Back in late September, I found myself near Miami, Florida with a week to kill before I needed to be at my next housesit. (Affiliate link for $25 off, FYI.) So I decided to drive up the A1A coastal highway the length of Florida.
My first, pre-A1A stop was to head slightly south and check out Key Biscayne and the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park and the Cape Florida Lighthouse.
Where To Stay in Miami
I used Airbnb to find this amazing apartment (affiliate link, btw) in a lovely neighborhood right in the shadow of downtown Miami. It’s in the lush back garden of a Cuban family – they barely speak English but the experience was amazing! The host, Elsa, brought me a popsicle after I checked in and Cuban coffee in the morning.
YOU GUYS, I had never had Cuban coffee before and it was amazing! I usually don’t drink caffeine but I had to try this! It fueled a very happy and energetic morning for me. SO GOOD!
The whole place was like a spa retreat – plush bedding, a waterfall shower, and a tiny but amazingly functional kitchenette. There’s even a table outside in your private section of the garden, where I enjoyed a very flavorful ropa vieja from the venerable Versaille Cuban restaurant. I definitely need to go back to Miami to explore Cuban food more.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
South of ritzy Key Biscayne, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park preserves the natural landscape of the cape. In recent years, it’s been named one of the best beaches in the United States. And in case you are wondering who Bill Baggs is, he was editor of The Miami News in the 60’s. He did a lot of work to preserve the area.
In the 1820’s, hundreds of American slaves escaped from the cape in canoes to find freedom in the Bahamas. In 2004, Cape Florida was designated a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site.
The most apparent attraction at the park is the Cape Florida Lighthouse, built in 1825 to guide sailors away from the Florida Reef. In non-Covid times, there are guided tours of the lighthouse twice a day, including a climb to the top of the 95-foot tower. All tours were closed when I went, though.
The wide beach is the other main attraction and it did look very nice, with that Bahamas-blue water and gentle surf. There are chair and umbrella rentals, bike rentals and a nice bike path, hiking and birding trails, a marina, and a cafe. It’s a really lovely way to get out of the city and see some natural Florida.
Entry costs $8 per car or $2 per person, if you walk in. Camping by boat costs $20 per night.
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