Nassau
The capital and main air hub, with Paradise Island resorts, Cable Beach and a historic downtown.
Independent Bahamas travel guide
Plan your Bahamas trip: islands, stays, tours, flights and ferries
Island guides, checked hotel listings, tours, flights and a ferry search for the Bahamas in one place. Live departures from Fort Lauderdale to Bimini and Freeport sit next to hotel and flight searches.
Photo: Pink Sands Beach, Harbour Island · Mike's Birds · CC BY-SA 2.0
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Islands
Eight islands to start with
Travel times and prices come from the island guides, each with its check date.
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Bimini
The island closest to Florida, known for sport fishing, Radio Beach and the SS Sapona wreck.
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Grand Bahama & Freeport
Quieter than Nassau, with Lucaya beaches, Port Lucaya Marketplace and the Lucayan cave system.
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Harbour Island
A walkable island with colonial Dunmore Town and a 3-mile pink-sand beach.
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Eleuthera
A long, thin island with Glass Window Bridge, Queen's Bath and a Friday fish fry in Governor's Harbour.
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Exuma
A chain of cays reached by mail boat, tour or plane, home to the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay.
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Abaco
A boating island with Hope Town's candy-striped lighthouse and short ferry hops from Marsh Harbour.
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Andros
The largest and least visited island, known for blue holes, a 190-mile barrier reef and bonefishing.
Plan
Hotels, tours, flights and ferries
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Hotels
Checked hotels in Nassau, Freeport, Bimini, the Out Islands and near the Florida ferry, each with a price band and date. Booking runs through partners.
Hotels by island -
Things to do
Tours, beaches, snorkeling, fishing and culture by island, with prices from the guides. Park fees come from the Bahamas National Trust.
Things to do -
Flights
Nassau is the main hub, about one hour by air from Miami. Bahamasair flies 25-minute hops from Nassau to North Eleuthera, Governor's Harbour and Rock Sound.
Flights to the Bahamas -
Ferries
Search schedules and prices for Fort Lauderdale to Bimini and Freeport, plus Bo Hengy III, mail boats and Abaco ferries.
Ferry routes
Getting there
Ferry from Florida or flight
By ferry from Florida
Baleària Caribbean sails from Port Everglades Terminal 21 in Fort Lauderdale to Bimini in about 2 hours and to Freeport in about 3 hours. The departure is at 9:00, check-in opens at 6:00, and the terminal doors close at 8:00, so arrival between 6:15 and 6:45 is recommended. Published starting fares range from about $180 to $279 round trip depending on the operator page (August 2026), and the sailing days change by season. Every passenger, children included, needs a US passport book or card.
Ferry routes and schedulesBy air
Nassau (NAS) is the main gateway, with nonstop flights from Miami in 1 h to 1 h 30 min and from New York in about 3 hours. American, Delta, JetBlue, United and Bahamasair serve it, and Air Canada, WestJet and British Airways add flights from Canada and London. Freeport, Bimini, Exuma, Eleuthera and Abaco have their own airports, several with direct flights from Florida, Atlanta or Charlotte.
- MIA to NAS: 1 h to 1 h 30 min
- Fort Lauderdale to Bimini by ferry: about 2 h
- 20 airports with scheduled international flights
Island hopping
Island hopping the local way
Between islands, the locals' routes run from Nassau. Mail boats leave from Potter's Cay for Exuma, Andros and Eleuthera from about $35 one way, take 5 to 14 hours and sail on loose schedules. The Bo Hengy III runs to Spanish Wells and Harbour Island on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday ($139 one way, $257 round trip as of August 2026). On Abaco, the G&L Ferry (merged with Albury's) links Marsh Harbour with Hope Town, Man-O-War and Guana Cay.
Guides
Guides worth reading
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Guide
First-time ferry guide
Booking, terminal times, documents and fares for the Fort Lauderdale crossing, step by step.
Read the guide -
Guide
Passport requirements
Which documents Baleària accepts, for adults and children, and what to do if a passport is missing.
Read the guide -
Guide
The ferry with kids
Family fares, documents for every child, age-by-age tips and a packing list.
Read the guide -
Guide
7-day island-hopping itinerary
Bimini, Nassau and Exuma in a week, with day-by-day plan, hotels and costs.
Read the guide -
Guide
Hurricane season
What June to November means for ferries, refunds and hotel rates.
Read the guide -
Guide
Bahamas on a budget
Mail-boat fares, guesthouse rates and a cost breakdown for a week of island hopping.
Read the guide
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a passport for the Bahamas?
Yes. US citizens need a valid passport book to fly to the Bahamas. On the Baleària ferry from Fort Lauderdale, a passport book or card is accepted from adults and children alike, and birth certificates are not accepted. The book is safer because only the book works if weather forces a flight home.
Should I take the ferry or fly?
The Florida ferry reaches Bimini in about 2 hours and Freeport in about 3 hours but sails only on some weekdays. Flights run daily and are the realistic option from the US mainland to Nassau, Eleuthera and Exuma. The ferry guide compares cost, time and baggage.
When is the best time to go?
December to April is dry and calm and also the most expensive, with the busiest weeks from December 20 to January 5 and in March. Early December and late April offer similar weather at lower rates. Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
How do I get between islands?
Nassau is the hub. The Bo Hengy III sails to Spanish Wells and Harbour Island on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, mail boats from Potter's Cay serve Exuma, Andros and Eleuthera from about $35, and Bahamasair flies 25-minute hops to Eleuthera. Abaco has local ferries from Marsh Harbour.
Where should first-timers stay?
Nassau and Paradise Island offer the most hotels and the easiest flights. Bimini suits a short stay by ferry from Fort Lauderdale, and Lucaya on Grand Bahama is quieter. Each hotel page gives a price band with the date it was checked.
How does this site make money?
Booking links to partners such as Stay22 for hotels, GetYourGuide for tours and ferry ticket sellers may pay BahamasHopping a commission at no extra cost to the traveler. The affiliate disclosure explains the details.