Newport Fishing Pier — Attraction in Sunny Isles Beach

In 1936 the Miami Beach Fishing Pier Company was contracted to build the 800 foot long Sunny Isles Pier in order to attract visitors to the area. For many years the pier was embraced by locals, visitors, and fishermen.

By 1980 the pier had aged and was deemed unsafe and talks began about tearing it down. In 1982 it was designated a historic site which paved the way for it being saved in 1985 by the new owners, Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort who purchased it from the city and renamed it the Newport Fishing Pier. The pier is located directly behind the hotel. The hotel reopened the pier in 1986 after making a million dollars in repairs.

In 2005 Hurricane Wilma damaged the pier structurally. The Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort entered into a partnership with Sunny Isles to restore it. Two million dollars toward the project was provided by the owners of the hotel and the rest of the six and a half million dollar project was paid for by the city in exchange for having the pier deeded over to them as part of Pier Park. In 2012 the pier was taken down and rebuilt with hurricane rated impact windows and doors in the Beach Bar, the restaurant on the pier. There is also a lifeguard observation area on the second floor. After eight years of being closed, the 776 foot pier reopened to the public in 2013.

Today this is the last remaining public fishing pier in Miami-Dade County. Unlike a lot of piers it is free to walk out on it and there is a nominal charge if you are fishing. I had an enjoyable walk out over the ocean and I really like the Beach Bar. It looked like a nice place to grab a bite and a drink. The parking lot for Pier Park is extremely limited but their is a garage a block away for $2 per hour. This is a great stop if you find yourself in...

One of the worst piers I've ever been, They are expected you to pay $6 and $3 an hour for parking just to be able to fish the end of the pier. It's pretty much a scam just to fish the end or the quarter of the pier. They have this yellow line rule and if you hook a fish or cast pass that line you'll have the lifeguards and local officials harassing you..Even if you pay to fish out there. The pier is poorly managed by the city and no respect for the fishermans that go out there. Always treated like 2nd class citizens. When you go out there you always feel like somebody is watching you. The lifeguards are not even doing their job they're just there looking at the fisherman making sure they don't pass the yellow line even though they have swimmers that they have to keep an eye on. The lifeguards are very rude and disrespectful. So are The city officials. I don't feel welcomed out there at all. You're better off going to Dania Beach Pier. Which is north of Pier Park. And its cheaper plus you can fish the whole pier with no one...

You can get some great views from the pier. Looking south you can see towards Haulover Beach. But, don't look too far on the beach. Or you will see the Nubie beach.( Lol...)But, you can see Miami Beach to the south of Haulover Beach.

To the north, you will see Sunny Isles Beach and the beaches of Broward County. If you look hard.

The pier has a nice restaurant on it as you enter it. To the northside of the pier there is a nice hotel that's reasonable priced.

If, you like to fish . It's allowed on the end of the pier. A kind gentleman can rent you a pole. And I'm sure fisherman on the pier will give you some bait to use. ( There's a fee to pay if you don't have a fishing license. But, if you rent a fishing pole, the fee is waived. Sunny Isles Beach residents don't need a fishing license)

I personally use the pier to videotape Sunrises. The pier also has two Live Cams. One points south and the other points north. Giving views of the beach on each side of the pier.(Go to Miami Cams on the Internet to view...