North Beach & Haulover at a glance
- Quieter than South Beach, with wide beaches and a local, residential feel
- Haulover Park parking: $7 Monday to Thursday, $10 weekends and holidays
- Haulover's clothing-optional area is the northern stretch between lifeguard towers 12 and 16
- Best months: November to April; summer brings heat and afternoon storms
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North Beach is the quieter, residential top end of Miami Beach, running roughly from 63rd Street up to 87th Street, with wide sand, mid-century MiMo buildings and a fraction of South Beach's crowds. It is worth visiting for a relaxed beach day, an outdoor show at the Miami Beach Bandshell, or a trip a few minutes north to Haulover Beach, which includes Miami's best-known clothing-optional stretch.
What is North Beach, and how does it connect to Surfside, Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles?
North Beach is the northernmost neighborhood of the City of Miami Beach. Above 87th Street, Collins Avenue continues through three separate small towns: Surfside, Bal Harbour and, past Haulover Park, Sunny Isles Beach. Together they form one continuous strip of beach, hotels and condo towers along the barrier island.
Each has its own character. Surfside is low-rise and family oriented, with a short dining strip on Harbor Way and 95th Street. Bal Harbour is small and affluent, built around a luxury mall and oceanfront resorts. Sunny Isles Beach, north of the inlet, is a wall of high-rise condo hotels with a long public beach in front.
Haulover Park sits between Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles. It is a Miami-Dade County park that stretches from the ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway, with a beach, a marina and open lawns.
How do you get to North Beach and Haulover?
Most visitors drive or take a rideshare up Collins Avenue (State Road A1A), which runs the full length of the island. From South Beach, plan on roughly 25 to 40 minutes to Haulover depending on traffic, which is heaviest on weekend afternoons and during big events.
- Parking at Haulover Park: $7 per car Monday to Thursday (plus a $1 surcharge in the North Lot and Lot 1) and $10 on weekends and holidays, per Miami-Dade Parks. Lots open at sunrise and close one hour before sunset.
- Parking in North Beach: Metered street spaces and municipal lots line Collins and Harding avenues. Our Miami Beach parking guide covers rates and apps.
- Free trolley: The City of Miami Beach runs free trolley routes, including service in North Beach. Track buses live in the Transit app. See our free trolley guide.
- Metrobus: County buses run along Collins Avenue. The fare is $2.25 through December 2026 and rises to $2.75 on January 1, 2027.
What are the best things to do in North Beach?
The top things to do are simple: swim and walk the beach, catch a concert at the Bandshell, and use the parks. This is not a sightseeing district, and that is the appeal. Here is where we would spend time.
Miami Beach Bandshell
The Miami Beach Bandshell at 7275 Collins Avenue is an open-air stage designed in 1961 by architect Norman Giller and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2022. The nonprofit Rhythm Foundation manages it and programs more than 75 events a year, from free community nights to ticketed concerts. Check the calendar before you go, since many shows sell out.
North Beach Oceanside Park and the Beachwalk
North Beach Oceanside Park runs along the sand from 79th to 87th streets. A recent city renovation added an accessible playground, an upgraded dog park, fitness equipment, shaded picnic shelters and new paths that link to the Beachwalk, a paved promenade behind the dunes.
Bal Harbour Shops and nearby parks
Ten minutes north, Bal Harbour Shops is an open-air luxury mall with designer boutiques and garden courtyards. For nature, Oleta River State Park, on the mainland side of the bay near Sunny Isles, has mangrove kayaking and mountain bike trails.
What is Haulover Beach like?
Haulover Beach is a long Miami-Dade County beach with lifeguards on duty year-round, parking close to the sand and a more open, natural feel than the hotel-lined beaches to the south. Most of it is a regular family beach; only the northern section is clothing-optional. Our full Haulover Beach guide covers lots and rules.
- Kites: Steady breezes and open space make it a popular kite-flying spot. Skyward Kites, in the Bill Bird Marina lot, sells kites daily from 10 a.m. to sunset.
- Fishing and boats: Bill Bird Marina is home to a large charter and drift fishing fleet, with boat ramps open 24 hours.
- Dogs: Dogs may use the beach between lifeguard towers 2 and 3 from sunrise to sunset, and there is a fenced Bark Park for a small vehicle fee.
Haulover's clothing-optional beach
The clothing-optional area covers the northern third of the beach, between lifeguard towers 12 and 16, and is an officially designated section of the county park. Park in the North Lot. It has chair and umbrella rentals, a concession stand, showers and nearby restrooms, and beach ambassadors in green safari hats explain the etiquette.
Nudity is allowed only inside the marked section, not in the parking lots or the rest of the park. The basic etiquette is to ask before photographing anyone and to keep behavior family friendly. For other options in South Florida, see our clothing-optional beaches guide.
Where should you eat near North Beach?
Surfside has the best concentration of restaurants in this stretch, from a Michelin-starred dining room to casual kosher spots. These were all listed as operating in 2026:
- The Surf Club Restaurant: Thomas Keller's restaurant at the Four Seasons, with a Michelin star. Book well ahead.
- Lido Restaurant at The Surf Club: Coastal Italian in the historic club building.
- Café Ragazzi: Long-running Italian-American spot with a big pasta menu.
- Flanigan's: Casual South Florida chain for ribs and fried fish.
- Serendipity Creamery: Kosher ice cream a few blocks from the beach.
Surfside also has a large kosher dining scene, including Hikari, Neya and Fialkoff's Kosher Pizza. Our kosher restaurants guide has more.
Where should you stay in North Beach?
North Beach and its neighbors usually offer more space for the money than South Beach, with condo-style rentals, mid-century hotels and big oceanfront resorts in Surfside, Bal Harbour and Sunny Isles. Compare current options in our North Beach and Haulover hotels list. In Miami Beach, total taxes on a hotel bill come to about 14%; the neighboring towns set their own rates.
Practical tips for North Beach and Haulover
- Arrive at Haulover before late morning on weekends; lots fill and close an hour before sunset.
- Swim near a staffed lifeguard tower and check the flag colors. Rip currents happen here.
- Dining is spread out. Pack water and snacks for a long beach day.
- If a bill shows an automatic service charge, Florida law since July 1, 2026 requires it to be disclosed on the menu and receipt, so check before you tip again.
When is the best time to visit?
November to April is the best time to visit, with drier, milder weather and calmer evenings for Bandshell shows. Summer is hot and humid with near-daily afternoon storms, and hurricane season runs June through November, so keep plans flexible and check forecasts.
North Beach and Haulover quick facts
| Item | Details (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Location | Northern end of the Miami Beach barrier island, roughly 63rd to 87th streets, then Surfside, Bal Harbour and Haulover Park |
| Drive from South Beach | About 25 to 40 minutes to Haulover, traffic dependent |
| Haulover parking | $7 Mon to Thu, $10 weekends and holidays |
| Haulover lot hours | Sunrise to one hour before sunset |
| Clothing-optional area | Between lifeguard towers 12 and 16; use the North Lot |
| Bandshell address | 7275 Collins Avenue |
| Free transport | Miami Beach trolley (track in the Transit app) |
| Best for | Quiet beach days, families, concerts, kite flying, fishing |
