If you crave a low-key beach day without a lot of fuss, Bimini, Bahamas, is the place to be.
With its turquoise waters, long stretches of sand and amiable locals, Bimini has long been a favorite seaside escape for many, including Ernest Hemingway and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. About 54 miles east of Miami, Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the U.S. mainland.
Bimini is really two islands — North Bimini and South Bimini — separated by a strip of ocean. Ferries transport visitors between the islands. The Bimini, Bahamas, cruise port, called Resorts World Bimini Cruise Port, is in North Bimini (in Alice Town). The island is just about seven miles long, making it easy enough to explore within the eight or so hours your ship is docked.
Cruise lines such as Virgin Voyages, Carnival Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line include stops at Bimini on their Caribbean itineraries. Additionally, Virgin Voyages’ The Beach Club at Bimini is a free and popular option for Virgin cruisers.
While it’s mostly about the beaches here, a handful of local attractions (a museum, a smattering of shops and some restaurants) provide things to do if you choose to leave the beach for a bit. Additionally, a good selection of snorkeling, diving, kayaking and other types of excursions are available through your cruise line or with independent vendors.
If your next Caribbean cruise features a stop at the Bimini cruise port, here’s everything you need to know to maximize your time on this laid-back Bahamas island.
Bimini cruise port overview
3 things TPG loves about Bimini
- The cruise port is not overdeveloped, so you won’t be overwhelmed by duty-free shops, restaurants and aggressive souvenir vendors as soon as you step off the ship.
- Only one cruise ship can dock here at a time, which creates a less chaotic port day experience.
- The size of the island makes it fairly easy to explore beaches, local attractions and restaurants on your own.
What we could do without
- The porta-johns at Bimini Public Beach are very close to the food trucks, which can produce a less-than-appetizing odor in the area.
- Litter on some public beaches might detract from your idyllic beach day experience.
Bimini cruise port fast facts
Arrival details
The Resorts World Bimini Cruise Port opened in 2021. Previously, the island was mostly accessible via private charters or high-speed ferry service (Balearia Caribbean) from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The expanded cruise port can now accommodate some of the largest vessels at sea. It’s also a one-berth port, meaning only one cruise ship can dock at a time.
Once you disembark, you can make your way on foot down the pier (about a five-minute walk), snag a free shuttle to a resort or shopping or meet up with your excursion. Markers along the pier sidewalk from the cruise ship direct passengers to Resorts World experiences, shore excursions and the free shuttle service. A couple of information and excursion kiosks are also on the pier.
Most ships call at the port for up to eight hours, giving cruise passengers plenty of time to check out the island or chill out on a beach for the day.
Language: English
Currency: The Bahamian dollar ($BSD) is the local currency, but U.S. dollars are freely accepted.
Time zone: Bimini, Bahamas, uses Eastern Standard Time.
Top things to do in the Bimini cruise port
While not extensive, Bimini’s port call diversions offer enough choices to suit your style, including active water sports like kayaking or snorkeling, historic attractions and a relaxing beach day on your own or at a resort. Additionally, local restaurants, food trucks and food shacks provide a good selection of Bahamian dishes to try during your visit. If you’re on a Virgin Voyages cruise, you’ll likely want to take advantage of free access to the line’s beach club.
Beach clubs
Does relaxing on the beach or by the pool with a drink in hand sound like your ideal port day in Bimini? If so, you have a couple of options.
Resorts World Bimini is part of the Hilton at Resorts World complex. The 4.5-acre destination offers a huge stretch of beach, infinity pools, a casino and several restaurants. Day passes start at $40 and come with the use of loungers and beach umbrellas. An a la carte menu features various cocktails and lunch items (sandwiches, salads, burgers and the like). Splurge on a cabana rental (from around $650 for a beach cabana and from $430 for a pool cabana), which comes with an exclusive food menu, personalized bottle service and other perks.
While it’s technically part of the same Resorts World complex, Virgin Voyages’ The Beach Club at Bimini is free for Virgin passengers. It’s home to a sizable beach, plus facilities (a pool, food pavilions, bars and water sports) exclusively for Virgin Voyages passengers. Beach Club day passes are occasionally available to resort guests and travelers on other cruise ships when a Virgin Voyages ship is not in port. Check with your particular cruise line for day pass options and prices.
Dolphin House Museum
Established in 1993 by local author and historian Ashley Saunders, this quirky and colorful attraction is made with salvaged and recycled materials. Saunders was inspired to create the museum after he swam with a pod of Bimini’s wild dolphins.
Its outside walls teem with sea glass, dolphin mosaics, shells, coconut-rum bottles and a host of other unique found items. Inside, you’ll find an impressive collection of items like an 18th-century brass naval canon, copper from a pirate ship and a conch shell believed to date back to the Lucayan native era. The house is on Dolphin Lane and is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $10 per person, cash only (in U.S. or Bahamian dollars). From the cruise port, the museum is about a 40-minute walk or 10 minutes via taxi or golf cart.
Bimini Museum
History buffs will appreciate the collection of artifacts, photographs and displays that tell the story of the island and of those who contributed to its development. Built by the Bimini Historical Society, the free museum on Kings Highway also features memorabilia from one of its notable former residents, Ernest Hemingway. (Although the museum is currently closed for renovations with no clear reopening date, keep this one on your radar and check back here for updates.)
Popular Bimini excursions
Popular excursions on Bimini largely consist of resort day passes and water activities such as snorkeling, Jet Skiing, fishing, kayaking and scuba diving. However, cultural and food tours with a local guide are other fantastic ways to spend your time in port.
Bimini’s first dive operation, Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center, has been operating since 1975. It’s the jumping-off point for a slew of scuba diving and snorkeling tours, as well as dolphin, shark and stingray safaris. Some tours explore the famous shipwreck SS Sapona, a World War 1-era cargo steamer that rests in Honeymoon Harbour off the coast of Bimini.
Other snorkeling sites in Bimini worth checking out include Rainbow Reef, a coral ridge home to abundant marine life, and Bimini Road, where rows of organized stone monoliths are said to be part of the lost city of Atlantis. The Healing Hole is another legend to explore. Surrounded by mangroves, this freshwater spring is only accessible by boat. The waters are believed to contain minerals with healing powers, hence the name.
Farther afield on South Bimini, you’ll find a “Fountain of Youth” nestled in the forest. While there’s no record of Ponce De Leon visiting Bimini, locals believe the freshwater well provides healing and rejuvenation. The well and a historical marker are located off the road to the airport. Some tour excursions include a stop here, as well as provide ferry transportation from the cruise port to South Bimini. If you’re exploring South Bimini on your own, the ferry costs around $10 per person (each way).
Additionally, tours of the Bimini Shark Lab are available on select dates throughout the year. Guests can learn about the lab’s history and research and get a glimpse of a short shark checkup. You might even get to see some juvenile lemon sharks in their natural environment. Note that you must book your tour at least a week in advance, and transportation to and from the Shark Lab is not included. You’ll need to take the ferry to South Bimini, then catch a taxi to the Shark Lab from there.
Known as the “Big Game Fishing Capital of the World,” Bimini is a prime spot for fishing enthusiasts. Cruisers can book fishing charters to reel in marlin, tuna, wahoo and other types of fish.
A cultural tour via an open-air tram is a popular way to experience Bimini’s history and cuisine. You’ll coast through colorful neighborhoods and stop at historical landmarks and museums. Along the way, sample local dishes and enjoy a conch-cracking demonstration.
Related: Shore excursions: What new cruisers need to know
Bimini beaches near the cruise port
The beach is arguably Bimini’s biggest lure, and cruisers have plenty of options. If you don’t need all the perks (or want the cost) of a beach club experience, there are a handful of beaches to enjoy free of charge.
The closest spot to throw down a beach towel and jump in the water is at Bimini Public Beach, located at the end of the cruise pier. The area to the right (as you exit the pier) has some local food trucks and porta-johns. You’ll also find kiosks for chairs, umbrellas and cabana rentals. Two chairs with umbrellas cost $60, and cabanas cost $120 (for four people or fewer) or $225 (for six or more people). The area to the left lacks those amenities, but you’ll enjoy fewer crowds.
Keep walking straight from the pier and cross Kings Highway to reach Kayak Beach (about a five-minute walk from the end of the pier). It’s dotted with thatch umbrellas for shade, and you can rent a kayak from local vendors. However, it’s not the greatest beach for lounging, as it’s a bit crowded and not as pretty as other beaches on the island.
About 2.5 miles (or a 10-minute taxi ride) from the pier, Radio Beach is another public beach option for visitors. It’s a no-frills beach, with no lifeguard and only a handful of rustic food and drink shacks. However, you’ll find public restrooms, and trees line part of the beach offering a bit of shade. Additionally, a vendor offers Jet Ski and kayak rentals. Note that sections of the beach have lots of litter. However, the water here is still pristine.
How to get around Bimini on your own
You won’t find a public bus or car rental facilities in Bimini. However, you do have transportation choices, and Bimini is small enough that you can get where you need to go with minimal effort.
Tram: A free tram takes cruisers from the pier to a handful of spots, including the Resorts World properties and the Fisherman’s Village shopping area. Pick-up locations are well-marked, and a tram comes around about every 15 to 30 minutes.
On foot: Some local beaches and area resorts are within walking distance. (You can reach Hilton Resorts World within about 10 or 15 minutes.)
Taxi: Taxis are plentiful around the cruise port area. Rates aren’t metered and might vary depending on where you want to go, but the common fare is $5 per person to most locations.
Golf cart: You’ll find a couple of golf cart rental companies on the island. Prices range from around $90 per day for a four-seater to $120 per day for a six-seater.
Bimini restaurants near the cruise port
Bahamian cuisine is a diverse mix of Caribbean (generous use of spices) and southern-style American food (cornbread and peas), with flavor influences from Creole and South American cuisine.
Seafood and fresh-caught fish feature prominently in Bahamian dishes, and you’ll likely find conch in all forms on pretty much every local menu — conch fritters, conch salad, cracked conch and conch ceviche. Additionally, pigeon peas and rice is a classic side dish that often includes pork, pigeon peas, celery, rice, tomatoes and thyme. Goat curry, spiny lobster and cassava cake are other local dishes to taste.
Don’t miss a chance to sample Bahamas’ iconic breads like johnnycakes and Bimini bread. Cooked in a skillet, johnnycakes are like Southern American cornbread made of milk, butter, flour and sugar. Bimini bread is a soft, slightly sweet white bread that is best eaten warm. It’s often served with tea or coffee.
Whatever you eat, you’ll want to wash it all down with a cold Kalik, Bahamas’ popular lager-style beer.
You’ll find a good selection of food trucks and rustic roadside food shacks in Bimini. Additionally, resort dining is an option if you go the beach club day pass route.
If you’re sampling local dining on your own, check out Stuart’s Conch Salad Stand. On King’s Highway (Bimini’s main road), Stuart’s has been a local fixture serving made-to-order conch salad for more than 20 years.
Nate’s Bimini Bread isn’t far from the cruise port pier — make a left when you get to Kayak Beach and it’s about 300 feet on the right side of the road. Carrying on his late mother’s legacy that began in the 1970s, Nate Hanna shares his family’s Bimini bread (and loads of other deliciousness) with patrons.
Situated within Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina, Bimini Seafood Company and Conch Bar features an extensive selection of conch dishes and a variety of fresh seafood platters. Among them are calamari, spiny lobster, shrimp, yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi and red snapper.
Bimini cruise port shopping
Next to Kayak Beach, Fisherman’s Village and Marina is an open-air shopping center with shops, a restaurant and bar, live music and public restrooms. At Home Reef Shop and The Reef at Bimini, you can buy clothes, handmade soaps and candles, and Bimini-branded souvenirs. Splash stocks resortwear, jewelry and accessories. Dining options here include Amicci’s for pizza and gelato, and the Healing Hole Rum Bar.
For locally made souvenirs, head to Bimini Craft Center, located in the heart of Alice Town. Peruse more than a dozen booths chock-full of handmade crafts, T-shirts, wood carvings, straw hats and other items. Public restrooms are on-site, and a food truck selling Bahamian specialties often parks here.
Bottom line
Bimini offers cruise passengers a laid-back, no-frills Caribbean escape, but that doesn’t mean your day on the island will be dull.
A handful of resorts lure passengers with beach and pool access, cocktails, food and entertainment. Public beaches offer a chance to sunbathe on the cheap. Excursions provide a fuss-free way to enjoy snorkeling, scuba diving or kayaking in Bimini’s clear waters.
Yes, Bimini lacks the abundant duty-free shops and strings of restaurants you might expect at a cruise port (at least for now), but its less-developed landscape is all part of its charm.
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