Appropriately named the "City Beautiful" by its designer, George Merrick, Coral Gables is an utterly charming community of gracious Mediterranean architecture, monumental gateways, streets shaded by huge banyans and ficus trees, plazas, fountains, and miles of waterways and canals. Merrick grew up here, in a gabled plantation house built of coral rock and pine, which is now open to the public. Call (305) 460-5361 for information. In the 1920’s, he spent more than $100 million to create this dream city on some twelve square miles of former Florida scrub and citrus groves, 4 miles south of Downtown Miami.

Merrick's plan also included "international villages" styled Normandy , Colonial, French Country and City, Dutch South African, Chinese, and Italian. These pockets of thematic architecture punctuate the city like quirky comments on their traditional surroundings.

One of the grander attractions in Coral Gables is the Venetian Pool (305-460-5356). Formerly a quarry from which oolitic limestone (coral rock) was taken for architectural uses, the huge municipal pool is a fantasy of caves, waterfalls, arched bridges, and Mediterranean-style buildings.

On the natural side, there's Matheson Hammock County Park (305-665-5475), a mangrove forest fronting Biscayne Bay , edged with beaches and a boat harbor, and just south is Fairchild Tropical Garden (305-667-1651), a lush hothouse of tropical plantings.

Today, Downtown Coral Gables is a thriving business community, especially along the major shopping thoroughfare known as Miracle Mile ( Coral Way , between S.W. 42nd Avenue and Douglas Road ). Home to more than 130 multinational corporations, plus eleven consulates and foreign trade commissions. Coral Gables also offers some of the top chefs in the city, with more than 120 restaurants the choices are rich and varied.

Be advised, you'll need a map to explore Coral Gables . The curving streets can be confusing and the street signs are small. Drop by City Hall (305-446-6800), which is the imposing Spanish Colonial building complete with a tower and colonnade, for maps and information.