Our favorite places to stay, eat, and shop in Miami’s Riviera.

By Phoebe Neuman

Sunny Isles Beach has a long history of toes-in-the-sand luxury—and its mix of elevated resorts, best-in-class dining, and miles of pristine white-sand beaches has earned it the title of Miami’s Riviera. So if you’re looking for a getaway that is equal parts laid-back and luxurious, Sunny Isles Beach should be at the top of your itinerary. Here, Full-Time Travel breaks down how to experience this must-see Miami neighborhood.

Where to Stay

Sunny Isles Beach is home to a nice mix of hotels, including luxury resorts and more budget-friendly options. But the undisputed grande dame of the neighborhood is the Acqualina Resort & Residences On The Beach. Immediately recognizable thanks to its iconic Mediterranean Revival façade and the red lounge chairs that fringe the pool and private beach, the 5-star resort offers up the best of South Florida. Think oversized guest rooms—some come complete with full kitchens, making them perfect for families—endless ocean views, a world-class spa, and excellent service (hello, beach butlers!).

The resort is just steps from the warm waters of the Atlantic—and while there is plenty to see and do in Sunny Isles Beach (which we’ll get into in just a minute), we’d highly recommend carving out an afternoon or two to plant yourself in one of those red loungers and soak up the sun.

Where to Eat 

No trip to Miami is complete without settling in for some world-class food at a waterfront restaurant, and you’re in no shortage of options to do just that in Sunny Isles Beach. If you’re looking for seriously fresh seafood and Greek-inspired flavors, reserve a table at Avra Estiatorio Miami or Mykonos Kitchen and Bar. Stop into BALEENKitchen at Solé Miami, A Noble House Resort (another great hotel option) for breathtaking views and globally-inspired cuisine, and hit Timo for neighborhood-favorite Italian.

Back at Acqualina Resort & Residences On The Beach, you’ll find two of Sunny Isles Beach’s favorite restaurants: Il Mulino New York and Ke-uH. The former has topped the charts as one of the best Italian restaurants in Miami for over two decades thanks to its seafood risotto and excellent Italian wine and cocktail list (even if you can’t snag a reservation, stopping in during happy hour for their signature Il Mulino Spritz is a must). While decidedly more casual than Il Mulino, the latter is also a must-eat while in Miami. Stop in for tapas-style Japanese fusion cuisine—don’t skip the Bonzai Truffle roll, trust us—and a large selection of Japanese sake. 

What to Do

We wouldn’t fault you for spending the entirety of your Sunny Isles Beach getaway rotating between the beach and the pool, but you’d definitely be missing out on the unique mix of nature, culture, and history that makes this part of Miami so special.

Teeming with wildlife, Oleta River State Park is a case in point: spanning 1,000 acres (making it the largest urban park in Florida), the park feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Miami. We recommend heading there early in the morning, when you’ll have the highest chance of spotting manatees and dolphins as you hike or paddleboard through the mangroves that surround the river.

The historic Newport Fishing Pier is another can’t-miss spot in Sunny Isles Beach. Stretching nearly 800 feet over the turquoise waters of the Atlantic, it's the only public fishing pier in the city, It’s also home to the always fun, delightfully kitschy Sandbar, which is the perfect place to stop for a drink overlooking the water.

Finally, you’re going to want to set aside an hour or two to wander around the grounds of the Ancient Spanish Monastery—which is, quite literally, a 12th-century Spanish monastery that was purchased by William Randolph Hearst in 1925 and painstakingly rebuilt on the shores of Maule Lake in Northern Miami in the early 1960s.

Where to Shop

Miami is a city that knows how to shop, and Sunny Isles Beach is no exception. The neighborhood offers easy access to Aventura Mall, where of-the-moment designers like Ganni sidle up next to forever favorite brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and Cartier. In addition to its 300+ boutiques and department stores, the shopping center is home to the groundbreaking Arts Aventura Mall program, which has curated over 20 museum-worthy pieces to display throughout the mall. Catch the 93-foot-tall landmark Aventura Slide Tower by Carsten Höller (which is open for the brave to slide down in the fall and winter), Gorillas in the Mist by the Haas Brothers, as well as work by Lousie Bourgeois, Ugo Rondinone, and Jorge Pardo, among others, as you window shop.

This story was sponsored by The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau