My favorite sunset spots in Miami

If you follow me anywhere, you already know: sunset is my favorite part of the day. My best friend Kai, who shoots most of my photos, says I plan my whole schedule around golden hour. She’s not wrong. The light in Miami does something to skin, water and buildings that I’ve never seen anywhere else.

Here are the places I go back to again and again, plus a few tips so you don’t miss the best part.

First, a little sunset geography

Miami Beach faces east, toward the Atlantic Ocean. That makes the beach perfect for sunrise, but at sunset the sun drops behind you, over the city and the bay. To watch the sun actually go down over water, you want somewhere looking west across Biscayne Bay, the shallow bay between the mainland and Miami Beach.

Sunset in Miami comes as early as about 5:30 pm in late November and early December, and as late as about 8:15 pm in late June. Check the exact time on your phone and arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. The colors often get even better after the sun disappears, so don’t rush off.

South Pointe Park, Miami Beach

My happy place. South Pointe Park sits at the very southern tip of Miami Beach, where the sand meets Government Cut, the channel ships use to reach the port. There’s a long seaside path, grassy hills, a pier, and a view across the water to Fisher Island and the mainland.

What makes it special: if you time it right, a cruise ship might glide out through the channel right in front of you as the sky turns orange. Everyone on the path stops to wave. It never gets old.

Tips: it gets busy on weekends, so come early if you’re driving and expect to pay for parking. Wear sneakers for the path, or do what I do and walk barefoot with my shoes in my hand.

Key Biscayne

Key Biscayne is a small island just off Miami, reached by the Rickenbacker Causeway. The drive is half the fun: on the way back toward the city, the downtown skyline lights up across the water.

At the southern end of the island, Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park has a historic lighthouse and a calm little harbor on the bay side, which faces west. It’s one of the most peaceful sunsets in the city. State parks close around sundown, so check the closing time before you go and plan to watch from somewhere you’re allowed to stay.

The beaches along the causeway, before you reach the island, are another easy option. Families set up chairs, people fly kites, and the evening light hits the skyline beautifully.

Bayfront Park, downtown

Here’s an honest one: Bayfront Park faces east over Biscayne Bay, so you won’t see the sun sink into the water. You’ll see the sunset happen to the city. The sky behind the towers turns pink and gold, the bay reflects it, and then the skyline lights up one window at a time.

It’s right in downtown Miami, easy to reach on the free Metromover, and a great choice when you don’t have time to cross a causeway. Walk along the water toward the port for the best views.

My Brickell balcony (and yours)

Some of my favorite sunsets happen at home. I live in Brickell, Miami’s downtown financial district, and from a high floor the whole sky turns into a show over the bay and the city. If your hotel or apartment building has a roof deck or a west-facing balcony, use it. Pour a sparkling water with lime, put on a good playlist and call it a night in.

A few spots in Brickell are open to everyone, too. The Brickell Avenue Bridge over the Miami River and the path around Brickell Key, a small island connected to Brickell by a bridge, both give you wide sky and water at golden hour.

What I bring

• Water. Miami heat doesn’t stop at sunset, especially from June to September.
• Bug spray. Near the mangroves and on still evenings, tiny biting insects called no-see-ums come out right at dusk.
• A light layer. Only from December to February, when evenings can get breezy.
• A charged phone. Golden hour is shorter than you think, and you will want photos.

How to take better sunset photos

Face the light for a glowing silhouette, or turn your back to it so the warm light falls on your face. Tap the screen and lower the exposure so the sky doesn’t wash out. And take one photo, then put the phone away for a minute. The sunsets I remember best are the ones I actually watched.

You can see a few of mine in the gallery, and the South Pointe walk is the best part of my day in Miami.

Which spot are you trying first? Come tell me in the chat. I’ll want a full report.