60 June 18–24, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES June 18–24, 2026 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES BEST ºf MIAMI ® 2026 trove of Chinese and Japanese antiquities. The restaurant is also quite good, offering lunch standards, dinner plates, tasty desserts and a robust cocktail menu. BEST ESCAPE Gilbert’s Resort & Marina 107900 Overseas Hwy. Key Largo, 33037 305-451-1133 gilbertsresort.com If the hustle of Miami is wearing you down, follow the teal, concrete barriers of the Over- seas Highway to the unmarked exit before you hit Key Largo. Keep driving past the “crocodile crossing” signs, park on the side of the road, and you’ll find some familiar sights: a resort, a waterfront restaurant, a marina, lots of people drinking in bathing suits — but the pace here is decidedly different than it is further north up the Turnpike. While Mi- ami is relentless in its search for the next trendy hotspot, Gilbert’s is an Old Florida gem stuck in time beneath thatched tiki-hut shel- ters with cover bands playing music from the era when gui- tars were still king. Next time you need a recess, book a week- end at the family-friendly resort or take a detour to watch the boats and pelicans drift by with a piña co- lada in hand before you continue down to the Keys. BEST PLACE TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE NOT IN MIAMI The Kampong, National Tropical Botanical Garden 4013 Douglas Rd. Miami, 33133 305-442-7169 ntbg.org/gardens/kampong/ One minute, you’re dodging traffic in Coco- nut Grove. Next, you’re wandering through The Kampong, wondering if you accidentally slipped through a portal into Southeast Asia, exploring banyan trees and bamboo groves. Hidden above Biscayne Bay on a lush nine- acre estate, this historic botanical oasis feels delightfully untethered from the version of Miami most people know. There are mango trees everywhere (65 varieties) alongside rare tropical fruits, twisting pathways, giant palms and the sort of humid stillness that makes you instinctively start whispering. Originally the home of legendary plant ex- plorer David Fairchild, the property feels equal parts secret garden, science experi- ment and fever dream for people who own linen clothing. The Fairchild-Sweeney House, with its blend of Mediterranean Re- vival and Southeast Asian influences, over- looks the bay like a dreamy colonial mirage and once hosted visitors Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Because The Kampong is still an active botanical research center, visits require reservations — which somehow only adds to the mystique. Miami may be just outside the gates, but inside, time slows, the air thickens with jasmine and salt, and suddenly your ner- vous system remembers how to exhale. BEST REASON TO STAY IN MIAMI FOR THE SUMMER FIFA World Cup 347 Don Shula Dr. Miami Gardens, 33056 305-943-8000 fifa.com No tickets? No problem! It’s not just soccer fans benefiting from the World Cup’s seven- game stopover in Miami this summer. As this city knows all too well from its years of hosting Miami Art Week and Race Week, major cultural events are simply an excuse for the entire population to party, no matter how much they know — or care — about the topic at hand. This year, the games bring with them fan fests, hotel activations, restaurant spe- cials, themed museum exhibitions and more. You don’t need to be anywhere near Hard Rock Stadium to partake in the festivities (but lucky you if you are). BEST ROAD TO AVOID 36th Street The stretch of 36th Street from NW Seventh Avenue to Biscayne Boulevard is Miami’s Ber- muda Triangle for commuters. Fed by an unre- lenting churn of traffic from I-95, the Julia Tuttle Causeway, the Design District and Mid- town, 36th Street finds itself in an almost con- stant state of gridlock. Just when you think you might break free, the Brightline comes through and brings things to a halt. The area’s infa- mously spotty phone reception is the annoying cherry on top, meaning even your GPS can’t save you from the nightmare that is 36th Street as your music streaming service goes silent, leaving you to enjoy a cacophony of car horns. BEST STAYCATION Maison Felix 7418 Harding Ave. Miami Beach, 33141 786-508-5791 maisonfelix.miami While North Beach doesn’t feel all too far away from the hustle and bustle of Miami, its sleepy beach-town vibes are a welcome escape from the constant honking and loud construction in the heart of the city. A little more than an hour north, you can find a slice of beach that is full of creamy sand and frothy warm waters. Sure, you can drive up and back the same day, but the escape comes when you spend a weekend in a villa-style boutique hotel that feels like home away from home. The rooms are big and spa- cious, and the environment encourages dis- connection from the cacophony of everyday life, so go ahead and slide into the tran- quility of rippling waters from a pool that’s all yours to enjoy. The beach is a few blocks over, and there are plenty of restaurants and bakeries to choose from to fill your stomach as well as your time. Averag- ing about $200 a night (depending on the season and day of the week), it’s an afford- able staycation that won’t break the bank but will re- plenish your soul. BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY Flamingo Lºdge 1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy. Homestead, 33034 239-695-1095 flamingoeverglades.com The drive to Flamingo Lodge equates to leav- ing South Florida without technically leaving South Florida — which is exactly the magic trick. Deep inside Everglades National Park, the lodge sits in the park’s southernmost nook where cell service fades, sawgrass takes over and the regular weekend reggaeton soundtrack gets replaced by ospreys, croco- dile sightings and boat motors pushing through Florida Bay. Go ahead and say “ahh- hhh.” The newly built lodge gives travelers a rare overnight base inside one of America’s wildest national parks with rooms overlook- ing the water and easy access to kayak rentals, boat tours, trails, birding and sunsets. Miami sits close enough to make this a quick escape, but Flamingo becomes another world by the time the first roseate spoonbill flaps past. BEST DOG PARK North Beach Oceªnside Pªrk Bark Pªrk 8328 Collins Ave. Miami Beach, 33141 miamibeachfl.gov North Beach Oceanside Park was recently renovated, and since the ribbon-cutting cere- mony in October 2023, it has felt brand new. One of the new features is a revitalized dog park that has become a local hotspot, so rest assured, your dog will never have to play alone. The park lies on 28 acres, and the Bark Park takes up a significant portion. It’s nicely fenced in, has a water fountain designed for dogs and boasts agility equipment. It has two sides, one for large dogs and one for small dogs. What makes this dog park stand out most? It’s just steps away from North Beach Bark Beach, the only beach designated for dogs across all seven miles of the Miami Beach shoreline. BEST ENDANGERED SPECIES Loggerhead Sea Turtle Some of Miami’s most extraordinary vis- itors arrive without fanfare, emerg- ing from the Atlantic under the cover of darkness. Each nest- ing season, female logger- head sea turtles haul themselves onto South Florida’s beaches to lay their eggs before disap- pearing back into the ocean. Weeks later, hatch- lings burst from the sand and race toward the water, beginning a journey that can span entire oceans and — if they’re lucky — last more than half a century. Loggerheads are true citizens of the world, migrating between the waters of the United States, the Baha- mas, Cuba, Mexico and beyond. Yet South Florida remains one of their most important habitats, making Miami a front-row seat to one of nature’s most enduring spectacles. The city’s most famous representative of the species is Miko, the rehabilitated logger- head who lives in the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science’s Aquarium. Un- able to return to the wild after multiple res- cues from mistakenly eaten fishing gear, she now helps educate visitors about the chal- lenges sea turtles face in the big, blue ocean. BEST PLACE TO SEE MANATEES Black Point Park and Marina 24775 SW 87th Ave. Homestead, 33032 305-258-4092 miamidade.gov If you go on a quest to find manatees around Miami, you just have to know the right spots. Black Point Park and Marina in Homestead is a solid place to start. The marina’s proximity to Biscayne National Park makes it a reliable hub for manatee sightings. What really makes this location special is its jetty, which stretches 1.5 miles into Biscayne Bay. The Black Point Jetty Trail gives expansive views into the bay and a lot of ground to cover, in- creasing the chances of getting lucky. BEST HISTORIC LANDMARK The Ancient Spanish Monastery 16711 W Dixie Hwy. North Miami Beach, 33160 305-945-1461 spanishmonastery.com Miami was founded in 1896 and European explorers didn’t touch our soil until the vival and Southeast Asian influences, over- Spºrts & Recreatiºn further north up the Turnpike. While Mi- next trendy hotspot, Gilbert’s is an game stopover in Miami this summer. As this city knows all too well from its years of hosting Miami Art Week and Race Week, major cultural events are simply an excuse for the entire population to party, no matter how much they know — or care — about the
