A fascinating panorama of this waterfront community can be seen and enjoyed from the sightseeing boats that ply the waters of Biscayne Bay and the Intracoastal Waterway.
The cruise to Ft. Lauderdale from Miami Beach and return on the inland water route takes around six-hours. Some boats have snack bars, others provide music, all are manned by licensed crews.
Passing Miami’s lush Bayfront Park with its colorful sub-tropical flora, the narrator relates the park’s history and tells of the assassination attempt there on the life of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Here Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was the victim of bullets intended for F.D.R.
The boat pauses at the mouth of the Miami River from where Seminole Indians once poled their dugouts and where on a spit of land in 1836 stood Fort Dallas, this area’s first semblance of civilization.
At Haulover Beach Docks, in the north section of Greater Miami, visitors can combine sightseeing from yachts with tours of varied shore attractions including the Seaquarium. Villa Vizcaya and other points of interest.
Moving south along the bayshore, passengers are struck by Miami’s towering skyline, then the lavish beauty of Villa Vizcaya comes into view as the narrator describes the Italian palace and grounds now open to the public.
For more specific information on sightseeing boats, ask the concierge at your hotel. They’ll give you information on the various trips, the costs, the departure times and so forth.
