Sunny Isles Beach Guide: The Beach, the Pier and Where to Stay
By about four o’clock on a winter afternoon, the shadows of the towers reach the waterline. Sunny Isles has some of the tallest oceanfront buildings in Florida, packed so closely along Collins Avenue that from the beach they look like a single wall of glass. In front of them is one of the widest, cleanest and calmest stretches of sand in Miami-Dade, with a long fishing pier in the middle and far fewer people than you would expect. Sunny Isles Beach is the beach for people who want South Florida’s sand without South Beach’s noise, and who do not mind that their view inland is mostly balconies.
This guide covers the beach and the city around it: where to get onto the sand, where to park and what it costs, the free shuttle, the Newport Fishing Pier, lifeguard hours, the parks, where to stay and eat, what to do nearby and how it compares with the beaches to the south. Prices and hours were checked in September and October 2026, and parking rates in particular can change, so treat them as the right order of magnitude. For every beach in the county and how to choose between them, start with our Miami beaches guide.
Sunny Isles Beach at a Glance
| What | Detail (checked autumn 2026) |
|---|---|
| Where | The city of Sunny Isles Beach, between Haulover Park and Golden Beach, about 11 miles north of South Beach |
| The beach | About two and a half miles of wide, groomed sand, reached through 22 public access points |
| Entry | Free |
| Lifeguards | 10 towers; 9:30am to 6pm during daylight saving time, 9am to 5:30pm in winter |
| Parking | City lots and garages, mostly $2 an hour; Pier Park and Ellen Wynne lots $3 an hour |
| Free transport | The SIBshuttle, around the city and to Aventura, Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach |
| Newport Fishing Pier | 776 feet long; free to walk; $10 to fish for non-residents |
| Facilities | Showers and restrooms at access points, beach wheelchairs on request |
| Dogs | Not on the beach; there is a dog park at Heritage Park |
| Best for | Families, long beach walks, condo and resort stays, a quiet base north of the city |
What Sunny Isles Is Like
Sunny Isles Beach is a small city on a narrow barrier island, sandwiched between the open space of Haulover Park to the south and the low, private-feeling town of Golden Beach to the north. Collins Avenue runs the length of it. On the ocean side are the towers, one after another; on the bay side are more towers, shopping plazas, a few older low-rise blocks and the Intracoastal Waterway.
It used to be very different. For decades this was Motel Row, a strip of themed motels where families from the Northeast and Canada spent their winters. Almost all of them have gone, replaced since the late 1990s by a building boom that turned Sunny Isles into one of the densest collections of luxury condominiums in the United States. Many of the buyers came from Russia and other former Soviet countries, which earned the city its nickname, Little Moscow. You will hear Russian on the beach and see Cyrillic on shop signs, alongside Spanish, Portuguese, Hebrew and French, because Sunny Isles is now one of the most international places in South Florida.
For a visitor, that history explains the feel. This is a residential beach town more than a tourist strip. There is no Ocean Drive, no nightlife to speak of and not much of a scene. What you get instead is space on the sand, a calmer atmosphere and resort hotels that open straight onto the beach.
The Beach
The beach runs about two and a half miles from the edge of Haulover Park to Golden Beach. It is wide, flat and pale, groomed regularly, and noticeably less crowded than the Miami Beach strip, even on a sunny weekend. Like much of the county’s coastline, it has been widened over the years with sand pumped from offshore, which is why it is so generous in front of the towers.
Getting onto the sand
There are 22 public beach access points along Collins Avenue, with paved walkways between the buildings. Several have showers, restrooms and picnic areas. Because the oceanfront is almost entirely built up, these walkways are the only way onto the sand if you are not staying at a beachfront hotel, so note the one nearest your parking spot before you set off.
Lifeguards and conditions
Sunny Isles Beach has its own lifeguards in 10 towers along the sand. They are on duty from 9:30am to 6pm during daylight saving time, roughly March to early November, and from 9am to 5:30pm in winter. The water is generally gentle, with small waves on most days, though it does get rougher when an easterly wind blows or a winter swell rolls in. Read the flags, swim near a tower and keep children within arm’s reach. If you need a beach wheelchair, the lifeguards can help, or call the city’s Cultural and Community Services Department on 305-792-1706.
The shade question
The towers that line the beach have one side effect that surprises visitors: they block the afternoon sun. Because the buildings stand to the west of the sand, their shadows reach across the beach as the sun drops, sooner in winter than in summer. That makes Sunny Isles a morning beach in winter, when you want the sun, and an afternoon beach in summer, when a little shade is welcome. Plan accordingly, especially if the point of your trip is a tan.
Seaweed and the seasons
Sargassum seaweed can wash up from late spring through summer, as it does all along the coast. The city cleans the beach regularly, so it is rarely more than a line along the tide mark, but on a heavy day it is worth walking a few minutes to find a cleaner stretch. In winter, look out for Portuguese man o’ war, which blow in on strong east winds; if the purple flag is up, stay out.
Getting There and Parking
By car
| From | Typical drive outside rush hour |
|---|---|
| Aventura Mall | About 10 minutes |
| Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport | 25–35 minutes |
| Downtown Miami | 30–40 minutes, via I-95 and the 163rd Street causeway |
| Miami International Airport | 30–40 minutes |
| South Beach | 35–45 minutes straight up Collins Avenue, past Haulover |
Sunny Isles sits closer to Fort Lauderdale’s airport than many visitors realize, which makes it a practical base if you are flying into FLL. Our Fort Lauderdale from Miami guide covers the stretch to the north.
Parking
Street parking along Collins is limited, so use the city’s lots and garages. The main options are the Pier Park lot by the fishing pier, the Lehman Causeway lot, the lot behind the Walgreens, the Gateway Park garage and the Heritage Park garage. Most cost $2 an hour; the Pier Park and Ellen Wynne lots are $3 an hour. That is far cheaper than South Beach, and outside holiday weekends finding a space is rarely a problem. Pay by app or at the machines, and check the signs, because private condo lots tow quickly.
The free SIBshuttle
The city runs the SIBshuttle, a free bus that loops around Sunny Isles and connects with neighboring Aventura, Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach, including Aventura Mall. If you are staying in Sunny Isles without a car, it is the easiest way to get to the mall, the supermarkets and the beach access points, and it stops at Samson Oceanfront Park. Check the city’s website for the current routes and times.
By bus, train or rideshare
Metrobus routes along Collins Avenue connect Sunny Isles with Haulover, Bal Harbour and Miami Beach, though the ride to South Beach is long; check the GO Miami-Dade Transit app for routes and times. Brightline stops at Aventura, a short rideshare away, which links Sunny Isles with downtown Miami and Fort Lauderdale without the traffic. For everything else, rideshares are plentiful. Our Miami transportation guide covers all the options.
Newport Fishing Pier
The pier is the landmark of Sunny Isles. It reaches 776 feet into the Atlantic from Pier Park at 16501 Collins Avenue, where Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard meets the ocean, and it is one of the best places on this stretch of coast to stand out over the water.
Walking and fishing
Walking the pier is free for everyone. Fishing costs $10 for non-residents, and free for Sunny Isles residents with a city ID. The pier’s license covers you while you fish from it, so you do not need your own Florida fishing license, which is a real convenience for visitors. There are rod holders, cleaning tables and fishing-line recycling bins along its length, and the regulars catch snapper, jacks and mackerel when the fish are running.
Hours
The pier opens at 7am and closes at 7:30pm most days. On Tuesdays and Fridays it opens later, at 10:30am, so if you are planning a sunrise walk, avoid those two days. Hours can change for maintenance and bad weather, so check the city’s site if you are making a special trip.
The best time to walk it is early morning, when the light is soft, the fishermen are out and the towers glow behind you. From the end, you can look back at the whole skyline of Sunny Isles, and on a clear day you can see Haulover to the south and the towers of Hallandale and Hollywood to the north.
The pier’s history
There has been a pier here since 1936, and it has been rebuilt more than once. The old wooden pier was renovated in 1985 with shops and dining, badly damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and finally demolished about five years later. The new concrete pier opened to the public in 2013.
Parks Along the Beach
For a city of towers, Sunny Isles has a surprising number of small parks, and they are what make it work for families.
- Heritage Park. Four acres with two playgrounds, an interactive splash pad, a large lawn, a dog park and the Veterans Memorial Wall. Its garage is one of the most convenient places to park for the beach.
- Samson Oceanfront Park. A 2.1-acre park right on the ocean at 17425 Collins Avenue, with direct beach access and a SIBshuttle stop. It is one of the few places where the sand is not fronted by a building.
- Pier Park. The park at the foot of the Newport Fishing Pier, with its own paid lot and beach access.
- Gateway Park. Another small city park, with a public garage that serves the nearby beach access.
Dogs are not allowed on the beach, but the dog park at Heritage Park gives them a place to run. If your dog wants the sea, the nearest dog beach is just south at Haulover Beach, between lifeguard towers 2 and 3.
Where to Stay
Sunny Isles is above all a place to stay, and its hotels have the beach on their doorstep. They fall into three broad groups:
- Ultra-luxury. Acqualina Resort is the standout, an all-oceanfront resort with three oceanfront pools, an ESPA spa and a children’s program that makes it a favorite with wealthy families. Rooms run from around $1,200 a night in season.
- Upscale towers. Trump International Beach Resort stacks more than 30 floors above the sand, from about $400 a night, and Marenas Beach Resort is a family-friendly all-suite option from about $300.
- Mid-range and budget. The Newport Beachside Hotel sits beside the fishing pier from roughly $250, and chain hotels along Collins, such as the Holiday Inn Express, start at around $130.
Prices swing widely with the season, so treat those as starting points. Vacation rentals in the condo towers are another option, especially for families and longer stays, but read the building’s rules on short-term rentals before you book. Our beachfront hotels guide and family hotels guide compare these with the rest of the coast.
Eating and Drinking
Sunny Isles is not a destination for food, but you will eat well enough. The resort hotels have the most ambitious restaurants, with Acqualina’s dining rooms at the top end. Collins Avenue and the plazas on the bay side are full of cafés, sushi bars, Italian and Latin American restaurants, and, reflecting the city’s population, Russian and Eastern European bakeries and restaurants, which are worth seeking out for something you will not find on South Beach.
For nightlife, look elsewhere. Sunny Isles goes to bed early, and the closest real bar scenes are on Miami Beach to the south and in Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale to the north. For shopping and a wider choice of restaurants, Aventura Mall is ten minutes away and Bal Harbour Shops a little farther south. Our Aventura Mall guide and Bal Harbour Shops guide cover both.
Beyond the Beach
Oleta River State Park
Just inland from Sunny Isles, across the bay along the 163rd Street causeway, Oleta River State Park is Florida’s largest urban state park, and a complete change of pace from the towers. It has more than 10 miles of intermediate and advanced mountain bike trails, 4 miles of novice trail and 3 miles of paved path, along with mangrove-lined water for kayaking and paddleboarding. The Oleta River Outdoor Center rents kayaks, canoes and paddleboards and runs guided paddles. Entry is $6 per vehicle for up to eight people, $4 for a single occupant or motorcycle and $2 on foot or by bike.
Our Miami outdoors and nature guide covers Oleta and the region’s other parks.
Haulover, Bal Harbour and the coast south
Immediately south of Sunny Isles, Haulover Park has the most consistent surf in the county, a dog beach, a marina, Tuesday-night food trucks and a clothing-optional section at its north end, the end nearest Sunny Isles. Beyond it are Bal Harbour, with its luxury shopping, and the quiet residential beaches of Surfside and North Beach. Our North Beach and Surfside guide covers those.
Hard Rock Stadium
Sunny Isles is one of the closest beach areas to Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins and the Miami Open, about 15 to 20 minutes away by car. A morning on the beach before an afternoon or evening event is easy to arrange. Our Hard Rock Stadium guide has the details.
A Sunny Isles Day, Start to Finish
The rhythm of a good day here is set by the sun and the towers. This is how locals and long-stay visitors tend to use it:
- Early morning: walk the Newport Fishing Pier while the light is soft and the fishermen are setting up (any day but Tuesday or Friday, when it opens late).
- Mid-morning: claim a spot on the sand near a lifeguard tower and swim while the sun is still on the beach, which matters most in winter.
- Lunch: a café on Collins, or a picnic at Samson Oceanfront Park.
- Early afternoon: with children, the splash pad and playgrounds at Heritage Park; without them, a kayak at Oleta River State Park, ten minutes inland.
- Late afternoon: back on the sand in summer, when the tower shadows bring welcome shade, or the free SIBshuttle to Aventura Mall in winter, when the beach has gone into shadow.
- Evening: dinner at one of the resort restaurants, or a drive south to Bal Harbour or north to Hollywood if you want more life.
Practical Tips
- Know your access point. With the oceanfront built up, note the nearest public walkway to your parking spot or rental before you head out.
- Bring your own beach gear if you are renting a condo. Resort hotels usually provide chairs and umbrellas for guests, but apartment rentals often do not, and buying them locally is easy.
- Check condo rules. Many buildings restrict short-term rentals, guest parking and pool use, so read the rules before you book.
- Use the shuttle. The free SIBshuttle saves parking fees and covers the supermarkets, the mall and the beach.
- Mind the tower shade in winter. If you want afternoon sun, Haulover’s open beach is five minutes south.
- Glass is not allowed on the beach. Decant drinks into plastic before you leave the room.
When to Go
| Months | Weather | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| December to March | Highs around 76°F to 80°F, dry, sea in the low 70s | Peak season, with snowbirds and Canadian visitors filling the condos. Mornings are best, because the towers shade the beach by mid-afternoon. Watch for man o’ war on east winds. |
| April and May | Hot and mostly dry | Excellent beach weather and fewer people than winter. Seaweed starts to appear. |
| June to September | Hot and humid, afternoon thunderstorms, warmest water | Quieter and cheaper, with afternoon shade from the towers a bonus. Hurricane season runs from June to November. |
| October and November | October around 85°F and still wet; November around 80°F and drier | Good value as the rain eases, with warm water and empty sand. |
Weekdays are quiet all year, and even weekends are calm by Miami standards. For detailed weather, see our Miami weather by month guide.
A Short History
The name dates from the 1920s land boom, when the strip was laid out as a resort called Sunny Isles. The fishing pier followed in 1936. After the Second World War, Collins Avenue here became Motel Row, a parade of themed motels with pools, neon and names that promised the exotic, aimed at families driving down from the Northeast and Canada for the winter.
By the 1990s, Motel Row was looking tired, and the land beneath it had become extremely valuable. Sunny Isles Beach incorporated as a city in 1997, and over the next two decades almost all the old motels were torn down for high-rise condominiums and resort hotels. The towers kept getting taller and more extravagant, from branded residences to the Porsche Design Tower, where residents drive their cars into a glass elevator and park beside their living rooms. A few of the old low-rise buildings survive on the side streets, but the Sunny Isles of the postcards is mostly gone.
Sunny Isles Compared With Nearby Beaches
| Beach | Feel | Parking | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny Isles Beach | Wide, groomed, residential, towers behind | City lots and garages, $2–$3 an hour | Families, resort stays, quiet beach days |
| Haulover | Open parkland, no buildings, livelier water | Flat fee, $7–$10 | Surf, dogs, space, the clothing-optional section |
| Bal Harbour | Short, tidy, luxurious | Limited; the shops’ garage | A walk after shopping |
| Surfside and North Beach | Low-rise, small-town, quiet | Metered streets | A calm beach close to Miami Beach |
| South Beach | Busy, glamorous, social | Expensive and scarce | People-watching, nightlife, the Art Deco District |
For an opinionated ranking of the whole coast, see our best beaches in Miami.
The Honest Verdict
Sunny Isles Beach is one of the most pleasant places to spend a beach holiday in the Miami area, as long as you know what it is: a quiet, family-friendly, residential resort town with a superb beach and very little else going on.
Stay here if you want a big, clean, uncrowded beach at your hotel’s back door, you have children, you are flying into Fort Lauderdale, or you simply want rest rather than a scene.
Look elsewhere if you want nightlife, Art Deco architecture, a walkable neighborhood with character, or easy access to downtown and Wynwood, all of which are 40 minutes or more away. And if afternoon sun on the sand matters to you in winter, remember the towers. Sunny Isles is a morning beach from December to March.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sunny Isles Beach free?
Yes. The beach is public and free, reached through 22 access points along Collins Avenue. You pay only for parking, mostly $2 an hour in the city’s lots and garages.
Is Sunny Isles Beach good for swimming?
Generally, yes. The water is usually gentle, and city lifeguards staff 10 towers from 9:30am to 6pm in summer and 9am to 5:30pm in winter. Swim near a tower and check the flags.
How much does it cost to fish on the Newport Fishing Pier?
$10 for non-residents; free for Sunny Isles residents with a city ID. Walking the pier is free for everyone, and the pier’s license covers you while you fish from it.
What are the Newport Fishing Pier’s hours?
7am to 7:30pm on most days, and 10:30am to 7:30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. Check the city’s site before a special trip, as hours can change.
How far is Sunny Isles from South Beach?
About 11 miles, or 35 to 45 minutes by car up Collins Avenue outside rush hour.
Why is Sunny Isles called Little Moscow?
Because so many of the people who bought into its condominium towers from the 1990s onward came from Russia and other former Soviet countries. Today it is one of the most international communities in South Florida.
Are dogs allowed on Sunny Isles Beach?
No. There is a dog park at Heritage Park, and the nearest dog beach is at Haulover Park, just south of the city.
Is there free transport in Sunny Isles?
Yes. The city’s SIBshuttle is free, loops around Sunny Isles and connects with Aventura, Aventura Mall, Hallandale Beach and North Miami Beach.
Fifteen to twenty minutes north up A1A, past Golden Beach and Hallandale, Hollywood Beach makes an easy change of scene from the Sunny Isles towers: a long paved Broadwalk with a bike lane, inexpensive cafés and a beach that keeps its afternoon sun. Our Hollywood Beach guide has the parking, the dog beach and a plan for the day.
Related Miami Guides
- Miami Beaches: The Complete Guide — every beach in the county, and how to choose.
- Haulover Beach — the big beach park just south of Sunny Isles.
- North Beach and Surfside — the quiet neighborhoods farther south.
- Bal Harbour Shops — luxury shopping a few minutes away.
- Aventura Mall — the big mall next door.
- Beachfront Hotels in Miami — including Sunny Isles’ resorts.
- Family Hotels in Miami — where children are welcome.
- Hard Rock Stadium — 15 to 20 minutes away.
- Miami Outdoors and Nature — Oleta River and the region’s parks.
- Best Beaches in Miami — our ranking of the coast.
Photo Credits
Sunny Isles Beach and the Newport Fishing Pier: Beach-sunny-isle-miami-beach by Elmschrat, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Vintage postcard of the Sunny Isles pier: Miami Beach – Fishing at Sunny Isles pier by Tichnor Brothers, Inc., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Vintage postcard of Motel Row: Miami Beach – Motel row at Sunny Isles 01 by B. Amadeus Rubel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.