Miami to Bimini

Miami is a perfect coastal, tropical spot for all sun lovers, but adding a day trip from Miami to Bimini Island will give you a blissful, Caribbean experience like the cherry on the cake. A ferry from Fort Lauderdale takes you to the gateway of the turquoise island in just 2 hours. Isn’t that exciting and a perfect getaway for busy bees like us?

By Suvarna Kale

Photos by ©Nitin and Suvarna

My boyfriend and I wanted to visit the Bahamas and were very tight on the schedule and time, and just had a weekend on our hands to explore. The moment we came across the Balearia Caribbean website, we booked our tickets to the wonderful island of Bimini for a day trip. Both tickets cost us around $400 and included the transportation from the Bimini port to the main city of Bimini as well. The booking was completely hassle-free and easy by just clicking on the
website of Balearia. Although we both were international passengers, for the same-day trip to the Bahamas, no aeparate visas were required apart from your legal entry/stay proof in the United States and valid passports.

We started our day at 8 am by sipping Starbucks while driving from Miami downtown to Port Everglades and it was a smooth 1-hour drive with light traffic. The parking garages were just next to the port making it very convenient to park your own car with minimal parking charges of $6 all day. The entire check-in and boarding are very hassle-free. I suggest day travelers travel light with just a cabin bag reducing your wait time in long queues at the arrival and departure ports. The ferry is very comfortable with a great deck and refreshments and drinks being served throughout the journey. Within a couple of hours, you start seeing the turquoise clear waters of Bimini – the westernmost chain of the islands of the Bahamas and you can even feel the freshness in the air.

The moment you depart from the port, the buggies of the Resort World escort you to the center of the town. You can get around Bimini with a golf cart or a bicycle apart from the less frequent taxi service cabs. Bimini is divided into North, South, and East Bimini with North Bimini being the most popular especially due to “Alice Town”, a downtown area with interesting places to dine, shop and drink. We rented the golf cart, and being beach lovers, we immediately dived into the clear waters. Swimming in the crystal-clear waters of Radio Beach with the perfect sunshine was just bliss.

After ample sun-kissing and romance on the the white sands of the seashore, we got some fresh seafood and some great cocktails at the locally owned beach shacks. One tip I will share is to have some cash on your hand, as all the locally-owned shacks and businesses prefer cash over cards. The closest ATM available in Bimini is in the Hilton Hotel and I am sure you’ll don’t want to waste a minute in your trip hunting for ATMs.

After enjoying our lunch and the breathtaking views of the sea, we crazy couple set out for some adventure. Bimini blue adventures took us on our own private yacht to the Wreck of the Sapona. They equip you well with life jackets, fins, and snorkeling gear and introduce you to the basics of snorkeling techniques. Sapona wreck is a popular snorkeling site where you can witness the colorful and beautiful underwater world. The best part about this site is that you can explore and experience the bottom of the sea as the depth is just 15ft below sea level. The wreck is also home to unique species of fish including butterfly fish and turtles. We both being first-time snorkelers were super excited to jump in the ocean. After 2 hours of enjoying the sea world, we started our drive back to the main island only to witness the most amazing sunset in the middle of the ocean.

After refreshing ourselves in the resort showers, we set out to have a sunset dinner before we caught our buggy to the Bimini port. We indulged our taste buds in the Conch Salad which is the island’s claim to fame and a must-have appetizer. It’s a yummy and healthy mixture of tomatoes, green peppers, onions, raw conch, orange, and lime juice. We had it in the famous Stuart’s Conch stand where your salad is made from scratch, and I was also humbled by the
look of the shack which was a very simple rustic wooden hut. We had dinner at Smitty’s beach bar and restaurant with great Cuban beers and sizzling grilled chicken and burgers. Around 7 pm the buggy picked us up from Resort World and dropped us to our ferry. This one-day dreamy trip gave us a great romantic, soulful experience cherishing our love and great memories to take back with us. Our hearts felt fully rejuvenated getting back to the real world whilst still feeling so surreal.

Below are some useful links if you are planning a day trip to Bimini from Miami. There are of course great resorts and 7-star hotel options on Bimini if you are planning to spend a couple of days on this Caribbean Island.

https://www.baleariacaribbean.com/
https://www.biminiblueadventures.com
https://rwbimini.com