About 120 km by sea and most of a morning on the ship. Here's the distance, last season's timings and how to plan your day around the crossing.
Saint Martin's Island sits in the Bay of Bengal off the southern tip of Bangladesh, and from Cox's Bazar the only way there is by sea. So "how far is it?" really means "how long am I on the ship?". Here's the short answer, and how to plan around it.
The short answer
- Distance: about 120 km from Cox's Bazar, the figure Prothom Alo gave in November 2025 when it reported on the season's ships.
- Time on the ship: about 5 to 6 hours from Nuniarchhara jetty. News reports give up to 7, depending on the ship and the sea.
- Leaves Cox's Bazar: about 7 am last season (2025–26).
- Leaves the island: about 3 to 3:30 pm.
Where the ship leaves from
Under the rules since the 2025–26 season, tourist ships sail only from Nuniarchhara jetty in Cox's Bazar. Ships from Teknaf don't carry tourists. Our article on Teknaf to Saint Martin explains what changed.
Why it takes most of a morning
The island is close to the mainland's southern tip: about 9 km south of the end of the Teknaf peninsula. But Cox's Bazar is much further north, so from Nuniarchhara the ship has a long way south to go before it docks at the jetty at the north end of the island.
Plan the day around the ship
- Sleep in Cox's Bazar the night before. The ship leaves at about 7 am, and an overnight bus can arrive too late if the roads are slow.
- Have your ticket and travel pass ready. Last season every ticket came with a QR-code travel pass, and no more than 2,000 people could visit a day.
- Bring water and something for the sun. You'll be on board for hours.
- Arrive around midday. From the jetty, the quiet south and Chera Dip are a short ride by local van, rickshaw or bike.
Is a day trip worth it?
With 5 to 6 hours each way, a day trip leaves only a few hours on the island: the ship arrives around midday and heads back at about 3 to 3:30 pm. If overnight stays are allowed when you travel, stay at least one night. Last season (2025–26) they were allowed in December and January but not in November. The 2026–27 rules weren't out when we wrote this (October 2026).
What the ship costs
Last season return fares started from ৳3,500 per person for deck and economy seats; lounges cost a little more, and cabins are priced per cabin. Every ship and seat is in our article on Saint Martin ship tickets, and the whole route from Dhaka and Chattogram is in how to go to Saint Martin.
Staying near Chera Dip
El Marena Eco Resort is at the quiet southern end of the island, near Chera Dip beach. Check-in is from 1:00 pm, which fits a midday arrival, and check-out is by 12:00 pm (noon), in time for the afternoon ship. Send us your dates on WhatsApp and we can book your ship seats in the same chat.
