For New Year’s Eve of 2020-2021, we were in Miami Florida and had a great time. I will never forget our experience at the Sawgrass Everglades Boat Tour. Truly an amazing experience. However, one of the places we kept coming back to visit was the Bayside Marketplace. It was a great place to hang out, do a little shopping, people watch, and see the several Christmas trees that were still up. One of them even included an Island Santa, lol. Thought that was really funny but fitting for the area. We enjoyed walking around, grabbing some lunch, and just enjoying the beautiful views of the ocean. Man, I miss that being in a land-locked state.
Anyway, this exciting marketplace is a two-story open-air shopping center and reminded me a lot of Ala Moana on Oahu, but smaller. However, they also have live music daily, restaurants, bars with an open container policy, as well as many family events. There are actually 140 inline spaces, as well as over 50 carts and kiosks located in and around the center. Of course, it is right on the waterfront which makes it even more appealing.
One thing you can’t miss is the huge Ferris Wheel, which they call the Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel. Whatever you want to call it, it is huge and towers almost 200 feet above the Bayside Marketplace. We didn’t do a ride, but apparently, there are unparalleled views of Biscayne Bay, Bayfront Park, as well as the Downtown Miami skyline. There are 42 Gondolas that are climate controlled where it’s always 72 degrees. Sounds like it would be nice when it’s a hot day. Of those 42 gondolas, one is actually a VIP gondola and features leather bucket seats, a custom LED light show, and a glass-bottom floor. I have to say, it better be 72 or with leather seats, you may lose some skin if you are wearing shorts, lol. In all seriousness, it sounds like something cool to do and the ride does last 12 to 15 minutes.
Besides all the opportunities for shopping and eating, Bayside Marketplace is where many local excursions and attractions start. Here is a list of a few with their websites. Check their site for hours and prices.
- Island Queen Cruises and Tours
- Bike and Roll Miami
- Bayside Lady Luxury
- Capt. Jimmy’s Fiesta Cruise
- Capt. Jimmy’s Fishing Charters
- Skyline Miami Cruise
- Thriller Speedboat Adventures
- Water Taxi Miami
We had a wonderful time walking around Bayside Marketplace and checking out some of the shops, and enjoying the beautiful views of the ocean. We also saw a lot of different types of birds and animals running around. There were also a lot of ships and yachts in the area. It was very nice that it is an open-air venue and a great place for people watching. Parking was a little difficult and expensive, so I would suggest taking public transportation if you can. It will be cheaper and less stressful. Even with that said I hope to visit again the next time we are in Miami. Here is a link to their website if you want to learn more about the marketplace.
