Free Water Taxi Opened Up One of Miami Beach’s Best Experiences

Some of Miami’s best views can’t be seen from land.

On some mornings, I leave Downtown at dawn and run toward Miami Beach. As I pass the Venetian Marina, I’ll wave to Captain Carlos Dominguez as he prepares the Miami Beach Water Taxi for its first crossing of the day.

Then it’s a race across the Venetian Causeway. If I make it in time, I can meet the captain when he arrives at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park and catch the first Water Taxi back to the mainland.

These are the moments that remind me why Miami is such a remarkable city. The sky shifts from crimson to orange and eventually to blue. The water catches the first light of day. Boats leave their slips. The skyline slowly emerges from the shadows. Biscayne Bay begins its daily transformation.

Traditionally, experiencing Miami from the water has been something of a privilege. Some of the two cities’ most spectacular skyline views, waterfront neighborhoods, boating culture and even our wildlife were once usually seen from the deck of a private boat, a yacht charter or a sightseeing excursion.

But this year, the new Water Taxi is giving residents and visitors a chance to experience Miami from the water, for free.

It’s a service championed by Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, who spent years wondering why there wasn’t a public option and more economical way to connect Miami Beach and the mainland by water.

For residents, visitors, cruise travelers, and even the wave of FIFA World Cup fans expected this summer, the Water Taxi has become something more: a free South Florida experience that is both practical and memorable.

The View Most People Never Get

The route follows the Venetian Causeway corridor and connects Miami Beach’s Sunset Harbor and Miami’s Edgewater neighborhoods. The service operates weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. But what began as a way to provide another transportation option for residents and alleviate traffic to the beach has itself become an attraction.

Captain Dominguez has a front-row seat every day.

A licensed captain for 17 years, Captain Dominguez has spent the past year and a half captaining Water Taxi vessels throughout South Florida. Today, he makes the crossing roughly 20 times each day.

Yet the repetitive journey hasn’t lost its appeal.

“I love, you know, people. So, I get to know and see different people from all over the planet every day,” the captain said.

Asked whether passengers spend the crossing peppering him with questions, he laughed.

“Not really, no,” he said. “They just enjoy the views and take pictures and videos. That’s about it. It’s too short, it’s only 20 minutes.”

With Captain Dominguez, Water Taxi passengers become part of Biscayne Bay, instead of looking out at it from shore. Along the way, Miami’s skyline rises above the bay while waterfront neighborhoods of the rich and famous stretch along the shoreline. Marinas, sailboats, fishing boats and yachts crisscross all around.

The Idea That Started It All

“The idea percolated in my mind before I even ever thought of running for office,” Mayor Meiner told CruiseNews.

“I live on the 14th floor, overlooking water. I worked on the 19th floor in Brickell overlooking water and would see very few boats… Especially as traffic increasingly was impacting people’s qualities of life, I just didn’t understand why there was not a water taxi service.”

Growing up in New York, where ferries are part of everyday transportation, Meiner thought Miami could be making more use of its waterways.

“When I got elected, I said, we need to do this.”

But there was one requirement.

It had to be free.

“There were iterations of the water taxi, but they were always private vendors, and they charged quite an exorbitant fee,” Meiner said. “If you could take an Uber for $20 or a water taxi for $15, you got to take the Uber. So, to me, it needed to be free.”

Today, that’s exactly what riders receive.

“It’s a scenic, beautiful way. Most people have to spend a lot of money to get on a boat in South Florida. And many people don’t have access to that. So, this is a great way to enjoy our waterways and get to where you’re going, and do it all for free.”

And the service’s popularity is becoming difficult to ignore. According to a May 2026 memorandum from the mayor’s office, the water taxi carried more than 73,000 passengers since its launch less than four months ago, averaging approximately 1,000 riders a day.

“We’re seeing a mix of residents who are commuting back and forth to work… going shopping or visiting friends and family,” Meiner said.

“We do see a lot of tourists from around the country, but also internationally. I think people traveling, especially on a budget, they’re spending on hotels and meals, and this is a way to get back and forth economically and also enjoy our waterways.”

From Fan Fest to South Beach

The timing could not be better. South Florida is welcoming an estimated one million visitors during FIFA World Cup 2026, an event projected to generate as much as $1.3 billion in economic impact throughout the region.

At the center of the celebration will be the FIFA Fan Festival Miami at Bayfront Park, a free 23-day waterfront event expected to attract up to 30,000 people per day.

For visitors going on a cruise or attending matches, watch parties and fan events, the Water Taxi provides an easy connection to Miami Beach.

“We’re expecting a lot of guests, and we want to give people the knowledge that, hey, you can get back and forth very economically, enjoy the water, and beat the traffic,” said the mayor.

Essentially, you could spend the morning at the Fan Festival, take the free Miami Metromover to the Adrienne Arsht Center stop. From there, the pier for the Water Taxi is a short walk to the marina, which takes you to the west side of South Beach, blocks from Lincoln Road.

And once you arrive, Meiner believes Miami Beach offers plenty to discover.

The mayor pointed to Miami Beach’s World Cup celebrations, including giant soccer-ball installations representing participating nations, international flags displayed along Ocean Drive, concerts and community watch parties.

“Certainly, there’s always the beach in Miami Beach,” he said. “We have some of the top-rated restaurants in the country, hotels as well… We have the trolley, we have Freebee service, so there’s other free services that people can utilize.”

For cruise travelers, the route offers an easy way to experience both sides of Biscayne Bay without worrying about traffic or parking.

More Connections in Miami-Dade

For Meiner, the current route represents only the beginning.

The mayor is actively pursuing expanded service, additional vessels, weekend operations and future routes connecting Miami Beach to more shores in Miami-Dade County.

“You think of different cities around the world that are known for its water — Venice and other places, New York, Seattle. And Miami Beach is starting to get on the map with that, and we’re just getting started.”