MIAMI, THE PEARL OF FLORIDA

A once inaccessible swamp has been transformed into a city of 50,000 inhabitants, where Americans flock during the winter months. Everything about this Eden is cheerful. Lush vegetation lines the roads followed by the swarms of cars on their way to this town, which in just a few years has gained a reputation that our winter resorts have only been able to acquire over the years. The Americans who holiday in Miami live an extremely sporty lifestyle. It's not uncommon to see men walking around bare-chested all day, while others take part in fishing trips at sea, catching some fine fish. 

MIAMI! Three short syllables, and one of them repeated! How sweet are the last two! How gladly our ears hear them! How happily our lips repeat them! Miami! That's what we call the Pearl of the Atlantic.

(...) Twenty-seven years ago, when Miami was officially recognised as a municipality, it didn't look very tempting. At the mouth of the river stood the houses of Mrs Tuttle and the Vrickel family - the future site of Miami. On New Year's Eve in 1896, a fire destroyed the town. Over the course of the following year, the inhabitants rebuilt their homes. The new village was both pretty and clean; the layout had been carefully planned with Miami's development in mind. In 1898, the new town became a major business centre. Yellow fever was ravaging Cuba at the time. In the face of the scourge, all the inhabitants rallied round, keeping a watchful eye on the coast; strict quarantine measures were imposed by the city council, and the epidemic disappeared without affecting Miami.

In short, a once inaccessible swamp, the Everglades, has been turned into a place of delights. The country has been transformed from top to bottom, almost as quickly as a magic wand changes sight. Miami, the Pearl of the Atlantic, has appeared, and during the winter season it eclipses all other seaside resorts. As you can see from the map, Miami is located on the coast, almost at the tip of the great spit of land known as Florida. It's a dreamland, with a warm climate and tropical vegetation. The big liners that ply the coast of the United States and the main railway lines organise special luxury services that serve Miami admirably.

Miami fascinates from afar. Its fame has spread far and wide. Hotels that are veritable palaces, a marvellous site, gardens filled with incomparable flowers, a privileged climate - this new city really does have it all. It's also a feast for the eyes and a feast for the mind. Miami's privileged location has been put to good use. Everything here is designed to seduce and charm, right down to the languid purity of the sky. Social and sporting events are exceptionally important. The wintering society organises hunting, fishing, excursions, tournaments and horseback rides in admirable settings. Parties and competitions follow one another when the season is in full swing. Tennis, football, shooting, regattas and horse races attract every type of elegance. Miami is the fashionable beach par excellence. Thousands of bathers swarm the shores, immersing themselves in the luminous ocean. The five d' clock attracts the largest number of visitors. Men and women, wearing espadrilles, canvas or soft straw hats, bare legs, arms and upper body, live in bathing costumes from dawn to dusk. Beautiful, well-maintained roads delight motorists. Airfields have attracted aviators. Cinema has also appeared, and various businesses are thriving. This paradise has become a meeting place for yachtsmen, a dream land, a sort of Mecca for tourists. The proximity of New Orleans suggested the idea of masquerades, parades, processions of fruit, flowers and so on. Miami's surroundings are simply enchanting. Sugar cane and cotton plantations, palm trees galore, all kinds of cereals, the most beautiful fruits and the most fragrant flowers stretch as far as the eye can see. It really is a vision of paradise.

To the south of Miami lies the jungle, a vast primeval forest covering an area of more than 120 hectares, which makes for a short journey of exploration, well suited to seduce modern souls enamoured of the unknown and eager to go further and further afield. Miami, full of flowers and sunshine, is a delightful place to stay.

The little village, which had 260 inhabitants in 1896, now has 50,000. This delightful corner of the southern United States will continue to prosper.