A Buyer's Guide to Miami Beach's Luxury Islands

Star Island vs. Venetian Islands vs. Palm & Hibiscus (plus a few more you should know)

If you zoom out over Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach looks like a chain of tiny, ultra-luxury worlds: gated islands, palm-lined streets, private docks, and some of the most expensive homes in the United States.

For high-net-worth buyers, these islands are where you go when you want real privacy, water at your backyard, and fast access to South Beach and Brickell—without living in a condo tower.

This guide breaks down the major single-family luxury islands in and around Miami Beach:

• Star Island
• Palm & Hibiscus Islands
• Venetian Islands
• Sunset Islands
• La Gorce Island
• Allison Island
• Fisher Island (technically condos, but island-only and ultra-prime)

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Quick Map: Where Are These Islands?

All of these sit in Biscayne Bay, within or just off the City of Miami Beach:

• Star, Palm & Hibiscus – directly off the MacArthur Causeway between Downtown and South Beach
• Venetian Islands – a chain between Downtown/Edgewater and South Beach along the Venetian Causeway
• Sunset Islands & La Gorce Island – west side of Mid-Beach, just off North Bay Road
• Allison Island – north of Mid-Beach, in the 41st–63rd Street corridor, gated and fully waterfront
• Fisher Island – a private island south of South Beach, accessible only by ferry, boat, or helicopter, and now the most expensive ZIP code in the U.S.

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Star Island: The Celebrity Island

Vibe: Star Island is the "headline" island: very small (about a few dozen homes), guard-gated, with oversized waterfront lots and a who's-who of current and past celebrity owners. The name literally comes from its star-studded resident list.

Location & Layout:

• Man-made island in Biscayne Bay, just off the MacArthur Causeway
• All lots are waterfront; no interior dry-lot homes

Price Point:

• Effectively an 8-figure-only neighborhood
• Top sales have pushed into nine figures, including a reported $120M sale in 2025, the priciest transaction in Miami-Dade history

Notable Residents (past & present):

• Sean "Diddy" Combs, Gloria & Emilio Estefan, Shaquille O'Neal, Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Rick Ross, and other prominent business and entertainment figures

Who it's for: Buyers who want maximum privacy, trophy-property status, and huge waterfront lots, and who are comfortable in a very small, very high-profile community.

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Palm & Hibiscus Islands: Classic Gated Bayfront

Vibe: Palm and Hibiscus are guard-gated sister islands off the MacArthur Causeway—more low-key than Star Island but still extremely high-end. Think old-Miami estates mixed with glassy modern homes, family-friendly streets, and full city views in both directions.

View Palm & Hibiscus Islands neighborhood page

Layout:

• Palm Island – southern island, larger lots, many wide-bay estates
• Hibiscus Island – just north, slightly smaller but similar feel
• Mix of waterfront and interior homes, unlike Star where everything is on the water

Pricing:

• Palm Island: Median listing price over $30M recently, making it one of the most expensive micro-markets in Miami Beach; top listings are well over $100M, including a $150M triple-estate compound re-listed in 2025
• Hibiscus Island: Median listing prices around $13M–14M, with recent market reports showing median closings above $20M for top sales

Who it's for: Buyers who want gated privacy + fast access to both South Beach and Downtown, and are okay with a more residential, car-dependent lifestyle (no restaurants or retail on-island).

Browse homes for sale on Palm & Hibiscus Islands

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Venetian Islands: Architectural Playground Between Miami & the Beach

Vibe: The Venetian Islands are the most walkable and mixed-use of the luxury islands. Six man-made islands (Belle Isle, Rivo Alto, Di Lido, San Marino, San Marco, Biscayne) connect Downtown/Edgewater with South Beach via the Venetian Causeway.

View Venetian Islands neighborhood page

Expect a mix of:

• Waterfront estates with docks
• Renovated mid-century homes
• A handful of boutique condo buildings (especially on Belle Isle)

Pricing:

• Recent data shows a median sale price around $1.9M, but that blends interior homes, tear-downs, and smaller condos; finished waterfront homes trade far higher, often in the high-7 to 8-figure range

Lifestyle:

• One of the few island areas where you can genuinely bike or walk into South Beach or Downtown
• Popular with year-round residents, younger families, and design-savvy buyers who care about architecture and convenience as much as privacy

Who it's for: Buyers who want a single-family home with water access, but still want to live a "city" lifestyle—coffee shops and gyms in Sunset Harbour / Belle Isle, quick Uber to Brickell.

Browse homes for sale on the Venetian Islands

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Sunset Islands: Quiet, Guard-Gated Mid-Beach Luxury

Vibe: The Sunset Islands (I–IV) are four guard-gated islands on the bay side of Mid-Beach, just off North Bay Road and roughly 20th–29th Streets. The mood is quiet, lush, and residential—big lots, tree-canopied streets, and serious long-term wealth.

View Sunset Islands neighborhood page

Pricing:

• Current data shows average list prices around $14M–20M and average sold prices in the $11M+ range, with record sales north of $30M

Layout:

• Sunset I & II – southern pair, closer to Sunset Harbour & South Beach
• Sunset III & IV – northern pair, quieter, very residential
• Mix of older estates and new spec builds with wide-bay views toward Downtown

Who it's for: Buyers wanting guard-gated privacy, big lots, and a more "suburban" vibe—but still 5–10 minutes from South Beach, Design District, and Bal Harbour.

Browse homes for sale on Sunset Islands

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La Gorce Island: Traditional, Old-Miami Prestige

Vibe: La Gorce Island is a guarded island just north of the Sunset Islands, aligned with the La Gorce Country Club area of Mid-Beach. It feels like classic old-money Miami Beach—mature landscaping, winding streets, and a higher percentage of full-time residents compared with Fisher or Star.

Pricing:

• Neighborhood data puts La Gorce's median sale prices around $3M+, but island homes skew much higher, with recent off-market sales around $60M for newly built waterfront estates

Who it's for: End-users who want real neighborhood feel + prestige + golf-adjacent living, and are happy to trade ultra-celebrity buzz for quieter, generational wealth.

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Allison Island: The "Next" Island for Ultra-Wealthy Buyers

Vibe: Allison Island sits in north Mid-Beach, split between a condo enclave on the south side (Aqua at Allison Island) and a gated single-family community of fewer than 50 homes on the north side. It's rapidly emerging as a "value trade" vs. Indian Creek or Star Island—still ultra-luxury, but with slightly more breathing room in pricing.

Pricing & Momentum:

• Recent reports show average sold prices around $15M+ and average list prices nearing $18M for single-family homes
• A 2025 sale around $31.5M set a record for the island and signaled growing demand from ultra-wealthy buyers priced out of Indian Creek

Who it's for: Buyers who want a gated, all-waterfront island with big contemporary homes and strong upside as Miami's ultra-luxury market keeps pushing north.

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Fisher Island: Ultra-Prime, Ferry-Only Island Living

Vibe: Fisher Island (ZIP 33109) is technically its own private island community south of South Beach, accessed only by private ferry, boat, or helicopter. It's mostly condos and villa-style buildings rather than single-family homes, but it belongs in any conversation about Miami Beach's islands because of its pricing and exclusivity.

View Fisher Island neighborhood page

Pricing:

• Ranked the most expensive ZIP code in the U.S. in 2025, with median listing prices around $11.9M and median sale prices near $9.5M, up roughly 60–65% year-over-year

Who it's for: Buyers who want club lifestyle + resort services + maximum privacy and don't mind relying on the ferry for daily life.

Browse condos for sale on Fisher Island

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How the Islands Compare (Fast Buyer Cheatsheet)

Most celebrity / trophy-property feel:

• Star Island, followed by Fisher Island and Palm Island

Most walkable / "city lifestyle" friendly:

• Venetian Islands (easy access to Sunset Harbour, South Beach, Edgewater)

Most "quiet luxury" / generational wealth:

• Sunset Islands, La Gorce Island, Allison Island

Best for boating:

• All of them are excellent, but Star, Palm & Hibiscus, Sunset Islands, and Allison are dominated by big-dock, wide-bay estates with no fixed bridges.

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Rough Pricing Tiers (2024–2025 Data)

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Are You Missing Any Key Islands?

For high-cost residential "island" product tied to Miami Beach, the core list is:

• Star Island
• Palm Island & Hibiscus Island
• Venetian Islands (6-island chain)
• Sunset Islands (4 islands)
• La Gorce Island
• Allison Island
• Fisher Island (private island, mostly condos)

You could also mention Indian Creek Island/Village as a related ultra-prime island market, but technically that's a separate municipality across the bay, not Miami Beach proper.

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Browse Island Homes for Sale

Ready to explore? Use these filtered searches to see what's currently on the market:

• Palm & Hibiscus Islands homes for sale
• Venetian Islands homes for sale
• Sunset Islands homes for sale
• Fisher Island condos for sale

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Want a Data-Driven Island Home Search?

If you're buying or selling on Miami Beach's luxury islands (or just want a real read on pricing, inventory, and which properties actually move), reach out to Kyle Lieberbaum, The Lieberbaum Group.

Contact us | Browse all Miami Beach homes

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Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes. Market conditions, pricing, and availability change. Always verify details directly and work with a licensed real estate professional.