much more than luxury shops, dream beaches and 5-star hotels

It was impossible to imagine back in 1929, when that real estate development corporation based in Detroit acquired them, that those bare lands would end up becoming what this district is today, north of Miami Beach: a resounding synonym of luxury, glamour, exclusivity, and premium service par excellence.

Initially baptized Bay Harbour, its final name, Bal Harbouremerged over time, crossing the words, bay, bay, and Atlantic, for the ocean on whose shore it rises.

There, where Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason and Ed Sullivan once walked, Today tourists come from all corners of the world.to immerse yourself in the aura of sophistication and good taste that this resort, once called the American Riviera, exudes.

The reasons that excite the demanding tourists who disembark year after year in this little paradise on earth are varied.

Among the most obvious, and the most widespread, its wide beaches bathed by an incredible seaa mild and pleasant climate most of the year, the pleasure of taking a stroll through the Bal Harbor Shops, where the most exclusive brands coexist, from Valentino to Gucci, including Bulgari, Chanel, Prada, Saint Laurent, Ferragamo, among many others, in a relaxed and relaxed atmosphere, with its wide, open spaces and the sound of the water from its fountains.

Buy or not is the least important: Taking a stroll through the shopping is an unmissable experience in itself. Adding to the traditional gastronomic offer of Carpaccio, Le Zoo, Aba, Makoto, Hillstone is the recent arrival of Avenue 31 Café, to enjoy a good coffee or a light meal.

Among the classics of Bal Harbor, a mention cannot be missed, of course, of its five-star hotels, with true icons such as the Ritz Carlton, the St.Regis, the Sea View and the Beach Haus Residences Bal Harbour.

Of the first, their stunning views that encompass the intercostal canal and the sea from each of its 98 rooms and suites (there are only two per floor and, with floor-to-ceiling windows, it is possible to take a soak in an oval bathtub enjoying that landscape), its spa with healing treatments and therapies, as well as the Artisan Beach House, for breakfast or lunch on a terrace with the ocean as a landscape.

Opposite Bal Harbor Shops, the St.Regis is another must of premium hospitality. On the beach, with large balconies in each of its 213 rooms and suites, to enjoy a drink facing the sea while the sun goes down, it also has a spa, the Atlantikós restaurant (Greek-inspired and, of course, a view of the ocean) and a tradition that is celebrated every night: the sabing of champagnea ceremony that dates back to the time of Napoleon who, they say, was famous for uncorking the bottles of sparkling wine with his saber at the end of each battle. Ritual that he punctually fulfilled both in triumph and in failure, because “in victory, one deserves it, and in defeat, one needs it”, such was his not inconsiderable maxim.

So far, the most visible face of Bal Harbor. But the best kept secret, or the least noticed, is the cultural treasure that this district houses.both in lobbies and galleries and in the streets and open air. And art stands firm, and in various ways, among palm trees, blue skies and dream beaches.

With an investment of more than three million dollars, just visiting the lobby of the Ritz Carlton offers the opportunity to enjoy a collection of more than 400 works of artbetween paintings, sculptures and photographs, open not only to guests but to those who want to balance between the beach and shopping.

Guy Dill Terrace exhibits a 9 meter sculptureby the artist of that name, from where you can see impressive views of the Atlantic Ocean and Haulover Park.

The St. Regis is not far behind. From the entrance, on the ground floor, the Opera Gallery premises exhibit exquisite samples of the talent of painters and sculptors.

The lobby, a mix of Art Deco and contemporary design elements, allows you to appreciate works such as Queen Mariana, with some reminiscence to Velázquez’s meninas, entirely made of aluminum and large in size, by the Spanish Manolo Valdés, the rice paper collages by Hong-yi Zhuang, or the Watchman, a giant sculpture with small steel circles that look like eyesmade by the Indian Valay Shende, among an eclectic collection distributed throughout the corridors on the ground floor, which can be visited without having to stay at the hotel.

The Bal Harbor Beach Path, ideal for walking, biking or running, often has rotating art exhibits. But there’s more: one of the benefits enjoyed by both those who reside in the district and those who decide to stay there on their trips or vacations is the Unscripted Bal Harbour, an exclusive art program that consists of free admission for one year. , in the best museums and cultural institutions in South Florida.

Safety pin, the Perez Art Museum presents a permanent collection of contemporary art worth visitingwith almost three thousand works, as well as temporary exhibitions. Sooner or later, it’s worth taking a look around the museum shop.

Next to the Perez Art Museum, and a must-see for adults and children, stands the Phillip & Patricia Frost Museum of Science. Located in the Maurice A. Ferré Park, includes a world-class planetarium and aquariumas well as six floors of interactive exhibits dedicated to the Everglades ecosystem. An unmissable experience with the views of Biscayne Bay.

Strictly speaking, the museum offering is very wide, and for all tastes. From The Bass, The la Cruz Collection, History Miami Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Jewish Museum, Lowe Art Museum, The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, to the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum-FIU, passing by the Rubell Museum, The Wolfsonian and Young Arts, among others.

Much less widespread than the immense beaches, the shopping, its temperate sea, its gastronomic offer and its know how Undeniably, art, culture and the possibility of combining curiosity and interest in science, space and the world around us with a vacation and pleasure trip have their place in one of the most coveted destinations on the planet.