GMCVB Vacation Planner 2012 : Page-62

Special Advertising Section southeastern end, welcoming visitors with a 45-minute nature trail through native trees and vegetation, along with a man-made atoll pool, which is flushed naturally with the tidal action of nearby Biscayne Bay. Not far from Matheson, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is a verdant haven of tropical plants and botanical research, with special events — including plant shows and a mango festival — drawing thousands of locals and visitors. Nature’s beauty and man’s ingenuity meet at another popular Coral Gables attraction, Venetian Pool, which began life as a rock quarry whose rich limestone was used to build the city in the 1920s. Instead of abandoning the quarry, however, city planners envisioned the creation of “the world’s most beautiful swimming hole,” and many would say they did just that — with its vine-covered loggias, coral caves, shaded porticos and sparkling waters fed by a pristine underground spring, Venetian Pool recalls the charm of bisected by several main thoroughfares, including Miracle Mile and Ponce de Leon Boulevard. Visit on the first Friday of the month and join in Gables Gallery Night, when downtown galleries open their doors to art lovers who arrive on foot or via complimentary shuttles that run continuously throughout the evening. SHOPPING The streets of downtown Coral Gables, including Miracle Mile, are also lined with more than 200 retailers, including designer clothing boutiques, bookstores, fine jewelers, bridal shops and home furnishing manufacturers. Easily walkable, especially for guests staying in one of several first-class hotels in the area, downtown Coral Gables has a European feel as shoppers cruise the streets, stopping to browse the one-of-a-kind merchandise or ducking into a fragrant bakery, all while enjoying the South Florida sunshine. Also on Coral Gables’ retail scene, south of Miracle Mile, is the Village of Merrick Park, home to more than a hundred boutiques and shops — including CH Carolina Herrera, BOSS Hugo Boss and Juicy Couture — within a garden-like setting of foliage and fountains. DINING AND NIGHTLIFE There is dining in every corner of “the Gables,” but concentrated within the downtown core are more than 70 restaurants and cafes, including Talavera, Seasons 52, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Por Fin Restaurant & Lounge and the landmark French restaurant, Le Provencal, on Miracle Mile. If you dine in downtown Coral Gables, though, don’t eat and run. Stay on to catch a live performance at the Actor’s Playhouse on Miracle Mile. Nearby, GablesStage at the Biltmore presents live theater, featuring compelling works by today’s cutting-edge playwrights. Authentic Mexican. Old Venice in a luxuriant setting of bougainvillea, birds of paradise plants and coconut palms. Another way to enjoy the great outdoors — and for a few die-hards, the only way — is on the golf course. Coral Gables has a number of places to tee off, including the Granada Golf Course, the oldest nine-hole course in Florida, and the 18-hole Biltmore Golf Course, which is adjacent to the breathtaking Biltmore Hotel, whose 300-foot Giralda Tower is one of Greater The art of a genuine and refi ned taste of Mexico Miami’s most striking landmarks. If you opt to tour Coral Gables by bicycle, exploring the beauty of its Spanish-style homes and canopy streets, you might pass through the campus of the University of Miami, whose acclaimed Lowe Art  7VUJLKL3LVU)S]K&#0d;.PYHSKH *VYHS.HISLZ Museum is open to the public. Meanwhile, a collection of outstanding art galleries is clustered within Coral Gables’ downtown district, &#0f;&#1a;&#1c;
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