Venetian Islands, Florida

The Venetian Islands are a chain of small artificial islands in Biscayne Bay between downtown Miami and Miami Beach, linked by the Venetian Causeway. They form a low-density residential corridor of man-made islets in the central bay.

The islands and causeway were developed in the early 20th century as part of land-reclamation and bay-crossing projects to connect Miami and Miami Beach. Over time the chain became a desirable residential area with houses and small community parks replacing earlier speculative development lots.

Situated in Biscayne Bay between the City of Miami to the west and the City of Miami Beach to the east, the Venetian Islands lie just north of the MacArthur Causeway and immediately south of the Julia Tuttle Causeway. The chain sits within the urban core of Greater Miami.

• Access: Connected to Miami and Miami Beach by the historic Venetian Causeway, which carries local traffic between the islands and both shorelines.
• Access restrictions: Mostly residential and private; public access is limited to causeway viewpoints and a small number of parks and shoreline sidewalks.

The Venetian Islands are reached via the Rickenbacker and MacArthur Causeways from mainland Miami and Miami Beach. Public buses and ride-shares serve the causeways; some islands are residential with limited visitor parking, so plan accordingly.

• If driving from Miami, use the MacArthur Causeway and follow signs for Rickenbacker Causeway - the Venetian Islands sit between Miami Beach and mainland.
• Early morning light across Biscayne Bay is best for photography and to avoid traffic noise.
• Several bridges connect the islands to nearby neighborhoods; parking can be limited on residential islands.