Day Trip to the Bahamas From Fort Lauderdale

Many people choose to visit the islands of the Caribbean like the Dominican Republic and The Bahamas on cruises or long vacations, but if you're living in Florida or stopping off in Florida on a vacation, it's actually perfectly possible to do mini day trips over to a Caribbean location too.

One of the best ways to do a day trip from Florida to the Caribbean is to go from Fort Lauderdale to The Bahamas. Fort Lauderdale is one of the closest coastal cities to The Bahamas, so it's one of the best places to travel to this location for a Caribbean day trip. Here's how to do it.

If you'd like to travel to The Bahamas for a day trip from Fort Lauderdale, you have a couple of different options to choose from. The Bahamas are made up of hundreds of different islands, and you can actually visit several of these islands during your day trip, depending on how you plan it out and how you choose to travel there. Both planes and ferries can be chosen as your means of transport to get to The Bahamas.

Getting To The Bahamas From Fort Lauderdale By Plane

If you choose to fly to The Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale, you can go direct from Fort Lauderdale airport to Lynden Pindling International Airport, which is located in Nassau, the capital city of The Bahamas. The flight takes less than an hour in total, although you do have to factor in the added time needed to get to and from the airport, as well as checking in and going through the security lines. This is a good option for people who just want to visit Nassau and experience one of the busiest and most vibrant locations in The Bahamas.

Getting To The Bahamas From Fort Lauderdale By Ferry

You can also choose to travel to The Bahamas by ferry. A ferry route runs direct from Fort Lauderdale to Freeport on Grand Bahama Island. The service runs several times per week and the duration of the journey is around two and a half hours in total. If you travel to Freeport via the ferry, you can then go on to do a little island hopping around The Bahamas before heading home, or simply stay in Freeport and explore the area around Grand Bahama Island.

- The Best Time To Visit - The wonderful thing about The Bahamas, and many other locations all around the Caribbean, is that there isn’t really a bad time to visit. If you arrive in the summer months, you’ll be able to enjoy the warmest temperatures for swimming and sunbathing, but you’ll also have to deal with the crowds. Fortunately, conditions in The Bahamas stay sunny and warm even in spring, winter, and fall, so you can visit at any of these times of the year too and have a fantastic time.

- Visiting Nassau - Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, is located on the island of New Providence. It's the perfect place for people who want to get a big taste of Caribbean life, as it's home to a large percentage of the Bahamian population. You'll find a lot of bars, street vendors, and stores to explore at Nassau, as well as beautiful colorful buildings, gardens, a zoo, a huge casino, coral reefs, and more. It’s easy to see why Nassau is such a popular stopping point for Caribbean cruise ships, and it’s one of the best places to go on your day trip from Fort Lauderdale too.

- Visiting Freeport - Those looking for a little more peace and quiet on their day trip to the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale are better off choosing Freeport over Nassau. Situated on Grand Bahama Island, Freeport is still a big and busy city, but it's not quite as populous or hectic as Nassau, so it's a nice place for couples to enjoy a little intimacy or families to have some relaxing fun. There are many miles of soft, sandy beaches at Freeport, and nearby Deadman's Reef is one of the best places for snorkeling, despite its rather scary-sounding name.