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Only Beachfront Restaurant on South Beach Where You Can Dine With a Direct Ocean View
The view from the DiLido is spectacular. You feel as if you are right on the beach without the annoyance of sand fleas or wet swimmers jumping over you to get to their towels. There's a soothing, calm Mediterranean/Moroccan feel to the restaurant, and it just naturally draws your eyes out toward the vast expanse of the beautiful ocean. Even close by, there is the lush landscaping - itself a feast for the eyes - and the irresistible lure people-watching on the Beach Walk, as one person after another goes by on inline skates, running, strolling, etc. Between the Beach Walk and the Ocean, you'll see the white sand and the navy blue Ritz Carlton hoods that dot the ocean (for those who want some protection from the sun). On any given day, out on the azure waters, you might see parasailing, commercial tankers, festivals, or people sports fishing on the ocean. If you come to the beach looking for ocean life, you won't be disappointed. April to September marks the largest gathering of nesting sea turtles in the US. Certain species of sea turtles, such as the Loggerhead (considered a threatened species), are indigenous to Southern Florida. If you want to help preserve these turtles you can participate in regional turtle release programs. |
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View Unobstructed by Traffic
The Atlantic also offers opportunities for whale watching and dolphin spotting. If you're interested in more land-based excitement, don't forget that South Beach is home to the South Beach Food and Wine Festival. The fifth annual festival is set for Thursday, February 21 to Sunday, February 24, 2008. Tickets will go on sale Monday, October 15th - so mark your calendar. The festival is right on the beach and this past year some of the main exhibition tents were just steps away, right on the Ritz Carlton's area of the beach. Along with the wonderful beach and festival attractions, the waters off southern Florida share a brilliant history. In 1622, a hurricane sunk the Santa Margarita, a 17th century Spanish galleon, right off the coast of southern Florida. Treasure and artifacts from the ship were discovered in 1980, and in June 2007 several thousand pearls from the Santa Margarita, with an estimated value of over, $1 million, were discovered off the Key West coast. According to Duncan Mathewson, a partner in Blue Water Ventures, there is an estimated, $150 - 200 million in Santa Margarita treasure still waiting to be recovered. Moreover, like the Santa Margarita, hundreds of ships have sunk near the waters of Key West over the years…a little scuba trip after lunch anyone? The coast of southern Florida is also the site of several sunken, historical World War II boats. The Republic sank off the coast of West Palm Beach and the Portero del Llano burned and sank off Miami Beach after being attacked by a German submarine. These sinkings were obviously related to the war, but there have been other shipwrecks that many locals attribute to the mystical powers of the Bermuda Triangle - also known as the Devil's Triangle. Miami is one of the points of the Bermuda Triangle, and it shares it aura of the other-worldly with points at San Juan, Puerto Rico and, obviously, Bermuda. Most of the puzzling events have occurred around the Southern border of the Bahamas and the Florida Straits. This route is heavily trafficked by commercial shipping, cruise ships, and private vessels. Pondering the plausibility of a mysterious force at play in the Bermuda Triangle is just another way to pass a day gazing at the beautiful ocean from the DiLido. |
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