Balboa Island ferry has been shuttling passengers across the Newport Harbor since 1911

Balboa Island / Newport Beach Ferry Boat Photos - Welcome to wonderful world of Balboa!  From Balboa or Balboa Island you can hop a ride aboard a super duper old fashioned ferry boat, especially useful for bicyclists, shoppers, and those out for a beautiful stroll in Newport Beach.   See the Balboa Ferry Video

There are several ways to get between Balboa Island and Newport Beach Peninsula. You can  access both from Pacific Coast Highway but  you can also get from one to the other via a ferry which crosses the channel. Each ferry takes three to four cars and can carry around 40 passengers. The ride is approx. $1 if you board on foot. Cars, bicycles, motorcycles and dogs on leash are permitted, too. Car & driver costs around $2 one way, (extra passengers pay normal fee). Adult with bike is around $1.25.

If you take a window seat at the Tale of the Whale Restaurant in the historic Balboa Pavilion, you can sit and watch the ferry go back and forth. While ferry boat rides in the harbor tend to be uneventful, I saw a near collision with an out of control sailboat once and another time when the Santa Ana winds blew, the Admiral made five attempts to negotiate the ferry into the peninsula dock. For less than a dollar, it's a simple, fun form of entertainment. 

The Balboa Island Ferry has operated continuously since 1919. The trip across the bay is about a quarter of a mile and takes usually 10 minutes (only 4 minutes across the bay) including boarding time.

Drivers beware when entering the fairy queue on Balboa peninsula, however. There's signage indicating a certain direction you must get in line and if you don't adhere to the rules, people will honk, become ballistic or get out of their cars and go tell the ferry captain, who comes and talks with the poor tourist who got confused. It's amazing people care so much but it's happened to us and it wasn't pleasant.

Another thing to watch out for is the water and ramp. Don't drive down the ramp till the captain or someone in charge signals. Our father once drove down the ramp, not knowing what was going on and almost ended up in the water with his car, I was told by a sibling.