How can you tour the Intercoastal Waterway and the New River in Fort Lauderdale but on your own timetable? By buying an all-day pass on the Water Taxi!
I recently did this on a beautiful Saturday with some friends. We started our waterside adventure by parking at 15th Street Fisheries (where we could do valet all day) and having a delicious seafood lunch there, overlooking the sparkling water, fish, and boats of the Intercoastal. Then we walked out on the pier located right there and boarded a yellow water taxi, at the Fort Lauderdale Route’s stop #3.
To get your Water Taxi passes, you go online for pre-purchase and then your ticket barcode appears on your phone; just show the phone to boat staff upon boarding each taxi. The various boats are scheduled to arrive and depart every 35–40 minutes (though we never waited that long), between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. It is a great way to see the many nice features and highlights of Fort Lauderdale.
Stops 1 and 2 are along the river: #1 is the Riverside Hotel and Stranahan House, where you can enjoy the picturesque Riverwalk, and #2 is just steps away from the famous Las Olas Boulevard with all its shops, restaurants, and bars. We disembarked there and walked over to have cocktails and window-shop on the boulevard for a bit.
The other locations are on the Intercoastal: You can go to stop #4, for the Hilton Marina and Convention Center (where you also can transfer to the Hollywood Express Route, which goes to Margaritaville Beach Resort and the Hollywood Broadwalk); #5, the south end of Bahia Mar (where you can view marinas of luxury yachts docked); #6, Beach Place and Fort Lauderdale Beach; #7, GalleryOne Double Tree and Galleria Mall; #8, Birch State Park; #9, Shooters Waterfront; and #10, Bokamper’s Sports Bar & Grill.
We spent our afternoon gliding up and down the water throughout the city, seeing celebrities’ mansions and yachts as well as all kinds of other boats, including tour vessels, barges, party boats, a floating tiki bar, and young sailing students soaring by in a line of little boats. We went past “Beer Can Island,” where people frolicked on boats clustered around the sand bars, with many milling around in the shallow water and socializing. It was a gorgeous day, so there was a lot of action on the Intercoastal.
Aboard the taxis were tourists, families, and bar-hopping friends, all seeming to enjoy being out on the water and the ease of the taxi system. There was staff at each stop answering questions and, on board over a microphone, narrating the sights as we went past them, providing some interesting history and funny anecdotes. Be sure to bring some cash for tipping, as they definitely appreciate that and work hard.
Later that afternoon, two of us went ashore for a nice walk alongside A1A and the ocean, at Fort Lauderdale Beach, where we saw large groups having beach parties and barbecues and a wedding getting set up on the sand overlooking the ocean. We went on a walking bridge above A1A to buy drinks from a small market, and then headed back to our water taxi stop. I enjoyed being able to explore the area at our leisure and return when we were ready.
We ended our water tour of Fort Lauderdale by disembarking at the same place where we first got on, at stop #3, and picking up our car at the 15th Street Fisheries valet lot. A very pleasant day!
The Water Taxi all-day pass costs $35 for adults, $30 for seniors and military, $15 for children 5–11, and free for children under 5. Evening-only passes are $20 and start at 5 p.m. You can also buy a month’s unlimited pass for $90. For tickets and information, go to WaterTaxi.com.