Top 5 Things You May Not Know About El Portal

A Village by Day, A Wildlife Sanctuary for Always

Aside from being "green" by Miami standards, El Portal is also officially a state-designated bird sanctuary, explaining the dense canopy of palms and towering oaks that protect the entire village. 

In fact, Sherwood Forest Park, a neighborhood within El Portal, is home to 75-foot oak trees and a variety of exotic wildlife, and local lore implies that manatees have been spotted cruising through nearby canals. 

With peacocks casually strutting through neighborhoods like they own the place, El Portal really does feel like a tiny Garden of Eden tucked into the city.

A Park With a 1,400-Year-Old Secret

That small grassy hill in Sherwood Forest Park? It isn't just landscaping, but the Little River Mound, an ancient Tequesta burial site dating back to around 600 AD, and if you didn't already know, it was the first archaeological site ever preserved in Miami-Dade County. 

But here's something even cooler — beneath the mound is a small tunnel or "cave," and its origins are still up for debate. 

Some believe it was carved by the Tequesta people, others link it to early French Huguenots, and a few insist it's simply a natural formation. 

Old local stories claim it once doubled as a shady summer hideout, and who could blame them? 

We think it's a huge upgrade from the usual treehouse!

The Gate That Gave the Village Its Name

If you think El Portal got its name from poetic branding, then you're in for a surprise!

Contrary to popular belief, the name El Portal came from an actual wooden gate, as early maps and photos show a striking arch at 85th Street and NE 2nd Avenue, complete with carved wooden figures that looked straight out of a Robin Hood tale. 

This gate literally marked the entrance into the village and served as a visual welcome sign for residents and visitors. 

Though the structure was dismantled by the 1940s, the name stuck, and even today, the idea of El Portal as "The Gate" remains central to its identity, bridging history and neighborhood pride.

Home Sweet Home, Circa 1910

Did you know that one of El Portal's most fascinating homes predates the village itself? 

Built around 1910, the house was relocated from Biscayne Boulevard in 1911, decades before El Portal officially became a village. 

Designed in a simple frame-vernacular style, it later served an unexpected role as a medical clinic during the 1930s. 

The home still stands as a reminder of how early residents blended practicality with charm, and a snapshot of the El Portal's original vision from the 1920s: a leafy, elegant residential enclave inspired by places like Coral Gables. 

In El Portal, history isn't locked behind glass — it's still standing and very much lived-in.

When Funk and Funny Passed Through Town

Before the spotlight found them, Flip Wilson and Betty Wright both had strong ties to El Portal. 

Wilson lived in the village while serving in the U.S. Air Force, long before becoming one of the most recognizable comedians on American television. 

Betty Wright, on the other hand, grew up in the village, and her connection runs so deep that she even name-checks her mother's El Portal home in the lyrics of Tonight Is the Night. 

Her family still maintains roots in the community, along with other notable residents, like Miami Times publisher Garth C. Reeves Sr. 

As it turns out, big talent sometimes comes from very small villages.