Stiltsville

'No one who chances upon the phenomenon of Stiltsville for the first time will ever forget the sight of homes that hover above the waters, miles from any shore, like structures from a dream.'

This incredible stilt village created in the 1930s was the coolest place to party in the '50s and '60s. You can even stay in one of these awesome houses.

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Seven houses remain in Stiltsville, the wonderful collection of handbuilt houses that are perched in Biscayne Bay within sight of Miami's skyline.

Here are six South Florida destinations well off the beaten path. Three require a boat ride. One requires a dive.

Seeming to float above Biscayne Bay's shallow seagrass beds, Stiltsville has a colorful history that dates back to the 1930s, when "Crawfish Eddie Walker" built the first shack on stilts above the water. Over the years more buildings were constructed, and the area took on an aura of mystery. Accessible only by water, the area was the place to see and be seen when visiting the winter resorts on nearby Miami Beach. Stories of illegal alcohol and gambling led to several police raids on the Bikini Club and Quarterdeck Club. At its peak in 1960, there were 27 structures on the flats, but hurricanes, fires and the ravages of being in such an exposed place made every building relatively short-lived.

Take a boat tour to Stiltsville, narrated by Miami historian, Dr. Paul George. Learn the history of Biscayne Bay and hear stories about Miami's infamous stilt houses built above the water: Leeshaw house, Hardin house Shaw, Sessions, Baldwin house; Jimmy Ellenburg house; Hicks house; Miami Springs Powerboat Clubhouse; and the Bay Chateau.

Stiltsville is a group of wood stilt houses located one mile south of Cape Florida on sand banks of the Safety Valve on the edge of Biscayne Bay in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The structures stand on wood or reinforced concrete pilings, generally ten feet above the shallow water which varies from one to three feet deep at low tide.