Fisher Island Homes and Condos

In 2005, the Island attempted to incorporate as a town, but the Miami-Dade County Commission did not support this initiative.

The private community is accessible only by boat, seaplane, helicopter or the car ferry, which runs around-the-clock from Terminal Island on the MacArthur Causeway. Residents, visitors and household staffers drive straight onto the ferry and stay in their vehicles for the ten-minute crossing. Security is very tight, and visitors must show invitations before they can even board the ferry.

Fisher Island may be isolated by choice, but all of Miami and Miami Beach’s cultural, dining, shopping and entertainment options are within easy reach.

More About Fisher Island

Fisher Island is located three miles across the Government Cut Channel from the southern tip of Miami Beach. Most of its 216 acres are governed by unincorporated Miami-Dade County. Only a small, uninhabited part of Fisher Island falls within the jurisdiction of the city of Miami Beach. In 2005, the Island attempted to incorporate as a town, but the Miami-Dade County Commission did not support this initiative. The private community is accessible only by boat, seaplane, helicopter or the car ferry, which runs around-the-clock from Terminal Island on the MacArthur Causeway. Residents, visitors and household staffers drive straight onto the ferry and stay in their vehicles for the ten-minute crossing. Security is very tight, and visitors must show invitations before they can even board the ferry.

Fisher Island may be isolated by choice, but all of Miami and Miami Beach’s cultural, dining, shopping and entertainment options are within easy reach.

As of the 2000 census, there were 218 households with a total population of 467 persons. According to this data, the median age for residents in Fisher Island is 51.4, and families (non-single residences) represent 68.8 percent of the population. Fisher Island has its own post office and zip code 33109 except for three non-residential buildings along Government Cut, which are in the South Beach zip code of 33139.

Places To Go and Things To Do Around Fisher Island

Fisher Island residents enjoy the convenience of a commercial center with a gourmet food market, flower shop, jewelry boutique, clothing stores, home decor art gallery and a bank. Safety and security are not a concern, as Fisher Island has roaming guards and its own fire department and paramedics, as well as a helipad for emergency evacuation.

The Island’s private school, Fisher Island Day School, covers pre-kindergarten through 5th grade for both on-island and off-island residents. Approximately 30 percent of the students come from nearby neighborhoods. Built in 2004 to be eco-friendly and on the forefront of environmental sustainability, the school is bright, cheerful and toxin-free. There’s a communal organic garden, and parents can see their children in the classroom and on the playground in real-time through the school’s website.

Fisher Island Recreation

The Fisher Island Club is the centerpiece of island living, with social activities planned throughout the year for its members, including sports tournaments, theme parties, cultural events and other social functions. Guests of the Fisher Island Club reside in authentically restored Vanderbilt-era cottages, luxurious villa suites or spacious seaside villas overlooking the Atlantic near Fisher Island's Beach Club. All registered guests receive a complimentary golf cart for use during their stay. 

Exclusive amenities at the Club include the Spa Internazionale, a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center with views of the Vanderbilt Mansion. Town & Country magazine recognized the Spa as one of the best European and American health and beauty treatment centers.

Fisher Island’s Marina & Yachting Center has two world-class deep-water marinas that can accommodate yachts up to 250 feet.

Golfers head for The Links at Fisher Island, a par 35, championship nine-hole course designed by P.B. Dye, which also has a driving range and charming clubhouse. Tennis enthusiasts enjoy the Grand Slam Tennis Center with its 18 lighted Har-Tru clay, grass and hard courts. There’s also a polo field and expansive stretches of private pristine beaches studded with Tiki huts. A large children’s playground, volleyball field, basketball court and dog park add to the family-friendly environment.

Dining out close to home adds panache to the Fisher Island lifestyle, with a choice of casual and fine-dining restaurants and lounges. These include: the Garwood Lounge and City View Café at the Vanderbilt Mansion, The Beach Club, Café Porto Cervo, La Trattoria, The Golf Grill, Sunset Bar and Café Tangier. Entertaining at home is easy with full catering provided for private parties or big events at the Club.

The Fisher Island Hotel & Resort, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World, was voted as Miami's best resort hotel by Zagat.

Fisher Island History

Fisher Island was created in 1906, when its barren acres were sliced off the southernmost tip of the Miami Beach sand bar by dredging for the deep-water channel known as Government Cut. Dana A. Dorsey, Miami’s first black millionaire, bought the property for $25,000, intending to build a fashionable beach resort for African Americans. Instead, he sold the land to auto magnate Carl Fisher, who named the Island after himself in 1919.

High society arrived in the 1920s, when William K. Vanderbilt traded a yacht to Fisher for seven acres and built the Vanderbilt Mansion, a stunning example of Mediterranean revival-style architecture designed by Maurice Fatio. The mansion and surrounding compound became a favored hideaway for the rich and famous and the scene of lavish and elegant parties.

In 1940, the compound became a hotel and private club, but remained low-key and undiscovered for decades, even as the first residential buildings were added in the 1980s. After many years of legal battles and changes in ownership, further development on Fisher Island resumed in the 1990s.

Today, the private Island is an exclusive retreat with superb residential options, a hotel and exquisitely manicured landscaping all together representing the epitome of luxury and splendor.