The ferry from Florida to the Bahamas sails from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, the only port in Florida with a scheduled passenger ferry to the islands. Balearia Caribbean runs a fast catamaran to Bimini (about 2 hours) and to Freeport, Grand Bahama (about 3 hours), leaving at 9:00 AM and coming back the same evening. Whether you start in Miami, Orlando, Tampa or Fort Lauderdale itself, this is how to get from Florida to the Bahamas by boat: where the ferry leaves from, how far the islands are, sailing days, prices from $199 and what you need to board.
From Port Everglades, Terminal 21, in Fort Lauderdale. There is no passenger ferry to the Bahamas from Miami, West Palm Beach, Key West, Tampa or Port Canaveral: every ferry search from Florida ends at this one terminal, ten minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport (FLL) and next to the cruise piers. On rare dates the ship uses Terminal 26 or 19; when that happens Balearia Caribbean emails every passenger, so check your inbox the day before you sail. Parking is at the Midport Garage next to the terminal.
| Where you start | Distance to Port Everglades | By car | Other ways |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | 2 – 5 miles | 10 – 15 min | Taxi, rideshare, hotel shuttle |
| Miami (downtown) | 30 miles | 45 min (I-95) | Brightline to Fort Lauderdale + 15-min taxi |
| Miami airport (MIA) | 27 miles | 35 – 40 min | Rideshare, shuttle |
| Boca Raton | 25 miles | 35 min | Brightline from Boca Raton |
| West Palm Beach | 50 miles | 1 h | Brightline from West Palm Beach |
| Naples | 110 miles | 2 h (I-75) | — |
| Orlando | 210 miles | 3 h 15 min | Brightline from Orlando airport (about 3 h) |
| Tampa | 265 miles | 4 h | Flight to FLL (1 h) + taxi |
| Key West | 190 miles | 4 h (US-1) | Flight to FLL |
Driving times are outside rush hour. Boarding opens 3 hours before departure and check-in closes 60 minutes before, so from Miami you need to leave around 6:00 AM for the 9:00 AM ferry; from Orlando or Tampa, sleep in Fort Lauderdale the night before.
Closer than most people think. Bimini is 50 miles east of Miami, the nearest Bahamian island to the United States: on a clear day the ferry crosses the Gulf Stream and Alice Town appears in a little over two hours. Grand Bahama (Freeport) is about 100 miles from Fort Lauderdale, a three-hour crossing. Nassau, the capital, is around 180 miles from Florida and is only reached by plane or cruise ship. The distance is short enough that the ferry is a real day trip: you have breakfast in Florida, lunch on a Bahamian beach and dinner back in Fort Lauderdale.
There are three ways to cross the water, and they are not the same trip. The scheduled fast ferry is the only one that sells a fixed-price ticket, leaves in the morning and brings you back the same day. Cruises from Florida to the Bahamas leave from Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral for three to five nights, stop in Nassau, Freeport or the cruise lines' private islands, and you sleep on board. A private boat or yacht charter from Miami to Bimini takes two to three hours on a fast powerboat, but you pay for the whole boat, depend on the weather and must clear Bahamian customs yourself.
| Option | Leaves from | Time at sea | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast ferry (Balearia Caribbean) | Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale | 2 h to Bimini · 3 h to Freeport | Day trips, weekends, Ferry + Hotel, one-way tickets from $225 |
| Cruise ship | Miami, Port Everglades, Port Canaveral | Overnight sailings | 3 – 5 nights with Nassau or a private island |
| Private boat / charter | Miami, Fort Lauderdale marinas | 2 – 3 h to Bimini | Boaters and fishing groups with their own customs clearance |
| Plane | FLL, MIA, PBI | 30 – 60 min | Nassau, Exuma, Abaco and the islands the ferry does not serve |
All sailings leave Fort Lauderdale at 9:00 AM. The Bimini ferry runs on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with extra days in high season (December to April and summer); it docks in Alice Town at about 11:00 AM and sails back at 6:00 PM or 7:00 PM depending on the season. The Freeport ferry runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays plus some Sundays; it docks at Freeport Harbour at about 12:00 PM and sails back at 6:30 PM (5:30 PM on some dates). You are back at Port Everglades between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM.
| Route | Sailing days | Departure | Arrival | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale → Bimini | Wed · Fri · Sat · Sun (+ high season) | 9:00 AM | 11:00 AM | 6:00 / 7:00 PM |
| Fort Lauderdale → Freeport | Tue · Thu · Sat (+ some Sundays) | 9:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 6:30 PM (5:30 PM some dates) |
The exact days of your month are on the timetable of each route page. The ferry does not sail every day, so check the calendar before you book a hotel.
Tickets are per person, one way or round trip, in Economy or Economy Premium, and the "from" fares below include Bahamas taxes and port fees. The cheapest way to the Bahamas from Florida is the Wednesday day trip to Bimini from $199; on any other day, and on the Freeport route, a day trip starts at $246. A one-way ticket starts at $225 and a round trip in Economy Premium at $306. Children from 3 to 12 pay a reduced fare; infants from 0 to 2 travel free but still pay the Bahamas taxes and port fees. The exact fare for your date is confirmed with live availability on the route page before you pay.
| Ticket | Bimini | Freeport |
|---|---|---|
| Day trip (same-day return) | from $199 Wednesdays · $246 other days | from $246 |
| One way, Economy | from $225 | from $225 |
| Round trip, Economy Premium | from $306 | from $306 |
See the current ferry deals >>
The Bimini ferry from Florida is the short crossing and the one most people take: two hours to a seven-mile island of white-sand beaches, bonefishing flats, the Resorts World marina and an Alice Town where everyone gets around by golf cart. It is the best pick for a day trip or a weekend, and the only route with the $199 Wednesday fare. Bimini also has a superb Beach Club where you can spend the whole day by the sea, and the Beach Club Pass is sometimes included in the price of the ferry ticket: check what your fare includes when you search your dates. Fort Lauderdale to Bimini timetable and prices >>
The Freeport ferry takes three hours to Grand Bahama, a bigger island with Port Lucaya Marketplace, Taino and Gold Rock beaches, Lucayan National Park and more hotel choice. It works as a long day trip (six hours ashore) and even better for two or three nights. Fort Lauderdale to Freeport timetable and prices >>
This route works just as hard in the other direction. Grand Bahama residents use it to spend the day shopping or sightseeing in Fort Lauderdale and sail home the same evening, and it is a well-used link for Bahamians from Freeport who live, study or work in South Florida. It matters most around the holidays: at Christmas, and on every long weekend of the school year, the sailings fill up with people going home to spend a few days with their families. If you are travelling on those dates, book early in both directions.
The same ship sails back every evening, and one-way tickets from Bimini or Freeport to Fort Lauderdale start at $225. Bahamian residents use it for shopping and medical trips to South Florida, and visitors use it to fly out of Fort Lauderdale or Miami after a stay on the islands.
Bimini → Fort Lauderdale · Freeport → Fort Lauderdale
A day trip to the Bahamas from Florida is a single ticket with the return on the same date. Sail at 9:00 AM, land in Bimini at 11:00 AM (or Freeport at noon), swim, eat conch, rent a golf cart, visit the beach club at Resorts World or the shops at Port Lucaya, and sail back in the evening. From Miami the whole trip fits between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. If you would rather not drive back that night, the Ferry + Hotel packages add one or more nights at the Hilton at Resorts World Bimini, Bimini Big Game Club or a Grand Bahama resort. All the Bahamas day trip options >>
No. Nassau, on New Providence, is 180 miles from Florida and has never had a scheduled ferry from the US mainland; you get there by plane (about an hour from Fort Lauderdale or Miami) or by cruise ship. The same goes for Eleuthera, Abaco, Exuma and Andros. The ferry from Florida serves Bimini and Freeport only, and from Freeport you can continue to Nassau by air.
Balearia Caribbean is the ferry company based in Fort Lauderdale (FL) that connects Port Everglades with Bimini and with Freeport (Grand Bahama). It is the US branch of the Spanish operator Baleària and the only ferry line between Florida and the Bahamas. I Love Ferry is an authorised ticket agent: same fares, real-time availability and support before you travel.
About Balearia Caribbean >>
A 35-knot fast catamaran built by Incat for Baleària, with room for 600 passengers in Economy and Economy Premium, a cafeteria, kids' play area, ADA access and an open stern deck. It runs every Bimini and Freeport sailing.
More about the Jaume II ferry >>Only from Port Everglades, Terminal 21, in Fort Lauderdale. There is no ferry to the Bahamas from Miami, West Palm Beach, Key West, Tampa or Port Canaveral.
Bimini is 50 miles from Miami and about 2 hours by ferry; Freeport, Grand Bahama, is about 100 miles from Fort Lauderdale and 3 hours by ferry. Nassau is around 180 miles away and has no ferry.
2 to 2:30 hours to Bimini and 3 to 3:30 hours to Freeport on the fast ferry. A private powerboat from Miami to Bimini also takes 2 to 3 hours; a cruise ship sails overnight.
Not directly. Drive or take Brightline to Fort Lauderdale: 45 minutes from Miami, about 3 hours from Orlando and 4 hours from Tampa. From Orlando and Tampa it is easier to stay in Fort Lauderdale the night before the 9:00 AM sailing.
Day trips to Bimini from $199 on Wednesdays and $246 on other days; Freeport day trips from $246; one-way tickets from $225 and round trips in Economy Premium from $306, taxes and port fees included.
Yes. Book a day trip: leave Fort Lauderdale at 9:00 AM, spend six to seven hours in Bimini or Freeport and be back at Port Everglades between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM.
No. Nassau is only reached by plane or cruise ship. The ferry from Florida serves Bimini and Freeport (Grand Bahama).
Yes, every passenger, including children and day-trippers, needs a valid passport, whatever their nationality. Birth certificates, photocopies and enhanced driver's licenses are not accepted.
