Bahamas

Region

Latin America/Caribbean

Country/State

Bahamas

Place(s)

  • Rum Cay
  • Mayaguana
  • Berry Islands
  • Ragged Island
  • Grand Bahamas
  • Long Island
  • Nassau & Paradise Island
  • Inagua
  • Freeport
  • The Exumas
  • Eleuthera & Harbour Island
  • Bimini
  • Long Island
  • Andros
  • The Abacos
  • Acklins and Crooked Island
  • San Salvador (Cat Island)

Best Time to Visit

  • Season(s): Bahamas is pleasant all year round,
  • Month(s): except for its hurricane season (June-November)

Uniquely Popular For

  • Breath-taking islands with crystal turquoise sea water
  • quaint white and pink sand beaches
  • pineapple plantations stretches and mangroves
  • conch shell jewellery
  • Junkanoo Art
  • sanctuaries and national parks
  • cruises
  • fishing
  • old-world charm of the preserved architectures and pirates folklores

General Tourist Attractions

  • Gaze at the marvellous second deepest blue hole in the world, Dean’s Blue Hole along with two similar twin- towered churches in Clarence Town, both in Long Island.
  • Explore Long Cay, the sister island of Acklins and Crooked Island, originally called the "Fortune Island" by Christopher Columbus.
  • Go "crabbing" at Horse Pond Beach, reel in a bonefish, or take a guided tour of the three main settlements in Mayaguana.
  • Wonder at the maintained African culture in New Province with Pompey Museum, a permanent exhibit on their culture along with Adelaide, Fox Hill, and Gambier—three historic villages settled by liberated Africans in the 1800s.
  • Sample viewing some rare and endangered species of animals and birds at the Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre in Nassau.
  • Look around the picturesque underwater caves at Thunderball Grotto at Exuma Cays, also famous for being the shooting location for two Bond films.
  • Explore Hamilton’s Cave, an ancient cave system is the largest in The Bahamas, with 50-foot wide passages and over 10-foot ceilings, believed to have been inhabited in 500 A.D.
  • Hop skip on the 101 stairs of the Hope Town Lighthouse in Elbow Cay, Great Abacos and treat yourself to an unforgettable view of the surroundings.
  • Relive history with Fort Charlottle and Fort Fincastle, while also watching the sea lions and dolphins frolic in the sea at Blue Lagoon Island, both at Nassau.
  • Sight the ‘Mile-long Sandbar’ at the Exuma Cays, a stretch of pure white sand emerging from the blue-green water at low tide.
  • Get mesmerised by the contrasting coastlines of the Tropic of Cancer beach at Long Island.
  • Find the oldest known macro-fossils on earth, Stromatolites which encode biological activity that could span thousands of years at Stocking Island & the Exumas Cays.
  • Marvel at the New England style Architecture lining the narrow streets of Harbour Island and Spanish Wells are a lasting reminder of their presence.
  • Delight by visiting the Little and the Great Inagua, the birding capital and observe West Indian Flamingos and several unique species of turtle and other birds at their National parks and creak reserves.

Memorable Pursuits

  • Referred to as Briland by the locals, everyone's list of the world's top 10 beaches includes Harbour Island's famed 'Pink Sand Beach'. Spread over 35 miles of mainland Eleuthera — on the Atlantic Ocean and the Exuma Sound, it is an astonishing sight.
  • Celebrate the Annual Rake & Scrape Festival held each June at San Salvador or Cat Island (taking its name after the famous pirate Arthur Catt). Here the unique rhythmic music is made using recycled objects. One can also witness the Bahamian version of carnivals at the Junkanoo Festival, held at Christmas every year.
  • Enjoy Ernest Hemingway’s favorite escape, Bimini and believe in the historical complexity and renowned past, including Bimini Road, which some believe is a remnant of the legendary Lost City of Atlantis. It also boasts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statues as well as the Healing Hole, a natural freshwater spring pumping up lithium and sulfur inside a saltwater swamp in the mangroves of Bonefish Creek, conditioned with healing properties.
  • Roam around The Retreat Gardens, headquarters of The Bahamas National Trust (BNT), that have one of the largest private collections of rare and exotic palms in the world — about 170 species at the national parks in the New Providence Island.
  • Home to the Lucayan Indian settlements and the first post office in Bahamas, Acklins and Crooked Island, boasts sparsely populated settlements such as French Wells and Gun Point, which are reminiscent of early plantation lifestyles.
  • Plunge into the fabled myth of Lucas, the sea monster, in Andros while admiring the marine and coral life from the Blue Holes National Park, Crab Replenishment Reserve, North & South Marine Parks, and the West Side National Park in the ‘Bone fishing Capital of the World’.
  • Savour some of the sweetest pineapples in the world at the ‘Pineapple Capital of the World’, Eleuthera, where its tradition is honoured by the annual Pineapple Fest held in June at the Gregory Town, known as 'Pineapple City'.
  • Once a pirate safe house, the Ragged Island, with a respect for all types of biblical beliefs, houses the Jumento Chain with one of the smallest inhabited island in The Bahamas archipelago and some breath taking ocean views.
  • Famed notorious pirate, The Legendary Blackbeard (Edward Teach), who played a big role in shaping the history of Nassau, now the capital of Bahamas has been paid huge respect, by the locals, with museum and varied aspects of his life preserved in colonial hotels.
  • Perfect for water sports, wildlife observations and beach combing activities, in the ‘Billfish Capital of The Bahamas’, the Berry Island offer some secluded beaches, jewelled by the Sugar Beach at the Great Harbour Cay along with fishing opportunities at the Chub Bay. One can also opt for a two destination cruise at the Great Stirrup Cay, the private island of Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Coco Cay (aka Little Stirrup Cay), Royal Caribbean International Cruises' private island.
  • Experience the ecosystem at the Moria Harbour Cay National Park, between Great and Little Exuma, serving as the nursery for marine life and a home to nesting seabirds. Also feed the swimming pigs at the Big Major’s Cay.

Something Leisurely

  • As one of the most relaxing places in the world to offer a variety of ways to help rejuvenate your mind, body, and soul, find your calm at the indoor and outdoor spas, at Eleuthera and Harbour Islands, for both couples and individuals. Some certified message therapists also offer mobile services here.

Quick Tip(s) from the Locals

  • Apart from the Bahama-mama, some other famous, try-worthy cocktails are the ‘Goombay Smash’ and the ‘Sky Juice’. When going exploring, avoid unlicensed taxis, and negotiate a rate upfront because taxis don’t use meters and the payment process can get tricky.