de Leon Boulevard.
The 2 spots couldn’t be more different. They also couldn’t be much better at what they do.
Daniel’s is a classic steakhouse, with a no-frills interior that’s all about the quality of the beef, the bulk of which is farm-to-table cuts from North Florida’s famed cattle industry. The restaurant also has partnerships with cattle ranches in Australia, helping deliver renowned Australian wagyu to diners for many years. The steakhouse doesn’t forget its Miami roots, either. There’s a fresh seafood menu daily, the bulk of which includes shrimp and other offerings caught by fishermen in the Florida Keys. A world-class wine list and cocktail menu will make sure you wash things down, too.
Talavera, the author’s favorite restaurant in Coral Gables, features cuisine from both Mexico City and Oaxaca, which infuses southern Mexico sauces like mole and ingredients like cacao and chiles into traditional Mexican dishes, making the dining experience authentic and menu offerings unique. Fresh snapper, locally caught, cooked in a tomatillo sauce, is memorable, as is their take on the classic chile relleno, the stuffed poblano chile pepper filled with Oaxaca cheese and draped in eggwhite batter and roasted tomato sauce. Talavera’s old world comfort food is complemented by an ever-changing cocktail and margarita menu, assuring you’ll never leave the place thirsty.
4. Walk the Miracle Mile for shopping and scenes
Coral Gables is one of the few quality “walking cities” in the state of Florida, and the Miracle Mile, where the word “Miracle” refers to the odds of securing a parking space, is ideal for walking, shaded by royal palms and Spanish moss draped live oaks even in the doldrums of Miami’s endless summer. Grab a coffee at Café Grumpy on Ponce de Leon and start your trek, which will feature incredible people watching and world-class shopping, a host of outstanding restaurants (especially on Giralda Avenue), and plenty of options for libations. Books and Books is a Gables staple — and one of the best independent bookstores in the United States. Spend some time browsing or catch a flick at the Coral Gables Art Cinema, which is just across the street and renowned for showing independent films and early releases, many set in Miami.
3. Spend an afternoon at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Want to truly immerse yourself in old Florida?
The 83-acre Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden affords that opportunity, offering 3,000 species of plants and animals on property, including a collection of 15 endangered species from the South Florida and Puerto Rican archipelago. The Botanic Garden serves as an important research and education center aimed at conservation and protection of Florida’s precious natural resources. It’s also fun, with walking trails, guided tours, and grounds abundant with tropical plants, native Floridian flowers, and plenty of family-friendly events, from live music to safari tours.
All told, a special place to spend an afternoon.
2. Head up north to see the Canes!
The Hurricanes don’t have a home stadium, but the program doesn’t lack pageantry or passion and Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, is one of the best football venues in the country.
There’s no bad seat, tremendous food options, and when Miami is good, the place is louder than a jet engine, with Hurricanes fans shaking the foundations with every “That’s a Miami Hurricanes First Down,” the PA refrain that has followed the Canes from their old home at the now gone-and-buried Orange Bowl site in Little Havana to their new home up the Florida turnpike.
Miami is a fickle sports town. This is a known fact and in a city where there’s always something to do, some construction to avoid, and the average attention span is shorter than a TikTok video, it’s not easy to persuade folks to drive the 35 minutes to 2 hours it can take, depending on traffic, to get from Coral Gables to Miami Gardens for a college football game.
But when the U is good? What a special place, home to 5 national championships, the greatest college football team to ever play (2001), and a bright future under Mario Cristobal.
1. Visit the Biltmore Hotel
The iconic Biltmore Hotel in downtown Coral Gables is world famous for its Mediterranean architectural style filled with local Italian and Spanish influences. With 271 guest rooms and 173 suites, the hotel is known for its vibrant colors and individual room-to-room flourishes and breathtaking balcony views. The hotel grounds, which feature a 23,000 square foot pool, state-of-the-art spa and wellness center, tennis courts, and a world class golf facility, have been the set of many Hollywood hits, from Bad Boys to countless episodes of Miami Vice. The architecture alone made the Biltmore a national historic landmark, but the landscaping and views make it hard for words to do the place justice. Just visit in person!
10 things every fan must do when visiting Miami and Coral Gables Saturday Down South.
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