Best Places To Watch The Sunset In Miami

From the Atlantic Ocean to Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami & Miami Beach’s liquid landscape is carved by meandering waterways, dotted with islands and crisscrossed by causeways. Add the glittering Downtown Miami skyline and South Beach’s Art Deco allure and you have one of the world’s most beautiful places, especially at sunset. Here are the destination’s best spots and ways to enjoy the sunset.

Enjoy Food, Drinks & Memorable Sunsets

Rusty Pelican

The Rusty Pelican is one of Miami’s most iconic restaurants, and for good reason. This elegant waterfront restaurant on Key Biscayne boasts a dining room with floor-to-ceiling windows and an inviting terrace for unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay and Downtown Miami at sunset. Pair your views with a margarita and happy hour specials, ranging from oysters to sliders, and soak in the glittering scene across the bay.

Lido Bayside at The Standard Miami Beach

Bright yellow umbrellas and sweeping views of Biscayne Bay make Lido Bayside Grill at The Standard Spa, Miami Beach a stunning waterfront destination for sunset. It’s situated on the Venetian Causeway with prime views of Downtown Miami across the bay. The menu features a variety of small plates and entrées – some with a healthy bent, some with a Latin flair – and creative cocktails. Sunset comes with a happy hour bonus.

Baia Beach Club at Mondrian South Beach

Located on the west side of South Beach with sunset views overlooking Biscayne Bay, Baia Beach Club at the Mondrian South Beach hotel is a stylish setting for sunset drinks and global coastal cuisine. With boho chic vibes, this waterfront restaurant and lounge is decked out with cabanas set beneath exaggeratedly tall arcade hedges and chandeliers. It’s a rare poolside destination in South Beach for sunset views, good vibes and great bites.

Grab A Blanket And Watch The Sunset

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Situated at the southern tip of Key Biscayne, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is a treasure. With rugged sand dunes, a tranquil beach, endless ocean, a historic lighthouse and nature trails, it's a piece of unspoiled old Florida. For refreshments, Boater’s Grill serves fresh seafood with the sunset in a rustic setting. It’s one of the few places in Miami where you can watch the sun sink directly into the ocean.

South Pointe Park

South Pointe Park is home to one of the most sweeping vistas in the destination. The beautifully landscaped park juts out along South Beach’s southern point and features playgrounds, water features and public art. There’s also a scenic pier running parallel to the jetty. All of it offers panoramic views of the South Beach skyline, the Atlantic Ocean, Fisher Island, PortMiami, Biscayne Bay and the Downtown Miami skyline. The park is stunning any time of day and particularly thrilling when hulking cruise ships enter and exit the channel. At sunset, it’s simply divine.

Matheson Hammock Park

Home to a lovely manmade atoll beach, Matheson Hammock Park in Coral Gables is a great place to soak up the sun and the sunset. The 630-acre urban park and beach on Biscayne Bay boasts a marina and hiking trails through a preserved hardwood hammock. It’s a popular spot for kiteboarding, kayaking and standup paddleboarding. Sitting on a peninsula jutting into Biscayne Bay, the park offers beautiful sunset views over the tree line.

Up On The Roof, The Sunset Is Spectacular

Sugar at EAST, Miami Hotel

An oasis crowning the 40th floor, Sugar at EAST Miami Hotel is a sophisticated urban retreat with Balinese flair, thanks in large part to its intricately hand-carved wooden bar, tiki-style food and drinks, and lush landscaping. It’s also the highest rooftop bar in all of Miami, offering sweeping views of Biscayne Bay and the glittering Downtown Miami skyline at sunset.

Watr at 1 Hotel South Beach

For an oceanfront rooftop bar in South Beach, head to Watr. It’s located 18 stories up at 1 Hotel South Beach with views stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to Biscayne Bay, and the sunsets are truly something to behold. Enjoy a fancy cocktail or glass of rosé and nibble on creative sushi rolls while you take it all in.

A Sunset Cruise For Sunset Views

Vizcaya Sunset Cruise

Set sail aboard the classic yacht Mizner’s Dream on an intimate sunset cruise with Island Queen Cruises & Tours. You’ll see the mansions of the Venetian Islands, Downtown Miami’s skyline and the open waters of Biscayne Bay en route to Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, the iconic Mediterranean-style mansion built by James Deering in the early 1900s. The two-hour tour includes a wine tasting, beer and hors d’oeuvres while you sail through history and enjoy a spectacular sunset.

Pelican Island Skipper

Hop aboard a 45-foot catamaran with Pelican Island Skipper for a sunset sail that embarks from Pelican Harbor Marina. You’ll cruise through the tranquil waters of Biscayne Bay and discover the mangrove shoreline of Bird Key rookery as the sun sets and the lights of Downtown Miami blink on. Helmed by an experienced skipper, this eco-tour will give you an insight into Miami’s unique ecosystem while taking in the spectacular vistas.

Soar To The Sunset

Heli Air Miami

What’s more epic than a Miami sunset? How about a Miami sunset aboard a helicopter? Heli Air Miami offers a sunset tour that whisks you above Miami’s most iconic landmarks, including South Beach and Ocean Drive, Star Island, the Venetian Islands, Downtown Miami, Key Biscayne and much more. You might even spot marine life, like manatees and dolphins, in the crystal-clear waters of Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

Want more places to watch the sunset? Check out the best rooftop restaurants and bars.