Not just Lincoln Road: if you love shopping and being outdoors, Miami has so much to offer. Bayside Marketplace is in fact an open-air mall with a hundred stores and forty or so eateries facing Biscayne Bay. From several restaurants, you can enjoy views of the Miami skyline and while strolling around the stores (not during peak hours though), you can enjoy a nice and relaxing sea breeze.
At cocktail hour and in the evening, the area comes alive with music and live events in that party atmosphere for which Miami is known all over the world. It is the right place for those looking for a bit of life and fashionable nightlife! In addition, there are numerous bay boat tours departing from the marina, which allow you to explore the Bay of Biscayne and observe Millionaire’s Row, the “expanse” of luxury villas belonging to Miami’s VIPs.
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Where it is and how to get there
Bayside Marketplace is located at 401 Biscayne Boulevard in Miami. Overlooking Biscayne Bay, it has the same latitude as South Beach – which is less than an hour away – and is just south of Jungle Island and the Pérez Art Museum. This open-air shopping center is easily accessible by both car and public transportation.
Public transportation
- from Miami Beach, the S or C line
- from the airport, the Orange Line Metro Rail
- from the port take the free Coral Way trolley to the Biscayne Blvd stop
- from downtown Miami take the Metromover, get off at College/Bayside and walk east about a block
- by subway, get off at Government Center and take the Downtown Metromover (Inner Loop) then follow the directions above
- by train from the Brightline station located at 600 NW 1st Avenue, you can easily walk to the Bayside Marketplace
By car
If you’re traveling by car, you can park in the shopping area parking lot, which has 1100 parking spaces available and is open 24 hours a day every day of the week. The cost varies depending on the time you stay: to give you an idea, the first hour costs $7, 3 hours $12, 10 hours $25 and 24 hours $30.
There is a special morning rate if you arrive before 10:00 am and leave by 6:00 pm or if you arrive after 11:00 am and leave by 3:00 pm, costing $5. Also along Biscayne Boulevard there is the option to park and pay at the meter.
Bayside Marketplace Shops and Restaurants
At the Bayside Marketplace you’ll find plenty of stores, including big names like GAP, Foot Locker, Crocs, Guess, Skechers, Disney Store, Victoria’s Secret and U.S. Polo Assn. For gourmets, about forty restaurants and bars offer a wide choice of Italian, Greek, Cuban, and Latin American cuisine and you cannot miss the burgers from Five Guys and coffee at Starbucks or Segafredo.
Among the most famous dining spots, we find the Hard Rock Cafe and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., serving Forrest Gump’s famous ‘Bubba Gump Shrimp’. Before you sit down for a cocktail or dinner fascinated by the view and the vibrant atmosphere of the place, take a look at the menu because the prices are generally higher than average for Miami. Being a very touristy place, it is not the right place to go in search of a typical restaurant or a cheap dinner; for this I would suggest the restaurants we have recommended in our guide on where to eat in Miami.
The hours of individual businesses can change, but in general the shopping area is open during the following hours:
- Monday through Thursday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
- Friday and Saturday from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm
- Sunday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm
Hard Rock Cafe Miami
Among the most popular dining options is the Hard Rock Cafe Miami, which, thanks to its particular shape, offers a patio facing the sea and interior rooms whose walls, as always in the tradition of this chain, are covered with memorabilia and objects from the world of music and the most famous stars.
The menu on offer is more or less the same one that you find in other Hard Rock Cafes. There are many evenings and events organised by the cafe, so I suggest you go to the website and see what is scheduled in the days when you will be in Miami.
Bayside Marketplace Tours and Attractions
Not only shopping… thanks to its location, in fact, Bayside Marketplace offers many attractions and tours in the bay starting right from the mall. Among these are:
- Thriller Speed Boat: this Bayside Cruise is a 45-minute speedboat tour along the coast of Miami, passing by the millionaire mansions of Fisher Island and Star Island and the Art Deco houses of South Beach. The captain of the speedboat will also be your guide and will explain the many attractions you’ll see on this tour.
- Bike and Roll: 2 hour and 30 minute Segway tour with guide and generally small groups to discover the coastline along Biscayne Bay, along the Miami Riverwalk to Bayfront Park, the place where Miami River, Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean join up.
- Bayside Tour Boat – Bayside Blaster Cruise: the tour is a 90-minute cruise on Biscayne Bay with a guide and the chance to photograph Miami Harbor, Fisher Island, Miami Beach and the luxurious mansions of Millionaire’s Row. The tour is in high demand and there are 4 daily departures.
- Millionaire’s Row Cruise: a 90-minute cruise on Biscayne Bay in search of the most luxurious and popular villas of the VIPs who live along Millionaire’s Row, including Shaquille O’Neal, Gloria Estefan and Julio Iglesias. You’ll feel like you’re one with the Miami skyline.
Where to Stay in the Bayside Marketplace area
