Lagos is built around a lagoon, and the water is often the fastest way across the city. A trip that takes two hours by road at rush hour can take a fraction of that by boat.
Who runs the boats
- Lagos Ferry Services, the state’s ferry company, runs scheduled routes between terminals.
- Private operators run speedboats and larger boats on the busy routes.
Both are regulated by LASWA, the Lagos State Waterways Authority, which licenses operators and jetties.
The routes people use
Boats connect the Island — CMS, Marina, Falomo, Ikoyi, Victoria Island — with the mainland and the edges of the city, including Ikorodu, Mile 2 and Badore, and with the beaches at Tarkwa Bay. Ask at the terminal which boats go where, and when the last one leaves.
Getting around Lagos Beaches in Lagos
Paying
The state ferries take the Cowry card, like the BRT and the Blue Line. Private operators take cash or transfer.
Safety
Boat accidents on Lagos waters kill people every year, usually on overloaded boats, at night, or in bad weather.
- Wear a life jacket, properly fastened, every time. It is required, and it is what saves people.
- Use licensed operators from official jetties.
- Do not board an overloaded boat, however late you are.
- Avoid travelling after dark and in storms.
- Keep your phone and documents in a waterproof bag.