Spend the day in this secret tropical lagoon (with waterfalls!) just south of Miami
The word “magical” is thrown around a lot these days, but visitors will find it’s a pretty apt term to describe the Blue Lagoon Farm, deep in the Redland.
Haven’t ventured down yet to take a swim and chill? The trip to this evocative attraction, complete with freshwater pool (about 45 minutes from downtown) is very much worth your well-earned gas money.
An informal survey (hello, present company included) revealed many locals didn’t know about this lush lagoon, tucked behind the famed Secret Gardens wedding venue.
To say the postcard-perfect venue is an ideal spot to wile away a steamy afternoon (not to mention lower your blood pressure) is an understatement. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into an exotic oasis in the Pacific, with the farm’s charming grotto, swaying palm trees, Fantasy Island-style waterfall and aforementioned way-inviting pool, which is actually a spring.
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Co-owner Alfredo Rohaidy ensures the swimming hole stays in pristine shape by constantly draining out old water and pumping in new fresh water from the aquifer below ground. Temperatures, depending on the time of year fluctuate: In winter, from 70-72 degrees, spring 75-76, and summer around 78. On average? Perfect.
Another reason that the tropical getaway — which also includes a few lounge chairs and a dining area with rotating food trucks — is so well maintained, is that he and his wife Tania also live there.
“It’s our slice of heaven,” he says, looking around at the vast, richly green five-acre compound, which he plans on expanding.
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The Cuban-born couple bought the farm in November 2017, three years after the previous owner, well-known coral stone landscaper Benjamin Bistrong, passed away at 44 from pancreatic cancer, and it went into probate.
Bistrong, who owned family Redland business Jungle B’s Landscaping, built his “compound” out of coral rock. Originally used for personal fun, as well as events and movie productions, the lavish pool at the end of the ailing businessman’s life was reportedly more for physical therapy.
In his obituary in the Miami Herald, his brother Jared Bistrong called the lagoon a masterpiece: “When people see it, they can’t believe it’s here in Miami, that somebody would build that stuff. He was way over the top in everything he did.”
Rohaidy is carrying on the tradition, even logging a few laps a day himself to keep fit and decompress.
The shallow end is anywhere from two to four feet, the deepest parts about 12 feet. A platform on the far end of this man-made beauty is just for jumping (not diving).
“I had that built because I know when I was a kid no one was going to stop me from jumping in a pool,” he said. “We’d jump from a roof if we had to if we were hot enough.”
The owner stresses how safe the whole area is, despite many rocks and ledges, but all guests must sign a liability waiver. A few more things on the Blue Lagoon checklist: Know that there are no lifeguards, everyone who gets in should know how to swim (though some floaties are available); and parents are responsible for their own kids. Guests can also bring their own food and cooler, but no glass.
Blue Lagoon Farm
Address: 14451 SW 252nd St., Homestead
Info: 786-564-7118
Cost: $20
Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, except when hosting private events. Call to confirm daily hours.
This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
