Things to do nearPalm Island

Palm Island was created in the early 1920s as part of Miami's ambitious dredge-and-fill era, when developers transformed Biscayne Bay's shallow flats into some of the most coveted real estate in the country. The island quickly attracted wealthy residents drawn by its seclusion, its deep-water dockage, and its easy connection to both Miami and Miami Beach via the causeway. Al Capone famously made Palm Island his home during the Prohibition era, and the estate where he lived remains one of the most talked-about addresses in South Florida history.

Today, Palm Island is a gated residential community, and its appeal lies as much in what it withholds as in what it displays. Visitors who arrive by water get the most revealing look, passing Mediterranean Revival and modern estates whose manicured grounds spill down to private seawalls. The surrounding bay is a playground for boat tours that loop through the islands, and the channel between Palm Island and the nearby Venetian Islands sees steady traffic from sailboats, sport fishers, and sleek motoryachts.

The broader neighborhood rewards exploration. Just to the south, Star Island shares a similarly storied reputation for celebrity residents and imposing waterfront compounds. The views from the causeway connecting these islands to the mainland rank among the most dramatic urban panoramas in Florida, with the downtown Miami skyline rising sharply across the water. Palm Island earns its place on any Miami itinerary as a window into the city's layered history of ambition, glamour, and reinvention.