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Andros
As the largest and least-explored island in The Islands Of The Bahamas, Andros offers a wide variety of activities for just about everyone. Known as “The Bonefishing Capital of the World,” it is flat (except for the east coast) and marked by numerous inlets and inland lakes teeming with fish. The landscape includes extensive virgin pine, palm and mahogany forests, scrub and mangrove swamps with large colonies of seabirds. Much of the island is covered with palm savannas, primeval forest and huge mangrove wetlands making it a bird-watchers paradise. However, it is the underwater life that really makes Andros unique; it has the world’s third largest reef running along its east coast for 167 miles (269km). The colourful assortment of fish life just beneath the surface and the blue holes and canyons which plunge down as deep as 200ft (61m) make this a truly spectacular place to explore whether you dive, snorkel or fish. Miles of glistening pink and white sand beaches, serene colonial villages and rolling acres of pineapple plantations make Eleuthera Island an island of the most casual sophistication.
Bimini
The Bimini group is 50 miles (80km) east of Miami and spans an area no larger than 10 square miles (26 sq km). The main island, North Bimini (or simply ‘Bimini’) is barely seven miles long (11km) and no more than 1,200ft (366m) across at its widest point. The islands are best known for the excellent fishing opportunities, with visitors from around the world coming here to test their skills and catch an array of fish including tuna, sailfish, mako shark, barracuda and, above all, blue marlin. Almost all the action happens in Alice Town, a laid back town where fishermen gather to swap stories. During spring break the town becomes a little raucous with the arrival of crowds of college students. Scuba divers are also lured by some mysterious stone blocks in the waters off of North Bimini which islanders claim are part of the ‘lost city’ of Atlantis.
Cat Island
Cat Island - Is one of the most beautiful, fertile islands in The Bahamas and boasts the highest elevation of them all with Mt. Alvernia at 206 feet. Its 150 sq. miles is covered with rolling hills of dense green forests and uncounted miles of magnificent beaches. This boot-shaped, untamed island is one of the most beautiful and fertile of The Bahamas. A lush sanctuary, it provides tranquillity for those seeking an escape from the pressures of modern civilization. Divers head south to the offshore reefs. Being relatively undiscovered and lacking in infrastructure, Cat Island is inexpensive, featuring some comfortable small resorts and marinas.
Eleuthera/Harbour Island
Miles of glistening pink and white sand beaches, serene colonial villages and rolling acres of pineapple plantations make Eleuthera Island an island of the most casual sophistication. The cool laziness of Eleutheran life and dusty-yet-drenched colours of the island give it the feel of a giant illusion. Rated as one of the “Best Bahamas Beaches", Harbour Island Bahamas is famous for its three and a half miles of hard packed picture perfect pink sand beaches. The cool laziness of Eleutherean life and dusty-yet-drenched colors of the island give it the feel of a giant illusion; it seems to have a kind of unbounded air of calm and grace. With its two companions, Harbour Island and Spanish Wells, Eleuthera has long been a favored destination among smart travelers seeking a bit of quiet charm.
Another magnificent sight is the Glass Window Bridge, which spans a gap in which the turbulent waters of the Atlantic meet the calmer seas of the Exuma Sound on the island’s leeward side. Eleuthera, and especially its satellite island, Harbour Island just a short water-taxi ride away, have long been the holiday haunt of the fashionable set, sporting the luxury hotels and fine restaurants to cater for trendy and wealthy visitors. The main entertainment here is sunbathing, swimming, snorkelling, shell-collecting, fishing or wandering along the coast past scenic headlands and through villages dotted between dozens of pristine beaches.
Grand Bahama Island
Fifty miles (80km) east of Miami, Grand Bahama is an idyllic island of white beaches and aquamarine seas beneath which the coral reefs teem with life. Most visitors stay in Freeport, a few miles inland, or its seaside suburb Lucaya on the south coast of the island. Freeport/Lucaya is a sportsman’s paradise, with championship golf, tennis, scuba diving, and fishing. In fact, it was designed especially for your pleasure. Forty years ago Freeport/Lucaya didn’t exist; today, it’s a fantasy vacation made real on the shores of Grand Bahama. Grand Bahama Island is an ecological wonder waiting to be discovered. Endless beaches, emerald green water, charming fishing villages and enchanting marine life are just some of the island’s attractions that make this a unique destination.
Grand Bahama Island is a place where divers can enjoy interacting with dolphins, the thrill of coming face-to-face with a shark or discovering a century-old shipwreck. Grand Bahama Island is more than just Freeport/Lucaya, more than just casinos, resorts, and tropical entertainment. Outside the city is an entire island filled with gorgeous beaches, natural wonders, including one of the world’s largest underwater cave systems, three national parks, and an incredible resource of marine life. There are small towns that seem to sleep in time, and they hide a history unlike any other in the Caribbean.
Inagua
It lies 325 miles southeast of Nassau. Henri Christophe, the self-proclaimed Haitian king, is supposed to have had a summer palace built for himself here in the very early part of the 19th century, but no traces of it can be found today. This island is much closer to Haiti than it is to Nassau. Inagua is actually two separate islands, Great and Little Inagua, which together are referred to as The Inaguas. They are the most southern part of The Islands Of The Bahamas – located less than 60 miles from the coasts of Cuba and Haiti. Little Inagua is inhabited only by donkeys, goats, and rare birds. This pair of islands is known as Inagua. Ecotours top the list of its visitors.
Known for seawater salt recovery, The Morton Salt Company’s main facility is here. Inagua provides a treasure of a different kind: salt, a critical staple in the days before refrigeration. Sailing vessels called here regularly to purchase the commodity, and the settlement of Matthew Town developed into quite a prosperous trading post. Most Inaguans still work in the salt business today. It is the only major industry on the island, and provides them with a comfortable standard of living.
Long Island
An uninterrupted 80-mile stretch of contrasting coastlines gives Long Island its name and a distinct landscape. The island is divided by the Tropic of Cancer and bordered by two very different coasts, one with rocky cliffs and caves that dip suddenly into the sea and the other with broad beaches. The layout of the land has its contrasts as well. Sloping hills are dominant in the northeast, while low hillsides make up the southern portion of the island. The rugged windward coast features towering cliffs washed by wild waves. There are also some renowned offshore diving and snorkelling spots, and a spectacular view of the whole package from the northern tip of the island at the site of a monument to Christopher Columbus, who enjoyed the vista when he came ashore in 1492.
Mayaguana
This unspoiled, mostly undiscovered slice of The Bahamas is a favorite stopover for yacht enthusiasts, offering a peaceful, quiet and relaxing vacation and miles of unspoiled beaches for swimming, scuba diving and shelling enthusiasts. Mayaguana Island is home to 312 locals and the Bahama hutia – a cross between a rat and a rabbit that was thought to be extinct until the mid-1960s. Most people make a living fishing and farming the fertile soil of this woody terrain. The main form of communication on Mayaguana Island is the mailboat which transports the mail once a week.
Nassau/Paradise Island
Come visit the jewel of The Islands Of The Bahamas – Nassau/Paradise Island. As the cultural, social, political and economic centre of The Bahamas, it is the most visited destination in the islands. Nassau/Paradise Island has much to offer visitors. There are more sights and activities here than you can experience in one trip. In downtown Nassau many buildings date back to the 18th century including the ancient Fort Fincastle, reached by the Queen’s Staircase, built by hundreds of slaves. Garden enthusiasts should visit the Royal Victorian Garden containing more than 300 species of tropical plants and exotic creatures, and enthusiastic shoppers can find great bargains at the straw market on Bay Street. Alternatively visitors can relax by spending an idle afternoon watching a cricket game at one of the many local sports grounds.
San Salvador
San Salvador is located in the far eastern Bahamas. The small island of San Salvador, just a few miles from Cat Island and sprinkled with land-locked lakes, was allegedly Christopher Columbus’ first stop in the New World. Most visitors come to the island to dive in the crystal-clear waters off its pink-sand beaches. Bahamas, San Salvador - Originally called “Guanahani,” Christopher Columbus made this tiny, 63-sq.-mile area, the most historically important island of The Bahamas. He made first landfall here in 1492 and no less than four separate monuments mark the exact spot where Columbus came ashore. It still remains undiscovered, cloaked in its past, prominently visible amongst the tumbling Loyalists plantation ruins and preponderance of interesting relics and artifacts from Indian days.
The island was taken over by British buccaneer George Watling and he renamed San Salvador Island after himself (Watling Island). It wasn’t until 1925 when the island went back to its original name.
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