Are you planning a trip to Barbados? If so, you’re likely picturing pristine sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, fresh fish and so much rum punch. Let me be the first to assure you that this Caribbean paradise offers all that and so much more. I …
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You’ll spend a lot of time in the water when travelling to Antigua. After all, the island is known for its 365 beaches, one for every day of the year. But what if I told you that you could drink while floating on Antigua’s crystal blue waters? Well, if you’re anywhere near the most popular beach on the island, you can do just that. Off the shore of Dickenson Bay, you’ll find the very best floating bar in Antigua. Spending a few hours at the Kon Tiki Bar and Grill is my fondest memory of this beautiful island nation. Surprisingly, I hadn’t heard much about it before travelling to the island, so I feel its a bit of a hidden gem. Read on to learn more.
To get to the floating bar in Antigua, you’ll first need to get to Dickenson Bay. If you only have time to visit one beach in Antigua, make it this one. Its in the island’s north west and is a very short drive from St John’s. There’s a whole bunch of luxury resorts and all-inclusives in the area (most notably Sandals), but access to the beach is open to all. Stepping out onto the white sands and seeing the perfect blue waters, you’ll be soaking up those Caribbean vibes the moment you arrive.
While you could easily lay back on a deck chair and soak in the sun here or take a seat at one of the many resort bars, there’s plenty of water activities available to partake in as well. Dickenson Bay’s waters are calm, making it perfect for families travelling with children. Being on the west coast, it also offers breathtaking sunsets.
Owing to its close proximity to St John’s, getting to Dickenson Bay is really easy. Only about a 15 minute drive from the heart of the capital, if you’re navigating the streets, you’ll first need to find Anchorage Road. This main road leads you north out of town. Keep following it (you’ll pass the Anchorage Inn and the excellent Nigel’s Restaurant). As you approach Sandal’s take a left onto Ford Road, which will take you right up to the beach. I had a friend driving me, but I hear taxi rates are reasonable.
If getting to Dickenson Bay was easy, getting onto the Kon Tiki Bar is even easier. On the sands of the picturesque beach, you’ll see the floating bar out in the bay’s calm waters. Signal in the direction of the bar and a few moments later, one of the bar’s employees will whisk on over to you in a small boat. We got in with a few others and enjoyed the very short ride over. It was such a unique way to get to the bar that made the experience all the more memorable. We hadn’t even arrived and I was loving this floating bar in Antigua.
Once you’re at the bar, the real fun begins. The bar staff were extremely welcoming and happy to have a chat while serving up drinks. Sitting around the tiki bar on the deck was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in the Caribbean climate. You’ll quickly make friends, both locals and tourists alike as you find yourself completely surrounded with the stunning blue waters of the Caribbean sea. After ordering your first drink, take in the views back towards the beach and out to the sea. Chances are you’ll be posing for plenty of photos while you’re at the bar.
As with many countries in the Caribbean, Antigua is famous for its rum punch, so make sure you order some while here. Its especially refreshing on a hot and humid day. English Harbour is the local rum of choice and I loved it. So good. When you get hungry, there’s a cook on the deck that can whip up delicious sandwiches with fresh fish. Need to cool off? Dive into the water and do a loop of the bar (but maybe sober up first!). I spent about 2 hours at the Kon Tiki Bar in Dickenson Bay, and honestly, if I didn’t have plans to see more of the island, I could have spent the entire afternoon out there. The energy was that great.
When you’re ready to head back to land, just catch the next boat back to shore. The boat goes back and forth regularly to pick up more guests.
The Kon Tiki Floating Bar in Antigua is a hidden gem that I was very glad to have discovered on my visit to this island nation. Hopefully I’ve now put it on your radar as well. I’m not sure why more guidebooks don’t mention the bar, but it really caps off a visit to Dickenson Bay. Spending an afternoon with rum punch on the water is one of my best memories of Antigua. Make sure you check it out if you’re ever on the island!
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The island of Antigua is a tropical paradise in the heart of the Caribbean. As part of the West Indies, this island, along with the much smaller island of Barbuda is an independent nation, renowned as one of the best holiday hotspots in the region. …
Taking an Everglades Day Trip is one of the most memorable things you can do when visiting Miami. Just an hour outside of the city, the Everglades are one of the state of Florida’s most enduring images. This National Park covers a vast river basin filled with unique flora and fauna. With over 350 bird species and hundreds of animals, the most well known resident of the Everglades is the alligator. By taking an Everglades day trip, you’ll be able to see alligators and much more. There’s numerous parks throughout the Everglades that you can visit from Miami. On my recent day trip, I took an organised tour to Sawgrass Recreational Park. While you can go far deeper into the Everglades on a multi-day tour, Sawgrass is convenient to get to, making it perfect for your first Everglades experience.
The Everglades National Park is the third largest National Park in mainland USA (sitting behind Death Valley and Yellowstone). It consists of a huge array of tropical wetlands, exceeding 2,300 square miles in area. Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, the Everglades are fed by Lake Okeechobee. Rarely exceeding 3 feet in depth, the sheet river system moves across a limestone bed, broken up by clumps of vegetation. The most prevalent form of vegetation is the appropriately named sawgrass, which definitely should not be touched (if you do, you’ll understand the name!). The tropical climate has resulted in the area’s distinct ecological profile, with manatees, alligators, crocodiles and much more calling the region home.
As with many natural wonders, the Everglades is under threat today. Humans have encroached on the Everglades since the 1900s, with irrigation canals being built to divert water from Lake Okeechobee and draining land for development and agriculture. Today, the Everglades National Park makes up a mere 20% of the original area covered by the wetlands and many animal species from the region are now critically endangered. Thankfully, under the National Park Services, a massive restoration project is being carried out in the Everglades, with water being diverted back into the system. Bird populations have been among the first species to see their numbers increase once again.
I have never been to an ecosystem like the Everglades. The wetland is definitely unique and I’m glad efforts are being made to preserve it for the future.
Originally a fishing camp, Sawgrass Recreational Park was established in the mid-1950s. Over the next 30 years, the park became a tourist attraction with a single airboat by the 1970s. Today it is one of the top tourist destinations in South Florida, with numerous airboats in its fleet. Following a change of ownership in 2005, the park expanded dramatically in area, in turn allowing for a major boost to its animal adoption and rescue program. Sawgrass Recreational Park’s mission statement is to make every visitor aware of the importance of the Everglades ecosystem. On a guided airboat tour, your guide will make sure you leave with that knowledge.
While Sawgrass is definitely one of the more tourist oriented Everglades experiences, I think doing something like this is an excellent way to see the wetlands on a limited schedule. I only had a few days in Miami on my recent visit, and so I booked this trip with Viator. When planning day-trips in a destination, I find Viator to be great at finding deals. The tour cost under $30.00 USD, which considering it included transportation to the Everglades, was an excellent deal. Catching an Uber to the park would have cost far more than extra $5.00!
My tour met at the Tourism Center at 305 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach. We had to be there for a 9.30am departure. Considering this was around the corner from my hotel in Miami (the excellent Albion Hotel), that worked out perfectly for me! Boarding a luxury coach, we set off on our journey, with our tour guide giving us a bit of history about Miami and the Everglades along the way. We were at Sawgrass Recreational Park before 10.30am.
My Everglades day trip departed back to Miami at midday. While that only gave us 90 minutes in the Everglades, that’s really all you need to see everything at Sawgrass. We got back into Miami Beach an hour later, and I was back in the water by 2.00pm. If you want to maximise your time in Miami, this Everglades day trip is a really good choice! And if the morning start isn’t for you, they offer the same tour with a 1.30pm departure as well.
I had a lot of fun on my Everglades day trip from Miami. I’ll now cover what we were able to do in our 90 minutes at Sawgrass Recreational Park.
The highlight of any Everglades day trip is an airboat ride over the wetlands. Our tour included a 30 minute airboat tour, and it was the first thing we did at Sawgrass Recreational Park. Upon arriving, our tour guide handed us stickers to designate our group and we proceeded towards the docks for boarding. Sawgrass Recreational Park owns the largest fleet of airboats in the United States, with each boat carrying between 20 to 25 guests. If you’re coming to the park without a tour, its highly recommended you book an airboat departure time to avoid disappointment.
Once on board, we were handed a pair of ear plugs (I didn’t need them, but the airboats are louder than you’d think) and after a brief introduction to our knowledgeable skipper, we were whisking across the wetlands at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. If you can, try to sit in the front row of the airboat. The view as we rushed along the the sawgrass prairie is something I won’t soon forget! We stopped aboard the boat a few times throughout the journey, with our skipper telling us interesting facts about the history of the Everglades, the ecosystem today and the abundance of wildlife within. We also learnt about their most famous residents, the American Alligators, and while we didn’t see any on our airboat run, we did get to see a baby alligator lazing about by the docks before boarding!
I took my Everglades day trip in the middle of July. Apparently the summer isn’t the best time of year to see alligators (try the winter). Even so, I immensely enjoyed our airboat ride. Just being out in the swamp is the allure of an Everglades day trip, and we got to see all kinds of other reptiles and birdlife in the process.
By the time we got off the airboats, we only had about half an hour left at Sawgrass Recreational Park. In all honesty, you don’t need much more than that to see the rest. We used the rest of our time checking out the park’s wildlife exhibits, which definitely made up for the lack of gators on the airboats.
The headliner here is Cannibal, a 1000 pound alligator. While checking out this immense gator, it was interesting to learn that most alligator attacks on humans typically come about due to humans feeding gators. Once they’ve been fed, these gigantic reptiles expect food every time they see someone!
In addition to Cannibal, the Reptile Exhibit showcases various other alligator species, both from Florida and further abroad. You’ll also come across exotic snakes and turtles. We actually saw a baby alligator lazing on top of a turtle. Neither seemed fussed with the other’s presence!
Other reptiles throughout the mini-zoo include African Spur Thigh Tortoises (the oldest of which at Sawgrass is over 50 years old – quite young for its species!) and Hybrid Rock Iguanas (an invasive species resulting from breeding between Cuban Rock and Grand Cayman Blue Iguanas).
In addition to all the reptiles, you’ve got roosters and peacocks roaming freely throughout the exhibit space. There’s also a few smaller exhibits about the Everglades ecosystem, where you can learn about the latest conservation efforts.
Before leaving Sawgrass, we also had the chance to grab a quick bite to eat before getting back on the bus to Miami. If you’re taking a similar Everglades day trip to the one I did, you’ll want to place your order as soon as you get off the airboat. That way you can check out the reptile exhibits before coming back to eat about 15 minutes later. Being the Everglades, its only fitting that the Gator Grill cafe here gives you the chance to try alligator. Served with wedges of lemon and special sauce, the gator bites are actually a delicious snack. If you’re feeling less adventurous, they also serve burgers, sandwiches and tacos. After downing my food, I took a quick look in the Gator Emporium Gift Shop before getting back on the bus to return to Miami.
My Everglades Day Trip was a short but memorable experience. With Sawgrass Recreational Park being so easy to get to, I definitely recommend spending a morning (or afternoon) there on a trip to Miami. Hopefully you’ll see more gators than I did on your airboat tour, but even if you don’t, I think you’ll enjoy the time you spend here. While there are many ways you can experience the Everglades (tell me some of your favourite destinations in this National Park!), Sawgrass passes the test for me, even if I was skeptical about it being a tourist trap at first.
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In a city known for opulent mansions and beachside estates, there is one that stands above the rest. The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens takes guests on a tour of a beautifully picturesque estate in Coconut Grove, Miami’s oldest neighbourhood. Visiting Vizcaya is an essential stop on a trip to Miami. The grand Renaissance inspired mansion from the early 20th century is Miami’s finest example of Mediterranean Revival style, and you’ll feel like you’re living a life of wealth and luxury as you wander its halls. Of it’s 70 rooms, 34 are open to guests, and then there’s the gorgeous gardens to keep you going afterwards. If you only have time to visit one historical site in Miami, I’d make it Vizcaya. In this post, I hope to convey the beauty of vibrant Vizcaya to you, as I take you through a tour of the estate.
Vizcaya Museum’s centrepiece mansion served as the winter residence of James Deering, a businessman and industrialist who made his mark in Chicago. Deering was born in 1859 and came from one of America’s richest families in the late 19th century. He went on to own properites throughout Chicago, New York and even France. He was a retired millionaire and bachelor when he decided to move to South Florida. Deering was diagnosed with anaemia and was therefore encouraged to get more sunshine. He started out spending time in St Augustine in the winters, however by 1912 the plans were in motion for his own house on Miami’s Biscayne Bay.
Construction of Deering’s 130 acre estate took a decade to complete, with over 1000 workers involved on the project. Deering’s vision for Villa Vizcaya was of a 16th century estate which had been altered by generations, and therefore insisted the mansion incorporate styles from different historical periods. With the assistance of Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya drew heavily from architecture of France and Italy, while also incorporating the South Florida influence. As was common for the era, Deering also decorated Vizcaya’s rooms with historic styles and treasures.
Deering moved into Vizcaya in 1916, and saw the estate’s completion in 1922. He died in September 1925, en route back to the US from Paris aged 65. Following his death, Vizcaya passed to Deering’s nieces Marion and Barbara, though it was devastated by hurricanes in 1926 and 1935. Owing to the estate’s escalating maintenance costs, they sold Vizcaya to Miami-Dade County, which subsequently converted the property to a museum in 1953. Today, Vizcaya is recognised as a National Historic Landmark.
Vizcaya was my first stop of the day during my trip to Miami. I recommend getting there around opening time, as you’ll be able to see more of the property without crowds. I toured the mansion’s rooms first thing, and enjoyed not having to shuffle between groups of people. As I moved into the gardens, crowds started to pick up, but they were mostly heading inside, so it worked out well.
Overall, I spent just over 2 hours at Vizcaya. If you’re doing a comprehensive tour, you could spend even more time here. You can take an audio tour while going through the property and it comes highly recommended. You’ll learn more about the mansion and the life of James Deering throughout your stay. It normally costs an extra $5, but at the time of my visit, the audio guide was complimentary (and I believe this is still the case for a limited time). If you listen to everything, the audio tour takes about 90 minutes. If its not your thing, there’s also plenty of informative panels throughout the mansion that will fill you in on Vizcaya’s story.
One very important thing to know before visiting the Vizcaya Museum is that you currently need to book your ticket online – there’s no sales at the museum’s entrance. I suspect that will change as we move on from the pandemic, however for now, make you sure you book on the official website. Of course, if you’ve got internet reception, you could always just book on your phone when you arrive in the worst case scenario.
Your first steps into the Vizcaya Mansion will take you into the Entrance Loggia. Decorated with Roman marble, the Loggia sets the stage for the grandeur to come. The focal point is a classical sculpture. Just like today, the gods of Ancient Greece and Rome stood here via statuary, welcoming guests into Deering’s home.
While you can’t access it from here, behind a barrier you’ll catch a glimpse of the house’s Courtyard. Vizcaya’s layout basically sees its assortment of rooms loop around the exterior of the Courtyard, which was originally open to the elements. The Courtyard was my favourite part of Vizcaya mansion, filled with luscious palms, sunlight and water features.
If you go left from the Loggia, you’ll pass into the Entrance Hall, a small Neoclassical French room, from which a duo of coatrooms and the Library branch off, the latter more English in design. Up next is the Reception Room. Often referred to as the ‘Marie Antoinette Salon’ by Paul Chalfin (see her bust on the mantel), this living space is dominated by a breathtaking chandelier.
Continuing through the ground floor, there’s a number of rooms filled with more treasures, ranging from tapestries, musical instruments, paintings and more. The Living Room is the largest room in all of Vizcaya, with 20 foot ceilings and a pipe organ sitting beneath an altar painting. The Dining Room follows the Music Room. Despite being fit for a banquet, Deering actually preferred eating his meals al fresco style in the courtyard or on the terrace.
Not to be missed, the Enclosed Loggia (basically a tea room) connects to the Dining Room This loggia is absolutely gorgeous, furnished with marble floors and 18th century artwork, all while overlooking the gardens outside. The adjoining Serving Pantry contained many a modern appliance for Deering’s time.
The mansion’s second floor is again comprised of a series of rooms looping around the main courtyard. Upstairs you’ll find yourself on an open air walkway that overlooks the courtyard, offering great views below. As you might expect, Vizcaya’s second floor is mostly made up of the bedrooms, both Deering’s personal chambers, and those occupied by guests.
The Master Suite has its own balcony and overlooks Biscayne Bay in all its glory. Deering’s chambers also extended into a Sitting Room, inspired heavily by the 18th century architect Giocondo Albertolli. Deering’s bedroom links to a private bathroom, complete with gold plated faucets able to fill the tub with both salt and fresh water.
To be honest, I felt Deering’s chambers were actually overshadowed by some of the other guest rooms on Vizcaya’s second floor. All decorated in different styles, the guest rooms are referred to by exotic names. Espagnolette adjoins into Deering’s own bedroom, so it is suspected that it may have been occupied by his more romantically favoured guests. The guest rooms are all named after characters from historical literature – Pantaloon, Cathay, Mainin and Goyesca – just to name a few. Most just branch off the main upper gallery, but there are a few in the north and south tower, along with the Galleon sitting room, used by important guests.
Also on the second floor of Vizcaya, you’ll find the Breakfast Room. Used for casual dining, this loggia’s windows span floor to ceiling and look out into the gardens below. Inside the room itself, tapestries harken to nautical ports, surrounding artefacts from Ming-era China. Just off this chamber, you can step into Vizcaya’s main Pantry and Kitchen space.
Heading outside, there’s much more to see at the Vizcaya Museum & Gardens. Exiting the mansion from the rear, you’ll be face to face with the blue waters of Biscayne Bay, with the skyscrapers of Miami Beach on the horizon. Its a beautiful view, so you can understand why Deering chose this site for his residence. The property is actually unusually close to the water, which has brought about flooding over the years. Also, while I missed it, if you look to the left while on the Terrace, you’ll be able to see the property’s swimming pool extending underneath the mansion!
Moving off the East Terrace, you can wander over to the Boat Landing. Across a small Venetian bridge, this landing is actually where Deering initially arrived at Vizcaya. Coming to his new residence by sea, the incredible views of the property from here are the same that Deering would have taken as he saw the property in person for the first time. Opposite the Landing, the docking area winds around to the Tea House. This prominent open air structure would have been an excellent place to sit outside while watching over the Bay with a cup of tea (hence the name).
The most fascinating part of Vizcaya’s Bayside however has to be the Stone Barge across the water. Built with the intention of serving as a breakwater, shielding the property from Biscayne’s waves, Deering was actually quite fond of this structure. During his time, the barge was filled with trees and statues, and also had a large gazebo on top, which has since been weathered away by storms. It was aboard the Barge that Deering hosted parties, with gondolas ferrying his guests across the water.
Vizcaya’s Gardens cover a whopping 10 acres and are a highlight of any trip to Vizcaya Museum. Immersed between native forest and mangroves, they are modelled after formal Italian gardens from the 17th and 18th centuries, and consist of various manicured spaces filled with plants, sculptures and fountains. They’re incredibly diverse and ripe for exploration, with a picturesque backdrop for a photo shoot looming around every corner. In fact, while exploring the Gardens, you’re likely to run into a wedding party or three taking photos throughout. Don’t worry – they’re large enough that you’ll have plenty of room for yourself.
My favourite part of the Garden was actually where I started. Just away from the Bayfront, the so called Secret Garden. This walled in area (designed to house orchards) is filled with greenery, but is overlooked by an archway. After climbing to the top for countless photos, I noticed that the archways underneath it were comprised of coral like particles, which was really unique.
Moving deeper into the Gardens, you’ll find a hedge maze, the Fountain Garden, and eventually ascend the Garden Mound. Commonly used for weddings, this artificial terrace overlooks much of Vizcaya, across the Center Island and back towards the main mansion. Its another really beautiful spot on the property. In an interesting spot, the stairs leading up to the Mound have tracks up the centre, allowing garden staff to push heavy wheelbarrows up and down. Once on top, you’ll find more coral stucco covered grottos and the Casino, a shaded area to enjoy the scenic surrounds (which was closed at the time of my visit).
Looping back towards the Mansion, I passed back through the main gardens. The focal points here are the semi-circular pools, statue heads and countless iguanas that you might see during your wander.
After a few hours exploring Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, I felt I had seen enough of the property to move on with my day, but I can see how people could want to spend even longer here. This Museum (although far from a museum in the conventional sense) is one of the best places to spend a relaxing morning in Miami, while also learning about a bygone time. James Deering’s slice of paradise on Biscayne Bay comes highly recommended, and I hope you experience it for yourself if you’re in Miami. If you’ve already visited, what was your favourite part of the property? Is there a piece in the mansion or a hidden nook in the gardens that you feel people have to check out? What fun facts did you uncover about Vizcaya on your visit?
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