Water Taxi is one of the most interesting ways to explore Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area from the water. It is not, however, a typical sightseeing cruise where you board in one place, follow a fixed route and return to the same dock an hour later.
Water Taxi works more like a hop-on, hop-off water bus. Boats travel between stops along the canals, the Intracoastal Waterway and the New River, and passengers can get off along the way, visit a restaurant, go to the beach or explore the area, then return to the dock and continue on another boat.
It is both a means of transportation and a tourist attraction.
During the ride you can see luxury waterfront homes, large yachts, marinas, drawbridges and some of the most characteristic parts of Fort Lauderdale. This is one of the reasons why the city is often called the “Venice of America”.
Water Taxi also continues north through Lauderdale-by-the-Sea to Pompano Beach and Lighthouse Point.
This is worth understanding before buying a ticket.
The Water Taxi system is divided into several routes. You should not imagine one boat operating all day on one continuous line from Downtown Fort Lauderdale all the way to northern Pompano Beach.
The most important routes for visitors are:
Each route has its own stops and its own service frequency.
If you want to travel from central Fort Lauderdale to Pompano Beach, you need to transfer from one boat to another at the appropriate interchange point.
No. This is one part of the system that can be a little confusing at first.
Different ticket types are available.
If you only want to explore Pompano Beach, you can buy a cheaper Pompano Beach Pass.
If you want to travel from Fort Lauderdale to Pompano Beach and use both routes, the best option is an All Routes Pass, which also includes the Pompano Beach route.
You therefore do not need to buy a new ticket every time you transfer. The ticket works as a day pass and allows you to get on and off multiple times on the routes included in your ticket.
It is worth checking the ticket type carefully before purchasing, because the cheapest Pompano Beach Pass is not the right choice if you plan to start your day in central Fort Lauderdale.
The standard day pass covering all routes, including Pompano Beach, currently costs approximately:
An Evening Pass is also available for travel after 5:00 PM.
For visitors interested only in the Pompano Beach route, a cheaper pass is available:
Prices may change, so it is always best to check the current fare before your trip.
The easiest option is to buy tickets in advance on the official Water Taxi website:
https://watertaxi.com/
From the website, choose the ticket option that matches the route you want to use.
Tickets can also be purchased on the day of travel, but buying in advance is usually more convenient.
You do not reserve a specific seat on a specific boat. Water Taxi operates as a hop-on, hop-off service, and boarding depends on available capacity.
The official Water Taxi website provides a map of all stops:
https://watertaxi.com/route-map/
Each stop is marked with a letter and number.
Fort Lauderdale stops are mainly marked with the letter F, for example:
Pompano Beach route stops are marked P1-P12.
Before leaving your hotel, restaurant or beach, it is worth checking which stop is closest to you.
This is very important because Water Taxi does not operate exactly like a train or city bus with a fixed timetable such as 12:07, 12:42 and 1:17 PM.
The best tool is the official Boat Tracker.
A link to the Boat Tracker is available on the Water Taxi website.
The tracker shows the current position of the boats and the estimated arrival times at individual stops.
Before leaving a restaurant, beach or hotel, it is therefore a good idea to open the Boat Tracker and check when the next boat is expected at your stop.
This is especially important on the Pompano Beach route, where the intervals between boats are longer than in central Fort Lauderdale.
Water Taxi operates seven days a week.
Standard operating hours are approximately:
10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
On the main Fort Lauderdale route, boats usually arrive approximately every:
35-45 minutes.
On the Pompano Beach route, you should expect longer waits:
approximately 60-90 minutes.
For this reason, when exploring Pompano Beach it is particularly useful to use the Boat Tracker and plan where you want to get off.
This is one of the parts that may not be obvious the first time you use Water Taxi.
You do not stay on one boat from Downtown Fort Lauderdale all the way to Lighthouse Point.
First, you use the Fort Lauderdale route and then transfer to the Pompano Beach route.
One of the most important transfer points is:
Shooters Waterfront - F10/P1
3033 NE 32nd Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
The same stop belongs to both the Fort Lauderdale system and the Pompano Beach route.
Another transfer option is the area around Bokamper's, marked as P2 and connected with the Fort Lauderdale system.
If Pompano Beach is your destination, it is therefore worth checking both the Fort Lauderdale boat and the connecting Pompano Beach boat in the Boat Tracker before starting your trip.
The Pompano Beach route continues north along the Intracoastal Waterway.
It currently includes 12 stops:
A complete loop of the Pompano Beach route takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes if you stay on the boat and do not get off.
If you are exploring the area as a tourist, one of the most useful stops is P7 - The Pier / Dockswell Dock.
From there you can walk to:
You can therefore arrive by Water Taxi, get off, spend some time at the beach or have lunch, then return to the stop and continue your journey.
The final section toward Lighthouse Point Marina is also interesting, especially if you are more interested in the ride itself and in seeing waterfront homes and marinas than spending time on the beach.
No.
This is one of the main advantages of the hop-on, hop-off system.
For example, you can:
board in Downtown Fort Lauderdale,
cruise through the canals,
get off at Fort Lauderdale Beach,
have lunch,
board again,
continue to Shooters Waterfront,
transfer to the Pompano Beach route,
get off near Pompano Pier,
spend some time at the beach,
and later return by Water Taxi.
You do not need to spend the entire day on one boat.
The cruise itself is a major part of the attraction.
Fort Lauderdale has an extensive network of canals and waterways, so the city looks completely different from the water than it does from a car.
Along the way you can see:
On some rides, the crew also provides commentary about the places, homes and yachts you pass.
No.
Water Taxi operates on calmer inland waterways, mainly the New River and the Intracoastal Waterway.
It does not go out onto the open Atlantic Ocean.
As a result, the ride is usually much calmer than a typical ocean cruise and can be a good option for people who do not enjoy large waves.
No.
Water Taxi does not work like ordinary city transportation where you pay a few dollars to travel from point A to point B.
You buy a pass for a selected route or group of routes and can use as many stops as you want within the validity of that pass.
For this reason, Water Taxi makes the most sense as an attraction for several hours or a full day rather than simply as a short one-stop transfer.
If you are starting in central Fort Lauderdale, Water Taxi recommends the area around:
F1 - Riverside Hotel
335 SE 6th Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Parking is available nearby, and this is also a convenient place to begin exploring because of its proximity to Las Olas Boulevard.
You can, however, start your journey at almost any stop. If you are staying near Fort Lauderdale Beach or in Pompano Beach, there is no need to drive specifically to F1.
Larger Water Taxi boats have restrooms on board.
Drinks are also available on some boats, and alcoholic beverages may be sold on selected services.
One of the biggest advantages of the system is that many stops are located directly next to restaurants and bars. This makes it easy to organize an entire day around Water Taxi, stopping along the way for lunch, drinks or dinner.
Downtown Fort Lauderdale also has a Water Trolley.
It looks similar and is operated in connection with Water Taxi, but it is a separate service funded by the City of Fort Lauderdale.
The most important difference is:
Water Trolley is free.
It operates within a limited part of Fort Lauderdale and does not replace the full Water Taxi system if you want to travel toward the beach or Pompano Beach.
1. Go to watertaxi.com.
Start by opening the route map and finding the stop closest to where you want to begin your trip.
2. Decide where you want to go.
If you are only interested in Fort Lauderdale, you do not need to plan the entire Pompano Beach route.
If you want to reach Pompano Beach, check the route and the transfer point in advance.
3. Buy the correct ticket.
If you are planning to use both Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach routes, choose a pass covering all routes.
If you are only interested in Pompano Beach, you can choose the cheaper Pompano Beach Pass.
4. Check the Boat Tracker before leaving.
Do not rely only on general information such as “every 35 minutes” or “every hour”.
Check the actual location of the boat and the estimated arrival time.
5. Arrive at the stop a few minutes early.
Not every stop looks like a traditional ferry terminal. Some are simply marked docks next to a restaurant, park or marina.
6. Show your ticket when boarding.
You do not reserve a specific seat or departure time.
7. Get on and off as many times as you want.
This is the main advantage of the Water Taxi system.
8. If you are traveling to Pompano Beach, keep checking the next boat.
Intervals on this route can be around 60-90 minutes, so arriving at a stop without checking the tracker may result in a long wait.
9. Check the last return service.
This is particularly important if you are far from where you started. Do not assume that because the system operates until around 10:00 PM, every boat from every outer stop will still allow you to return to any destination.
Definitely yes.
Water Taxi is not only a way to travel between Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach. For visitors, the cruise itself is one of the attractions.
Fort Lauderdale shows its character best from the water. From the canals you can see large waterfront estates, private yachts, marinas and parts of the city that are almost invisible from the road.
It is best to allow at least several hours for Water Taxi, and ideally treat it as a plan for a large part of the day, with time for the beach, lunch or dinner along the way.
If you are planning to travel as far as Pompano Beach, two things are especially important: buying the correct pass that covers both route sections and using the Boat Tracker, because boats on the northern route run less frequently than in central Fort Lauderdale.
Official website:
https://watertaxi.com/
Route map:
https://watertaxi.com/route-map/
On the Water Taxi website, also use the Boat Tracker to check the current boat locations and estimated arrival times.
Water Taxi is one of the most interesting ways to explore Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area from the water. It is not, however, a typical sightseeing cruise where you board in one place, follow a fixed route and return to the same dock an hour later.
Water Taxi works more like a hop-on, hop-off water bus. Boats travel between stops along the canals, the Intracoastal Waterway and the New River, and passengers can get off along the way, visit a restaurant, go to the beach or explore the area, then return to the dock and continue on another boat.
It is both a means of transportation and a tourist attraction.
During the ride you can see luxury waterfront homes, large yachts, marinas, drawbridges and some of the most characteristic parts of Fort Lauderdale. This is one of the reasons why the city is often called the “Venice of America”.
Water Taxi also continues north through Lauderdale-by-the-Sea to Pompano Beach and Lighthouse Point.
This is worth understanding before buying a ticket.
The Water Taxi system is divided into several routes. You should not imagine one boat operating all day on one continuous line from Downtown Fort Lauderdale all the way to northern Pompano Beach.
The most important routes for visitors are:
Each route has its own stops and its own service frequency.
If you want to travel from central Fort Lauderdale to Pompano Beach, you need to transfer from one boat to another at the appropriate interchange point.
No. This is one part of the system that can be a little confusing at first.
Different ticket types are available.
If you only want to explore Pompano Beach, you can buy a cheaper Pompano Beach Pass.
If you want to travel from Fort Lauderdale to Pompano Beach and use both routes, the best option is an All Routes Pass, which also includes the Pompano Beach route.
You therefore do not need to buy a new ticket every time you transfer. The ticket works as a day pass and allows you to get on and off multiple times on the routes included in your ticket.
It is worth checking the ticket type carefully before purchasing, because the cheapest Pompano Beach Pass is not the right choice if you plan to start your day in central Fort Lauderdale.
The standard day pass covering all routes, including Pompano Beach, currently costs approximately:
An Evening Pass is also available for travel after 5:00 PM.
For visitors interested only in the Pompano Beach route, a cheaper pass is available:
Prices may change, so it is always best to check the current fare before your trip.
The easiest option is to buy tickets in advance on the official Water Taxi website:
https://watertaxi.com/
From the website, choose the ticket option that matches the route you want to use.
Tickets can also be purchased on the day of travel, but buying in advance is usually more convenient.
You do not reserve a specific seat on a specific boat. Water Taxi operates as a hop-on, hop-off service, and boarding depends on available capacity.
The official Water Taxi website provides a map of all stops:
https://watertaxi.com/route-map/
Each stop is marked with a letter and number.
Fort Lauderdale stops are mainly marked with the letter F, for example:
Pompano Beach route stops are marked P1-P12.
Before leaving your hotel, restaurant or beach, it is worth checking which stop is closest to you.
This is very important because Water Taxi does not operate exactly like a train or city bus with a fixed timetable such as 12:07, 12:42 and 1:17 PM.
The best tool is the official Boat Tracker.
A link to the Boat Tracker is available on the Water Taxi website.
The tracker shows the current position of the boats and the estimated arrival times at individual stops.
Before leaving a restaurant, beach or hotel, it is therefore a good idea to open the Boat Tracker and check when the next boat is expected at your stop.
This is especially important on the Pompano Beach route, where the intervals between boats are longer than in central Fort Lauderdale.
Water Taxi operates seven days a week.
Standard operating hours are approximately:
10:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
On the main Fort Lauderdale route, boats usually arrive approximately every:
35-45 minutes.
On the Pompano Beach route, you should expect longer waits:
approximately 60-90 minutes.
For this reason, when exploring Pompano Beach it is particularly useful to use the Boat Tracker and plan where you want to get off.
This is one of the parts that may not be obvious the first time you use Water Taxi.
You do not stay on one boat from Downtown Fort Lauderdale all the way to Lighthouse Point.
First, you use the Fort Lauderdale route and then transfer to the Pompano Beach route.
One of the most important transfer points is:
Shooters Waterfront - F10/P1
3033 NE 32nd Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
The same stop belongs to both the Fort Lauderdale system and the Pompano Beach route.
Another transfer option is the area around Bokamper's, marked as P2 and connected with the Fort Lauderdale system.
If Pompano Beach is your destination, it is therefore worth checking both the Fort Lauderdale boat and the connecting Pompano Beach boat in the Boat Tracker before starting your trip.
The Pompano Beach route continues north along the Intracoastal Waterway.
It currently includes 12 stops:
A complete loop of the Pompano Beach route takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes if you stay on the boat and do not get off.
If you are exploring the area as a tourist, one of the most useful stops is P7 - The Pier / Dockswell Dock.
From there you can walk to:
You can therefore arrive by Water Taxi, get off, spend some time at the beach or have lunch, then return to the stop and continue your journey.
The final section toward Lighthouse Point Marina is also interesting, especially if you are more interested in the ride itself and in seeing waterfront homes and marinas than spending time on the beach.
No.
This is one of the main advantages of the hop-on, hop-off system.
For example, you can:
board in Downtown Fort Lauderdale,
cruise through the canals,
get off at Fort Lauderdale Beach,
have lunch,
board again,
continue to Shooters Waterfront,
transfer to the Pompano Beach route,
get off near Pompano Pier,
spend some time at the beach,
and later return by Water Taxi.
You do not need to spend the entire day on one boat.
The cruise itself is a major part of the attraction.
Fort Lauderdale has an extensive network of canals and waterways, so the city looks completely different from the water than it does from a car.
Along the way you can see:
On some rides, the crew also provides commentary about the places, homes and yachts you pass.
No.
Water Taxi operates on calmer inland waterways, mainly the New River and the Intracoastal Waterway.
It does not go out onto the open Atlantic Ocean.
As a result, the ride is usually much calmer than a typical ocean cruise and can be a good option for people who do not enjoy large waves.
No.
Water Taxi does not work like ordinary city transportation where you pay a few dollars to travel from point A to point B.
You buy a pass for a selected route or group of routes and can use as many stops as you want within the validity of that pass.
For this reason, Water Taxi makes the most sense as an attraction for several hours or a full day rather than simply as a short one-stop transfer.
If you are starting in central Fort Lauderdale, Water Taxi recommends the area around:
F1 - Riverside Hotel
335 SE 6th Ave
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Parking is available nearby, and this is also a convenient place to begin exploring because of its proximity to Las Olas Boulevard.
You can, however, start your journey at almost any stop. If you are staying near Fort Lauderdale Beach or in Pompano Beach, there is no need to drive specifically to F1.
Larger Water Taxi boats have restrooms on board.
Drinks are also available on some boats, and alcoholic beverages may be sold on selected services.
One of the biggest advantages of the system is that many stops are located directly next to restaurants and bars. This makes it easy to organize an entire day around Water Taxi, stopping along the way for lunch, drinks or dinner.
Downtown Fort Lauderdale also has a Water Trolley.
It looks similar and is operated in connection with Water Taxi, but it is a separate service funded by the City of Fort Lauderdale.
The most important difference is:
Water Trolley is free.
It operates within a limited part of Fort Lauderdale and does not replace the full Water Taxi system if you want to travel toward the beach or Pompano Beach.
1. Go to watertaxi.com.
Start by opening the route map and finding the stop closest to where you want to begin your trip.
2. Decide where you want to go.
If you are only interested in Fort Lauderdale, you do not need to plan the entire Pompano Beach route.
If you want to reach Pompano Beach, check the route and the transfer point in advance.
3. Buy the correct ticket.
If you are planning to use both Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach routes, choose a pass covering all routes.
If you are only interested in Pompano Beach, you can choose the cheaper Pompano Beach Pass.
4. Check the Boat Tracker before leaving.
Do not rely only on general information such as “every 35 minutes” or “every hour”.
Check the actual location of the boat and the estimated arrival time.
5. Arrive at the stop a few minutes early.
Not every stop looks like a traditional ferry terminal. Some are simply marked docks next to a restaurant, park or marina.
6. Show your ticket when boarding.
You do not reserve a specific seat or departure time.
7. Get on and off as many times as you want.
This is the main advantage of the Water Taxi system.
8. If you are traveling to Pompano Beach, keep checking the next boat.
Intervals on this route can be around 60-90 minutes, so arriving at a stop without checking the tracker may result in a long wait.
9. Check the last return service.
This is particularly important if you are far from where you started. Do not assume that because the system operates until around 10:00 PM, every boat from every outer stop will still allow you to return to any destination.
Definitely yes.
Water Taxi is not only a way to travel between Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach. For visitors, the cruise itself is one of the attractions.
Fort Lauderdale shows its character best from the water. From the canals you can see large waterfront estates, private yachts, marinas and parts of the city that are almost invisible from the road.
It is best to allow at least several hours for Water Taxi, and ideally treat it as a plan for a large part of the day, with time for the beach, lunch or dinner along the way.
If you are planning to travel as far as Pompano Beach, two things are especially important: buying the correct pass that covers both route sections and using the Boat Tracker, because boats on the northern route run less frequently than in central Fort Lauderdale.
Official website:
https://watertaxi.com/
Route map:
https://watertaxi.com/route-map/
On the Water Taxi website, also use the Boat Tracker to check the current boat locations and estimated arrival times.
