West Palm Beach to Art Basel Miami with Tropic Ocean Airways
- Jake Nicholas
- 10 minutes ago
- 2 min read
West Palm Beach insiders have a new way to do Art Basel – by seaplane. Tropic Ocean Airways, a Florida-based seaplane airline, is making waves with direct flights from West Palm Beach’s exclusive private beach club, The Cove Club, straight to Miami Beach.
Tropic Ocean Airways now offers direct seaplane charters from The Cove Club—West Palm’s private beach club, located at Safe Harbor Rybovich Marina—to South Beach – perfect for Art Basel attendees looking to skip the gridlock.
Instead of driving 80+ miles or juggling train and Uber connections, you and up to seven friends can charter a Tropic Ocean Cessna Grand Caravan seaplane for about $2,500 (roughly $300 per person when split among eight). You’ll depart from The Cove Club’s private waterfront oasis – Tropic passengers get complimentary day access to this members-only retreat with pool, bar, and dockside lounge – and land on the water on Miami’s Biscayne Bay at Watson Island’s seaplane base, just minutes from the Miami Beach Convention Center and South Beach. That means no causeway traffic and no airport hassles – just a scenic flight and a splash-down arrival practically in the heart of Art Basel. It’s the ultimate “rockstar entrance” to Miami Art Week, turning a normally tedious commute into part of the fun.
Tropic Ocean Airways also offers direct flights to the Bahamas, with regular service by the seat to Bimini. Bimini is only a 25-minute flight from South Florida on Tropic’s amphibious caravans. The airline runs scheduled shared charters (bookable by the seat), so you don’t need to rent the whole plane to island-hop. For just $400 (+ tax) per seat, travelers can hop on a Tropic seaplane from Fort Lauderdale and be sipping a cocktail in Bimini in the time it takes to watch a TV episode. Even better, Tropic’s flights land directly on North Bimini, right next to Resorts World Bimini and the island’s best attractions.
For the ultimate luxury escape, Tropic Ocean Airways also operates as an official seaplane partner to Little Palm Island Resort & Spa in the Florida Keys. Little Palm Island isn’t just any resort – it’s Florida’s only resort to earn Michelin’s prestigious Three-Key rating, and it’s the only private island resort in the entire United States.
Tropic Ocean Airways recently announced a partnership with aerospace startup Tidal Flight to add 20 new hybrid-electric seaplanes to its fleet. These next-generation amphibious aircraft, called the Polaris, aim to significantly cut fuel use and noise, bringing a greener edge to Tropic’s operations by the end of the decade. In the words of Tropic’s CEO (a former U.S. Navy fighter pilot), the airline wants to “be a leader in sustainable aircraft and next-generation technology” as 2030 approaches.
Book your adventure today at Tropic Ocean Airways' Official Website.
