Miami Boat Tour Sights: Star Island, Nixon Sandbar & More

Miami looks its best from the water. In one trip you can pass island mansions, a busy cruise port, a 2,000-year-old archaeological site and a sandbar where locals spend the whole day in waist-deep water. Here is what is out there, and how much time each part needs.

Islands Miami built by hand

Star Island, Palm Island, Hibiscus Island and most of the Venetian Islands are man-made. Dredges pumped sand from the bottom of Biscayne Bay to build them. Palm and Hibiscus were finished by 1919, Star Island in 1922, and the Venetian Islands mostly between 1922 and 1926, when the Venetian Causeway opened. Belle Isle began as a small mangrove island and was enlarged.

Fun fact: Miami was building island neighborhoods about 80 years before Dubai started work on Palm Jumeirah in 2001.

Star Island from the water

Star Island’s homes are private, so the water is the best way to see them, with the Miami Beach and Downtown skylines all around. Walls and trees hide some properties, so don’t expect a close look at every house or a particular celebrity home.

Fisher Island and Government Cut

Fisher Island has no bridge. It is a private community reached only by ferry or boat, so a tour sees it from the water and does not land. It sits on Government Cut, the shipping channel between PortMiami and the ocean.

In May 1918, Black entrepreneur Dana A. Dorsey bought what was then called Terminal Island. He reportedly planned a resort for Black families at a time when segregation kept them out of many public places. The plan never went ahead, and a year later the island was sold to Carl Fisher. The City of Miami Beach tells the story.

Heading in toward Downtown, cruise ships and cargo cranes line PortMiami, and the giant Skyviews Miami observation wheel turns at Bayside Marketplace.

Up the Miami River

At the river mouth, on Brickell Point beside the W Miami tower, sits the Miami Circle: a 38-foot ring of holes cut into the limestone, most likely by the Tequesta people or their ancestors, about 2,000 years ago. It is a National Historic Landmark.

The name “Miami” traces back to Mayaimi, a word used by South Florida’s native peoples, including the Tequesta. It is usually translated as “big water.”

Next come the sail-shaped Aston Martin Residences, the Brickell high-rises and Brickell Key. Farther up, the river gets local, with cargo freighters, fishing boats and the edge of Little Havana. It is a no-wake zone, so this part is slow and easy.

Island parks with beaches

These small parks are reachable only by boat. Your captain anchors nearby and you wade to the sand, when conditions allow.

• Flagler Monument Island: a Miami Beach park with a 97-foot obelisk from 1921.
• The Picnic Islands: small City of Miami islands such as Pace Picnic Island, which locals call Teachers Island.
• “Stadium Island”: the shallows by the island in the Miami Marine Stadium basin off Virginia Key, with a big skyline view.

They are open sunrise to sunset and sometimes close on holiday weekends.

Nixon Sandbar, Key Biscayne

This is the locals’ favorite. Nixon Sandbar is a shallow sand flat on the bay side of Key Biscayne. Boats anchor, everyone hops into waist-deep water, and friends and families spend the day. Weekdays are calmer.

Why “Nixon”? President Richard Nixon used a bayfront compound on Key Biscayne as his “Winter White House” from 1969 to 1974, and the sandbar took the name. His own modest house was torn down in 2004.

Movie trivia: a mansion built on part of the old compound played Frank Lopez’s house in Scarface (1983), including Elvira’s famous glass-elevator entrance with Michelle Pfeiffer. It is a private home, so you see it only from the water.

From Rickenbacker Marina, the sandbar is about 20 minutes each way. Our Miami sandbar trips guide covers tides, crowds and the best days to go.

Felipe’s favorite stops

Felipe’s tip: each marina we sail from has an iconic local favorite by the water: Monty’s at Miami Beach Marina, Casablanca on the Bay next to Venetian Marina & Yacht Club, and the Rusty Pelican at Rickenbacker Marina. Near the sandbar, Boater’s Grill on No Name Harbor in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is another local favorite. Ask your captain when you book.

Water sports and jet skis

On our Wake Adventure you can try tubing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing behind a private sports boat for up to six. You get personal coaching from professional athletes with many years of experience, in calm coves sheltered from wind and boat wakes, so it is easier to learn. From $340, see current rates.

Our guided jet ski tours run through these same waters, past Virginia Key, Downtown, PortMiami, Fisher Island and Star Island when conditions allow. From $210 per jet ski, see current rates.

How much time do you need?

Depending on hours booked, your marina and conditions:

• 2 hours: Star, Palm and Hibiscus Islands, the Venetian Islands, PortMiami, Fisher Island, Downtown and Bayside.
• 3 hours: add an island beach stop or a slow run into the Miami River.
• 4 hours or more: real swim time at Nixon Sandbar plus the city sights, or a longer river run toward Little Havana.

Boat or yacht, your route

Every route here works on our Private Boat Tour or a yacht charter. The Private Boat Tour is a private boat for up to 11 guests, from $240 per hour with a 2-hour minimum, for the whole boat (see current rates). Captain, fuel, a cooler with ice and bottled water, and a shade canopy are included. Yachts add a salon and a bathroom. Our yacht charters page compares the fleet.

Every trip is private, with a USCG-licensed captain. Tell us what you want to see and we will shape the route around it. Your captain adjusts it on the day for wind, traffic and U.S. Coast Guard safety zones.

Good to know

The Miami River and parts of the bay are slow-speed manatee zones. Pack out all trash, and wear water shoes on sandbars and islands.

Before you book

• Your exact marina, arrival time and captain contact come in your booking confirmation. We use licensed commercial marinas, including Miami Beach Marina, Venetian Marina & Yacht Club and Rickenbacker Marina. Our Lenox Avenue address is an admin office, not a departure point.
• Arrive 30 minutes early with photo ID.
• Read the billing, conditions and cancellation policies before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

Can we get off at Star Island or Fisher Island?

No. Both are private, so a boat tour sees them from the water.

Can we stop at a beach or sandbar?

Often, yes. Island parks and Nixon Sandbar are popular stops when tide, wind and conditions allow.

How long does it take to reach Nixon Sandbar?

About 20 minutes each way from Rickenbacker Marina. From other marinas, plan on 4 hours or more to combine it with the city sights.

Questions about a route? Contact us or email info@miamitoursandwateradventures.com.