Bayside Marketplace

An open-air shopping and dining center and boat dock on Biscayne Bay, where you can take a cruise past celebrity mansions and the skyline. The NBA's Miami Heat arena is right next door.

Bayside Marketplace sits on the waterfront of downtown Miami along Biscayne Bay. This open-air shopping center, built in 1987, wraps two levels around a yacht marina and has more than 100 shops and restaurants, mostly chains such as Hard Rock Cafe and Bubba Gump, as well as many souvenir stores. A central stage often hosts free Latin music performances in the evening, creating a lively atmosphere. Its more important role is as a boat dock: companies including Island Queen and Thriller speedboats offer 90-minute Biscayne Bay sightseeing cruises (about US$30–35 for adults). Along the way you pass cruise ships in the Port of Miami, the mansions of Star Island and the back of South Beach, and on the return trip the downtown glass skyline reflects on the water. Sunset departures are the most rewarding. North of the market, Bayfront Park has lawns and a waterfront promenade, and hosts New Year's Eve countdown events. Just to the south, the Kaseya Center is the home arena of the NBA's Miami Heat, and tickets can be purchased during the season (October to April). A 10-minute walk to the north brings you to the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), designed by Herzog & de Meuron, where the hanging gardens and terraces facing the sea and the café are popular photo spots (US$18 for adults), and to the Frost Science Museum, with an aquarium and planetarium that is great for families. Nearby, the Freedom Tower served as the “Ellis Island” for Cuban refugees. Getting there: the free Metromover loop stops at College/Bayside station, right by the market. You can also take a Miami water taxi to South Beach. Note that dining inside the market is relatively expensive, and locals often recommend eating in the Brickell area instead. There are many homeless people in the surrounding area, so stay alert at night.

Bayside Marketplace / Downtown Miami

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Places to eat nearby