Stiltsville

Stiltsville is a cluster of historic houses raised on pilings over Biscayne Bay's shallow seagrass flats, about a mile offshore. Seen from a boat, the buildings seem to float above the water. Keep time for it if a distinctive boat outing and a little Miami history sound appealing. This is not a drive-up stop or a walk through preserved interiors.

The houses are accessible only by water. A narrated two-hour cruise from Dinner Key Marina in Coconut Grove is one established way to see them up close and hear their stories. Public access onto the structures themselves requires a permit, so don't assume a sightseeing trip includes landing or entry.

The first shack was built in the 1930s by Crawfish Eddie Walker, who sold bait and beer and became known for chilau, a crawfish chowder. More houses followed, turning the flats into a place to see and be seen by visitors from nearby Miami Beach. The Bikini and Quarterdeck clubs became part of the lore, along with illegal alcohol, gambling and several police raids. At its 1960 peak, 27 structures stood here.

These houses stand in an exposed stretch of bay, and hurricanes and fires repeatedly changed the cluster. Hurricane Andrew left seven buildings standing in 1992; a 2021 fire destroyed the LeShaw House, and current tour material describes six houses. Florida transferred the bay bottom to the federal government as part of Biscayne National Park in 1985. A 2003 agreement between the park and the Stiltsville Trust set out to preserve the buildings for education and interpretation.

The pilings and shallow seagrass flats are part of what makes the view unusual. From the boat, leave some open water around a house in your photo so the supports and the gap between building and bay stay visible; a tight crop can make the houses look like ordinary waterfront buildings.