Visiting Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami

Florida has left me bewildered many times and for various reasons, but undoubtedly, one of the good ones is the incredible places it is home to. I have been in awe to discover many, and I have to say quite unexpected gems, and today, I’m sharing about another one.

If you find yourself in Miami, you must pay a visit to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens as this place is something that you will not see often in our country. Truly stunning inside and out, when visiting it, you will be taking a step into what once was — opulence, elegance, and incredible architecture that defined the Gilded Age and the Italian Renaissance.

Vizcaya estate was built by James Deering — yes, the name behind the famous farming equipment brand. Serving as his winter home, the American industrialist spared no detail in creating a European-style villa and Italian Renaissance gardens that would leave one speechless the moment they stepped in.

That is confirmed by the many brands, and people I’ve noticed having photoshoots there. In fact, it is generally, a hectic place with lots of professional photographers. Can’t blame them — Vizcaya has some pretty unique and breathtaking features that beg to be captured on their own or as a backdrop to someone’s special memory.

Even with that, when we visited we found plenty of areas where we could enjoy ourselves on our own, or with few people around, though that might be because we visited on a weekday rather than a weekend — I imagine it gets even busier then.

We took our time exploring every possible corner and admired the beauty of the gardens; I thoroughly enjoyed the Orchid garden — the Orchidarium, and the Fountain Garden surrounded by roses, even if few were blooming, it was extremely hot, and the wind stirred and carried the dust all over me.

Finally, after we strolled through the accessible grounds and interiors, we made a stop at the cafe and enjoyed a late lunch outdoors (check the menu here). I opted for the Veggie Bahn Mi, and hubby had the Vegetarian Burger. The food was delicious, however, we had to eat it fast as several iguanas were “begging” for it and well, that’s not an encounter I wanted to experience, haha. Heads up that they are gutsy animals, kept trying to jump for our food, and didn’t seem to be too scared of us.

Things to keep in mind when visiting

- To visit you must reserve tickets online (we did so right on the spot).

- I would recommend visiting this place at leisure and taking your time to truly experience it.

- It gets very busy with visitors and amateur and professional photographers.

- You can enjoy a nice and reasonably priced lunch in the cafe and shop right on location.

- Most of the garden paths are dirt and gravel, and they can be dusty. Also, note that surfaces are uneven. Watch for iguanas on the grounds as well as the buildings.

- Parking is free; check the map for locations. We parked across the street with no issues.

- You can take a virtual tour here and here.

- For more details, plan your visit here.