Latin America Ferries: Crossing Waterways by Boat
More often than not, Latin America throws up a lot of geographic challenges when you’re trying to get from Point A to Point B. You’ve gone jungles, desert, and mountains in Mexico and Central America. In South America you face all that, plus the mountains are even higher and the jungle is the whole Amazon River basin. Add in a lot of lakes and you’re going to need to get on one of the Latin America ferries for some locations unless you can fly over it all.
In some cases these ferry crossings are obligatory, like if you want to get to Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, or Holbox Island from the mainland Yucatan Peninsula. Or to Ometepe Island in the middle of a huge lake in Nicaragua. In other cases you’ll want to board them if you’re traveling with a vehicle, like when you’re you’re bringing a camper van to the Baja Peninsula from mainland Mexico or you’re driving through Patagonia on a road trip adventure.
Other times you may be taking a ferry for the joy of travel, to go overland instead of dealing with the hassle of airports and flying. Here are some Latin America ferries that serve areas where travelers are visiting.
Mexico and Belize Ferry Crossings
Mexico has a long coastline facing the Pacific, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. Then you have the Sea of Cortez between the mainland coast and Baja. So while there are only a few spots in Mexico served by ferries, the ones that are running are popular and frequent.
Three Islands off the Yucatan Peninsula
You’ll need to board a ferry to get to Holbox Island a couple hours north of the Cancun airport, Isla Mujeres that’s off the coast near downtown Cancun, or Cozumel if you don’t arrive there on a plane or cruise ship. These are all short trips that don’t give you much time to worry about being seasick, especially since the Caribbean waters are usually calm.
Even if you do arrive on Cozumel by other means, you’ll take the ferry boat to go shopping or dining in Playa del Carmen, or take an excursion to Mayan ruins elsewhere in the region. It’s under 20 bucks and takes 35 minutes. See the schedules here.
Baja Peninsula: Crossing the Sea of Cortez
Two routes will get you to the port of La Paz in the Baja Peninsula from the mainland — or back across. This was just a slower way of crossing the sea from Mazatlan to La Paz when I did the trip a couple of years ago because I could have flown for only slightly more money. It makes a huge difference in time and distance if you have a vehicle though, shaving 1,000 miles or more off your journey to Baja Sur.
Most passengers coming from the Pacific Coast will board in Mazatlan, but if you’re driving from Arizona, the closer stop would be the port outside of Los Mochis, which happens to be where the El Chepe Copper Canyon train starts or ends. That trip is longer, but the one from Mazatlan leaves three times a week and is overnight, taking 12 or 13 hours. Prices for a seat are generally $125 to $170, more if you want to rent a cabin. Book it here.
Chetumal to Ambergris Caye
You would think there’s enough interest to support a flight between Cancun and Belize, but whenever that option pops up, it never seems to last. There’s talk of extending the Maya Train on south across the border if the two countries can agree on how to fund it, but I’m not holding my breath.
Fortunately, you can take the Maya Train down to the bottom of Mexico from Cancun or Playa del Carmen and then you can either stay somewhere nice in Bacalar before taking off or immediately catch a ferry from Chetumal to the most popular vacation island in Belize: Ambergris Caye. This 2.5-hour journey is not a luxurious trip and you’ll pay at least $130 when you include the border crossing fees and taxes, but it saves a huge amount of time compared to going overland. See the details here.
Once upon a time there was an overnight boat trip between Progreso in Yucatan state to Tampa, Florida. It didn’t last long though, so now the only way to do that crossing (or one from New Orleans or Texas) is by cruise ship.
Central America Ferries
Many of the ferry trips in Central America are not ones you would probably board as a foreign traveler. There’s one from Bluefields to the Corn Islands in Nicaragua, for example, but most travelers just fly there from Managua or Bluefields instead. There are a few that are packed with tourists though, in Belize, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Panama.
Belize City to Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker
Boats are constantly shuttling sunburnt visitors between the triangle of Belize City, Ambergris Caye, and Caye Caulker. These are simple ships that will keep you dry as you cross the calm waters to your preferred destination.
I have taken these ferries several times and once I even parked a Mexican rental car in Belize City by the docking place, went to Mata Chica and Mahogany Bag in Ambergris Caye for four nights, then got in my car and continued down to Placencia by road.
A few different companies ply these routes, with prices from $30 to $40. Check Belize ferry schedules here.
The Ferry to Ometepe in Nicaragua
Not many luxury travelers are headed to Nicaragua these days as their wannabe dictator for life clings to power by any means necessary. Many of the top hotels have closed or downgraded. If you are an adventurer exploring the country though, you’ll board a rickety workhorse ferry to get out to the volcanic conical island of Ometepe in the middle of the lake.
Ceiba to Roatan and Utila in Honduras
You can fly from San Pedro Sula to Roatan Island for your vacation, but if you are moving around the country and would like to get there on a ship, you can take a ferry from La Ceiba to Roatan. You’ll be on a comfortable boat trip that only takes an hour and a half. See the schedules here.
There’s also a fair amount of traffic by boat between Roatan and Utila islands since Utila doesn’t have its own airport, serving the scuba diving crowd.
Panama City to the Nearby Islands
Panama City has plenty of high-rises with ocean views, but the muddy water that recedes each day doesn’t exactly give off tropical paradise vibes. So when the city residents want some rest and relaxation, they take a boat trip out to the Pearl Islands to stretch out on the sand.
When you’re searching for tickets, you want to look for Contadora or Saboga Island as the destination.
Bypassing the Darien Gap
There’s also a very long ferry that’s international, from Panama to Colombia. It’s moving cargo, of course, but the main reason passengers board it is to take a vehicle from one country to the other: nobody can pass through the Darien Gap. So anyone traveling overland between North and South America must get on a boat for this leg.
South America Ferries
The sizable continent of South America doesn’t have all that many ferries that travelers end up on, though boats transport plenty of residents when you get anywhere near the Amazon River. Tourists end up on river cruises or private transport to a jungle lodge usually, though some adventurers will take one to or from Manaus, the Brazilian riverfront city .
Across the Rio de la Plata
One of the busiest ferry routes in the Americas is between two different countries: Argentina and Uruguay. Fast ships cross the widest river in the world, the Rio del Plata, from Buenos Aires to Colonia and back. Colonia is a pleasant town for strolling, but most who arrive here end up moving on to Montevideo or the beaches near Punta del Este.
This crossing only takes an hour and 15 minutes, on modern ships that are smooth and comfortable. The ships are air-conditioned, you can buy refreshments, and they have Wi-Fi on board. There’s not much variance in the price, ranging from $60 to $80 usually (cheapest for non-refundable), so pick the one that works best for your schedule. They’re departing frequently.
See the options here on Bookaway.
If you don’t mind spending more time on the ship and you’re going from capital to capital, Buquebus operates this ship below holding around 1,000 passengers and 135 cars. It goes from Buenos Aires to Montevideo in less than three hours. Book your trip here.
Islands and the Amazon in Brazil
Brazil has ferries going to Angra dos Reis (near Paraty) and Vila do Abraao on Ilha Grande, a car-free vacation island. You’ll also find ferries headed from Salvador to Itaparica Island and Morro de São Paulo.
It was historically common to travel by ship from Recife to the chilled-out island of Fernando de Noronha, but improved air connections from different cities have become the transit method of choice since it’s an upscale island anyway. In the south there’s a popular crossing of 1.5 hours between Paranagua and Ilha do Mel.
You can find boat trips from Manaus headed upriver to Tabatinga or downriver to Santarem on the Amazon, but you probably won’t want to go that far unless you love sleeping in a hammock while mosquitoes and moths fly around you. You’ll be more comfortable on a river cruise there or in Peru.
From Paraguay Past Brazil to Argentina
Most tourists fly to the Argentina side or the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls to enjoy the sight and sound of rushing water. Some view it from both sides of the border, which presents a whole different experience.
You can start in a country that’s neither of these though if you hop on a ferry from Paraguay. You board a ship on one side of the Parana River, then take off for a 15-minute trip to the Argentina town of Puerto Iguazu. Along the way you’re looking at Brazil nearby in this “Tres Fronteras” region. This is a very no-frills local affair, so you just show up, get your passport stamped, a pay a few bucks to cross.
Patagonia Ferries in Chile
Patagonia is full of lakes and fjords at the bottom of South America, with waterways that frustrated many an explorer looking for a passage until Magellan’s crew discovered a passage across. It’s now called the Straight of Magellan and it hosts plenty of pleasure cruise boats and ferries. This is one of the few places in the Americas where you can book a 24-hour commercial ferry journey because it’s a long way to travel south from Puerto Montt.
To reach the Chiloe Peninsula, you can take a 30-minute ferry from Pargua, which is about an hour from Puerto Montt. The Chiloe area is sparsely populated and is a sizable expanse of land, so most of the people boarding are doing it in a car, either their own or a rental. If you’re lucky you’ll spot some black dolphins from the top deck.
If you’re going to travel on the whole 1,200 kilometer Carretera Austral, one of the most scenic drives in Chile, you’re going to have to get on a boat several times to cross the fjords with no bridges. Heading South from Puerto Montt, there are six possible ferry crossings, but you’ll likely only be on two or three of them depending on your choices: some reduce the amount of road distance you’ll travel.
There’s a ferry across Lake General Carrera that some travelers take just because of the nice scenery. You’ll need to board a ferry to visit Bernardo O’Higgins National Park, which doesn’t have any roads.
On the southernmost ferry in the world, it’s necessary to board a ship to cross between Punta Arenas and Puerto Williams on Tierra del Fuego island. Figure out where you’re headed on a map, then put in your cities here to see the options.
If you want a ferry trip that feels more like a cruise ship journey, Navimag has you covered. They offer a 4-day, 3-night package where you sleep in a cabin and your meals are included. Much like the ships that ply the waters between the West Coast of Canada and Alaska, these aren’t meant to be luxury vessels, but they are quite comfortable and it would be hard to top this scenery anywhere in the world.
It travels between Puerto Montt in northern Patagonia and Puerto Natales in the south, the adventure playground we covered near Torres del Paine National Park. You can transfer to one of the luxury hotels we have reviewed in detail when you leave the ship.
Article by Luxury Latin America editor Timothy Scott. All photos by the writer except where indicated.
