Ferries to Bahamas
Ferries to Grand Bahamas or Bimini ποΈ
The Bahamas are located off the coast of Florida and can be easily reached by ferry from Miami (Fort Lauderdale).
Two direct ferries will take you to 1) Freeport, Grand Bahamas, and 2) Bimini. Bimini is located just 51 miles off the coast of Florida.
The ferries are both operated by Balearia. The booking module below compares the departure times, travel duration, and prices.
Unfortunately, there are no Miami-Nassau ferries or routes to other islands. But donβt worry! You can go island hopping! The Mailboat and multiple smaller ferry operators can take you further. So all you ferry adventurers out there should keep reading.
Mailboat routes
The most difficult thing though... Is how to find a good overview of these mailboats. It took us a while to make our interactive map, below. we'll update it regularly.
Ferry to the Bahamas from Miami
Everything you need to know before booking these ferry trips
- Mailboat that takes passengers
- Regular ferry
- Cancelled
All Crossings to the Bahamas
These are all the ferries to Holland from England
Freeport – Nassau Mailboat
About 70% of the inhabitants of The Bahamas live in the city of Nassau which is located on the island of New Providence.[1]Nassau (Bahamas), Wikipedia.com You can get there by mailboat from Freeport. The departure is often in the middle of the night, and it takes some time, but it will be an adventure for sure!
It is possible to travel by mailboat from Freeport to Nassau.
- Website: The Mailboat Company | Schedule
Nassau – Cat Island Mailboat
There is only one other Mailboat on which you can board as a passenger. This is from Nassau to Cat Island.
- Website: The Mailboat Company | Schedule
Nassau – Spanish Wells – Harbor island
On Fridays and Sundays, you can take the ferry from Nassau toΒ Spanish Wells & Harbour Island. This ferry is operated by Bahamas Ferries. This company also operates on many other routes, but these are freight only.
- Website:Β Bahamas FerriesΒ |Β Schedule
Grand Bahama – Abaco
Great Abaco is an Island in the North and you can get there directly from Freeport, the arrival harbor from the ferry from Lauderdale. The other option is to take the ferry from McLeans town. This is a short crossing, but you first have to travel from Freeport to McLeans town. The distance is around 48 miles / 78km and you can travel by taxi. Please note that a taxi is not guaranteed to be available upon arrival at Crown Haven, so it is best to book it in advance.
- Website: Pinders Ferry
- Website: Wave Marine Ferry
Marsh Harbour – Hope Town
Off the coast of Abaco are several small islands. With G and L ferries you can easily get here. If you're in the area, a visit to Hope town is worth it.
- Website: G and L Ferry
Marsh Harbour – Man-O-War
- Website: G and L Ferry
Marsh Harbour – Guana Cay
- Website: G and L Ferry
Abaco – Green Turtle Cay
- Website: Green Turtle Ferry Service
Acklins – Crooked Island
There is a small ferry between Lovely Bay, Acklins, and Cove Point, Crooked Island. On-demand charter service can be arranged at a cost.
- Call:Β (242)344-3250
More info can also be found on the official website of the Bahamas.
Island hopping Bahamas
Mailboat Bahamas
Bo Hengy III ferry from Bahamas Ferries
There are a number of ferries in the Bahamas. Some have a standard schedule, and others work more off-and-on or on-demand. We have listed the options for you with links to more information.
Documents and ID needed for this trip
US-Bahamas Balearia Caribbean All U.S. Citizen adults and minors must be in possession of a current, valid passport book or passport card which you must show when traveling on this connection. There are however many exceptions to this rule as you can read in our post regarding ID requirements for the US-Bahamas ferry,
Timetable, availability, and compare prices
Enter your travel dates and destination, and the system will show you all available Bimini and Grand Bahamas ferries. You can then choose the one that best suits your needs and budget.
Blogs & News
Interesting blogs and useful tips about ferry travel and/or the Netherlands
Ferry Bahama Talk
Questions or experiences? We'd love for you to share them.
References
| ↑1 | Nassau (Bahamas), Wikipedia.com |
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Im currently with family @ fort Lauderdale. Do we need passports to go explore the Bahamas for a day or 2 in ferry?
Hi Mike,
This question you can't answer without having a complete picture (For instance where you are from, etc.) here you can read more about it:
These mailboats are tough to understand, whil the time schedules don't change a lot: the actual timing does change. You should see this as more of an adventure than the large ferries from and to Bimini and/or Miami. You must literally expect the unexpected when booking tickets for these mailboats, and you have to call the dockmaster before you depart (like 5 days in advance). I've taken the Eleuthera Express many times now, it's a 5 to 9 hour trip for 40 USD, quite cheap and also ‘different' then just flying from A to B.
Just my 2 cents,
Big M
Thanks Big M for this additional guidance, we've been on a mailboat a few times and we 100% agree with what you say here: It's an adventure! You need some time in advance to simply ask at the harbor what's possible and such, online the info simply isn't always the best or outdated.
Hello,
I'a m trying to find our which port I would be dropped off when I book a ferry from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport? Where would I find this information?
Hi Nate,
Check out this page: https://ferrygogo.com/bahamas/to-grandbahama-from-miami/
With your answer: Grand Bahamas harbor address: Terminal 2, Freeport Harbour, Grand Bahama Island
Good luck traveling to the Bahamas!
If i want to wisit thhe Bahamas on vacation, and travel between the islands, itΒ΄s very hard to figure out the best way to transport my self.
Is there a good fery vebsite?
and se how many islands has bridges between them?
Hello Ayla,
We think our map on the Bahama's page should be helpful. You can zoom in and out to get a better perspective. There is a bridge from New Providence to Paradise Island – but there are no other inter Island bridgets. So travelling per ferry or mailboat is preferred way of travel. From Nassau you can also fly to all the Islands. This website might be helpful to figure out how to travel: https://www.bahamas.com/getting-here/island-hopping/island-hopping-faqs
Happy travels!
Hi. Trying to find out do u need a passport to travel via ferry from FL to Bahamas?
Hi Benrita, Yes in most cases you need a passport, you can read all about it here:
https://www.baleariacaribbean.com/en/get-ready-custom
Vou desembarcar em nassau,tenho que ir a bimini ,barco ou aviΓ£o…
Mais nΓ£o tenho visa americano.
NΓ£o estou encontrando transporte de nassau a bimini
De nassau direto pra bimini …
Ou de freeport direto pra bimini ..
Tenho transporte?????
Obrigado