The Bahamas Vacation and Home Rental Information

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The Bahamas

The Bahamas are a Commonwealth and an independent country of which Queen Elizabeth ½½ is the Head of State but the country is represented by a Bahamian governor-general. An English speaking country, The Bahamas consist of over 2000 cays and 700 islands that form an archipelago. These are located in the Atlantic Ocean, southeast of Florida and in the Caribbean. Nassau is the Bahamas capital city and is located on the island of New Providence.

You’ll find the Bahamas fairly flat with the temperature being tropical and typically consistent. This is primarily due to the presence of the Gulf Stream, which is a warm, swift current flowing northward after origination in the Gulf of Mexico. Please be advised that this Gulf Stream is also responsible for the occurrence of Hurricanes that may pass over the islands during summer and fall of the year.

During your vacation in the Bahamas, you’ll love the sunshine, the hospitality of its people, warm water, fabulous beaches and the opportunity to enjoy the local pineapple and crab. Perhaps you’ll also have the opportunity to participate in a renowned sailing regatta. 
Below is a list of Bahama Islands and districts in Alphabetical Order:

The Acklins, Bahamas

Acklins is an island and district of the Bahamas. It is one of a group of islands lying in a shallow lagoon called the Bight of Acklins, of which the largest are Crooked Island (76 sq mi) in the north and Acklins (120 sq mi) in the southeast, and the smaller are Long Cay, (once known as Fortune Island, 8sq mi) in the northwest, and Castle Island in the south.

The islands were settled by American Loyalists in the late 1780s that set cotton plantations employing over 1,000 slaves. After the abolition of slavery in the British Empire these became uneconomical, and the replacement income from sponge diving has now dwindled as well. The inhabitants now live by fishing and small-scale farming.

Map of the Bahamas

The main town in the group is Colonel Hill on Crooked Island. Albert Town, on Long Cay, now sparsely populated, was once a prosperous little town. It was engaged in the sponge and salt industries and also served as a transfer port for stevedores seeking work on passing ships.
The population of Acklins was 428, and Crooked Island 350, at the 2000 census. It is believed that first Post Office in the Bahamas was at Pitt's Town on Crooked Island.

The Berry Islands, Bahamas

The Berry Islands are a chain of islands and a district of the Bahamas, covering about thirty square miles (78 km²) of the northwestern part of the Out Islands. The Berry islands consist of about thirty islands and over one hundred small islands or cays, often referred to as "The Fish Bowl of the Bahamas" They have a population of only about seven hundred, most of which are on Great Harbour Cay. The islands were settled in 1836 by Governor Colebrook and a group of freed slaves.

One of three horseshoe beaches on the Berry Islands

The Berry islands have become a huge vacation spot for people from all over the world. During the winter season the islands are packed with out-of-town guests and second home residents. Due to seasonal residents, the Berry islands can say that they have more resident millionaires per unit area than any other place in the world. Many wealthy residents own one of the many cays.

The main attraction is big game fishing. Anglers and Captains such as Habana Joe come from all over to fish in the islands. Some of the fish that can be found there are Billfish, Tuna, Grouper, Tiger fish, Yellowtail Snapper, Wahoo, King mackerel, and many more. In May, Great Harbour Cay is packed with visitors and fishing captains such as Habana Joe who come there for the annual fishing tournament. There are also great spots for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Little Stirrup Cay is leased by Royal Caribbean International, which calls it Coco Cay, and acts as a private island for tropical activities engaged in by visitors on its cruise ships of the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises labels. Great Stirrup Cay is owned by Norwegian Cruise Line and is used for similar purposes.

Great Harbour Cay is the most northern and the largest of the Berry Islands. It is eight miles (13 km) long and one and a half miles (2.4 km) wide. The largest port of the Berries is on Great Harbour Cay. Chub Cay is the second largest island in the chain and is known an "the bill fish capital of the Bahamas."

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Bimini, Bahamas

Bimini (pronounced /ˈbɪmɨni/) is a district of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands. The largest islands are North Bimini and South Bimini. The District of Bimini also includes Cay Sal Bank, more than 62 miles (100 km) further south, which is geographically not a part of the Bimini Islands but a separate unit. North Bimini is about seven miles (11 km) long and 700 feet (210 m) wide. Its main settlement is Alice Town, a collection of shops, restaurants, and bars surrounding a single road known as "The King's Highway."

South Bimini houses an airstrip, South Bimini Airport, and offers a quiet alternative to the slow bustle of North Bimini. There is a small community of homes on South Bimini known as Port Royale. 

Bimini is located about 53 miles (81 km) due east of Miami, Florida and is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States.

The ocean surrounding the islands, best known for fishing, is considered by many to be one of the world's top fishing spots. Because Bimini is 53 miles (81 km) due east of Miami, Florida, many American anglers go to the island by boat to fish or to enjoy the local nightlife. Scuba diving and snorkeling are also popular activities, as there are many shipwrecks in the area.

Bimini became better known in the United States when Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. spent much of the time during which he was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives (January 1967 to April 1969) in self-imposed exile on Bimini.

Bimini is home to several landmarks said to contain mystical properties of abstruse origins. Much of the historical data about these places is speculative in nature, and experts in various fields have opined across the full spectrum of explanation. The most contentious of these sites is The Bimini Road.

During the period of Prohibition in the United States, Bimini was a favorite haven and supply point for the rum-running trade. The term "the Real McCoy" dates from a famous Rumrunner, William S. McCoy, who used Bimini to transport Whiskey to America during prohibition.

In May of 1987, Colorado Senator Gary Hart's presidential bid was derailed after media reports exposed an affair with model Donna Rice. Photos taken of the Senator on an overnight trip to Bimini on the yacht "Monkey Business" fed the media frenzy. An intimate photo of Rice sitting on the lap of Hart on one of Bimini's docks was the nail in the coffin for Hart's campaign for the presidency.

Between 1930 and 1940, American clairvoyant Edgar Cayce stated in a well-documented prediction that remnants of the Lost City of Atlantis would be found off the coast of Bimini in 1968 or 1969. In September of 1968, the half-mile of precisely aligned limestone blocks that compose what is now called the "Bimini Road" were discovered offshore of Paradise Point on North Bimini. After ten underwater archeological expeditions beginning in 1974, historian Dr. David Zink is convinced that the stones are megalithic in nature and were placed by humans. Gavin Menzies, author of 1421: The Year China Discovered America, believes they might be the creations of shipwrecked Chinese voyagers. Others say that they are the result of dredging, tidal fluctuations or sea deposits called beach rock. Whether these stones are in fact proof of a lost civilization, the work of stranded sailors or merely a natural geological formation has yet to be determined.

Juan Ponce de León and his search for the Fountain of Youth included references to Bimini. Arawak and/or Taino spoke of a land called "Bimini" where the fountain could be found. Although the location was erroneously associated with the Bahamas, the natives referred to a location in the Gulf of Honduras. Though de León's expedition brought him to Florida, the fountain was rumored to exist within the shallow pools of South Bimini. Today there is a small freshwater well with a plaque commemorating the Fountain of Youth. The location is on the road leading to the South Bimini Airport.

Found within the salt-water mangrove forest that covers four miles of North Bimini is The Healing Hole, a pool that lays at the end of a network of winding tunnels that stretch underground. During outgoing tides, these channels pump cool, mineral-laden fresh water into the pool. Natural lithium and sulfur are two of the minerals believed to be contained in these waters, which seem to exhibit curative properties, as people express a sense of mental and physical rejuvenation after their visit.

Exuma, Bahamas

Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands (or cays). The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length. The largest city in the district is George Town (permanent population 1,000), founded 1793 and located on Great Exuma. The Tropic of Cancer runs through the city. The entire island chain is 130 mi (209 km) long and 27 sq. mi (72 km²) in area.

Exuma was settled in or around 1783 by American loyalists fleeing the Revolutionary War. The expatriates brought a cotton plantation economy to the islands. George Town was named in honor of George III, to whom the settlers maintained their sovereignty.

Lord John Rolle, a major Loyalist settler of the Exumas, is a major figure in the islands' heritage. Upon his death in 1835, he bestowed all of his significant Exuma land holdings to his slaves. As a result, a number of towns on Great Exuma have been named after him (such as Rolleville and Rolletown).

The islands are a popular location for yachting, sailing, diving, and coral reef and cave exploring. Much of the unnamed beaches and coves of the island, including extensive offshore reef areas, are part of the protected Exuma National Land and Sea Park of the Bahamas National Trust. Some of the islands on which there are permanent residents and resorts include Staniel Cay (home of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a fixture in the Exumas), Fowl Cay, Musha Cay and Iguana Cay. Thunderball Grotto, located just a few hundred yards off Staniel Cay, is one location where the James Bond film Thunderball was filmed. Sandy Cay, just a short boat ride from Little Exuma was the location used for filming the Pirates of the Caribbean beach scenes and one Shell commercial.

One of the more beautiful Islands is Shroud Cay, which has nothing on it other than beautiful beaches and landscape. This Cay is especially enjoyable for those who enjoy boating or jet skiing through the streams that run throughout the island. Be careful however as the streams are only deep enough during high tied.

The Exumas are the historic home of the Lucian Indians, who were wholly enslaved in the 1500s, leaving the islands uninhabited until the 1700s. In the intervening period, the Exumas provided many hideouts and stashes for pirates. Elizabeth Harbor was a favorite lair of Captain Kidd.
In light of the relatively low cost of purchasing islands and the relatively low Bahamian tax regime for non-locals, a number of celebrities own islands in the Exumas. These include: Nicolas Cage, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, David Copperfield, and Johnny Depp
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Cat Island, Bahamas

Cat Island is in the central Bahamas, and one of its districts, and boasts the nation's highest point. Its Mount Alvernia rises to 206 ft (63 m) and is topped by a monastery called The Hermitage.
The first European settlers were Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, who arrived in 1783. The island may have been named after Arthur Catt, a pirate, or the name may refer to its one-time large population of feral cats.

Historically, the island gained wealth from cotton plantations, but slash and burn farming is now the main way of life for Cat Islanders. An economic crop is cascarilla bark, which is gathered and shipped to Italy where it becomes a main ingredient in medicines and scents.
The population of Cat Island is 1,647 (2000 census). The main settlements are Arthur's Town (childhood home of Sidney Pointier), Orange Creek, and Port Howe. Cat Island was also the birthplace of famed Bahamian musician Tony McKay, better known as Exuma.

Until written accounts were found, Cat Island was thought to be Guanahani or San Salvador, the first island Christopher Columbus reached when he discovered the Americas.

New Bight Airport and Arthur's Town Airport serve the island.

Andros Island, Bahamas

Andros Island is the largest island of the Bahamas and the fifth largest island in the West Indies at roughly 2300 square miles (6,000 km²) in area and 104 miles (167 km) long and 40 miles (64 km) wide at its widest point. It is actually composed of three major islands: North Andros, Mangrove Cay, and South Andros. The island has the world's third largest barrier reef, which is over 140 miles long. It is affectionately known by Bahamians as the "Big Yard".

The island is filled with natural beauty. It has the second largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere and the third largest in the world, at one hundred and forty miles (225 km) long, and has a drop off of over six thousand feet (1.8 km). The water above the reef averages twelve feet (4 m) deep. There are more than forty square miles (104 km²) of subtropical forest area and the swampland that is inhabited by more than 50 species of orchids. Andros is actually made up of three different major islands (North Andros, Mangrove Cay and South Andros Island) and hundreds of cays adjoined by these mangrove estuaries and tidal swamplands. Two hundred different types of birds are native to the island.

Andros Island draws thousands of visitors every year. Anglers come from all over the world to fish there. It is said to be "the bonefish capital of the world". Divers come to explore the blue holes and reefs. Andros Island is next to the Tongue of the Ocean, a deep oceanic trench and is famous for its wall diving.

Etymologically the name Andros derives from the Greek word άνδρας (andras) meaning "man", from Ancient Greek ανδρείος (andreios) "of or for a man", "manly" and is also the name of a Greek island (Andros) in the Aegean Sea.

There is some evidence that suggests that the first inhabitants of Andros Island were the indigenous Lucayan people. The Lucayans throughout the Bahamas were wiped out mainly by exposure to disease following the arrival of the Spanish in the 1550s. The island was given the name “Espiritu Santo,” the Island of the Holy Spirit, by the Spanish, but is also called San Andreas on a 1782 map. The modern name is believed to be in honour of Sir Edmund Andros, Commander of Her Majesty’s Forces in Barbados in 1672 and Governor successively of New York, Massachusetts, and New England. It is also believed that the island could have been named after the inhabitants of St. Andro Island (St. Andrew or San Andrés) on the Mosquito Coast as 1,400 of them settled in Andros in 1787. Still another theory suggests that the island was name after the Greek isle of Andros, by Greek sponge fisherman.

During the 1700s pirates occupied the island. Morgan's Bluff and Morgan's Cave on North Andros are named after the famous privateer-pirate, Henry Morgan. Loyalists and their slaves also settled in Andros in the late 18th Century.

Andros Island's port of Fresh Creek was once a popular hangout for the "Rat Pack", including Sammy Davis Junior.

In the 1960s and 1970s the Owens Lumber company, a U.S. owned company, deforested much of the indigenous pine forests that grew on North Andros. As a result of poor planning for re-growth, what is found on the island today consists mainly of young, over-crowded tree forests.
Due to its proximity to the Tongue of the Ocean and network of fresh and saltwater blue holes, Andros Island became a popular Scuba diving destination in the early days of the sport, frequented by such well known divers as Jacques Cousteau. The first dive resort on Andros was built by Archie Forfar, a Canada native who later died trying to break the Guinness world record for deep diving. His resort, in Blanket Sound, is now home to Forfar Field station, an environmental education facility owned and operated by International Field Studies.

Andros is the least densely populated of all the Bahamas, with a population of a little over six thousand. Most of these people live on the east coast of the island in the three major towns on the island; Nicholls Town and Andros Town on North Andros, and Congo Town, on South Andros.

Much fresh water comes from this island, with about five million US gallons of fresh water being shipped to Nassau a day through the pumping station located in Morgan's Bluff. Andros has thousands of kilometres of fresh water rivers that come from rainwater collected in the many caves in the island's interior.

A type of fabric called Ambrosia is manufactured in Andros. Androsia is the local type of batik fabric, which is produced in a variety of bright vibrant colors and designs, and is distributed widely throughout the Bahamas.

The Chickcharnie, an extinct cryptid believed by some to be based on the flightless, 1-meter tall barn owl, Tyto pollens, is said to have formerly occurred on Andros.

The AUTEC- Atlantic Underwater Testing and Evaluation Center Deep Water Weapons Range runs parallel to the east coast of the islands, and operates a base on North Andros.

Unlike most of the Bahamian islands, Andros's interior has been largely free of commercial development for the tourism industry, preserving much of its natural beauty. Current Bahamian tourism efforts refer to it as the least-explored island in the chain. [3] There are currently efforts being made by the Bahamas National Trust and the Nature Conservancy to establish a national park on the island.

Blue Holes: The Island’s Blue Holes are water filled cave systems. They attract cave divers from all over the world to dive sites such as 'Stargate', 'The Guardian' and 'Little Frenchman'. There are Blue Holes in the ocean and inland.

There are few hotels and resorts on the island. However Andros, famous for its bonefishing, is home to many lodges, which cater to the sport.

Abaco Islands, Bahamas

The Abaco Islands lie in the northern Bahamas and comprise the main islands of Great Abaco and Little Abaco, together with the smaller Wood Cay, Elbow Cay, Lubbers Quarters Cay, Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Gorda Cay, (Castaway Cay), Man-o-War Cay, Stranger's Cay, Umbrella Cay, Great Stirrup Cay, Walker's Cay, Moore's Island and Sandy Point. Administratively, Abaco Islands constitute five of the 31 Districts of the Bahamas: North Abaco, Central Abaco, South Abaco, Moore's Island, and Hope Town. Towns include Marsh Harbour, Hope Town, Treasure Cay, Coopers Town, and Cornish town.

History of Abaco Islands

Although inhabited by Lucayan Indians earlier, the first European settlers were Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, who arrived in 1783, as was also the case at Cat Island.

The combined population is about 13,000 and the principal settlement and capital is Marsh Harbour. The red and white striped lighthouse at Hope Town on Elbow Cay is a noted local landmark. Coopers Town has 900 residents. The ethnic make up is about 50% white and 50% black. The original Loyalist settlers made a modest living by salvaging wrecks, by building small wooden boats, and by basic farming.

The islands are noted for sailing activities in the Bahamas as well as resort tourism. Marsh Harbour Airport and Treasure Cay Airport serve the island.

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Eleuthera Island, Bahamas

Eleuthera is an island in the Bahamas, lying 50 miles (80 km) east of Nassau. It is very long and thin—110 miles (180 km) long and in places little more than a mile wide. According to the 2000 Census, the population of Eleuthera is approximately 8,000. The name "Eleuthera" is derived from the feminine form of the Greek word (eleutheros).

The topography of the island varies from wide rolling pink sand beaches to large outcrops of ancient coral reefs. The eastern side of the island faces the Atlantic Ocean while the western side faces the Great Bahama Bank, one of the two Bahama Banks.

The original population of Taino, or Arawaks, was mostly deported by the Spanish to work in the mines of Hispaniola, where they died out by 1550. The island is believed to have been unoccupied until the first European settlers—puritan pilgrims—arrived in 1648 from Bermuda. These settlers, known as the "Eleutherian Adventurers", gave the island its current name—eleutheria means "freedom" in Greek, while eleuthera means "free". Some people think that Christopher Columbus may have come to Eleuthera before any other islands in the West Indies.

New Providence, Eleuthera                                                                      Governors Harbor, Eleuthera

The island was quite prosperous in the period from 1950 to 1980, attracting several prominent American industrialists such as Arthur Vining Davis, Henry J. Kaiser, and Juan Trippe. Frequent visitors included movie stars like Robert De Niro as well as the Prince of Wales and a pregnant Princess of Wales.

Due to changes in foreign-ownership policy, with the Bahamas becoming independent in 1973, all of the large resorts and agricultural businesses were abandoned or compelled to be sold to government-favored Bahamian interests. Because of the strain of a newly forming country, and unfavorable changes in US tax law, some businesses failed during the period from 1980 to 1985.

While offshore Harbour Island and Spanish Wells offer unique experiences, the main island is a destination for those interested in history and nature. Natural attractions include the Glass Window Bridge, Hatchet Bay caves and Surfer's Beach in the north, and Ocean Hole and Lighthouse Beach at the south end. Preacher's Cave on the north end was home to the Eleutherian Adventurers in the mid-17th century, and recent excavations have uncovered Arawak remains at the site.

The principal settlements are Governor's Harbour (the administrative capital), Rock Sound, Tarpum Bay (the last remaining fishing village), Harbour Island with its unusual pink sandy beaches, and Spanish Wells. The island is particularly noted for the excellence of its pineapples and holds an annual Pineapple Festival in Gregory Town.

City of Freeport, Grand Bahama

Freeport is a city and free trade zone on the island of Grand Bahama, located approximately 100 mi (160 km) east-northeast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is a district of the Bahamas.

n 1955, Wallace Groves, a Virginian financier with lumber interests on the island, was granted 50,000 acres (200 km²) of swamp and scrubland by the Bahamian government with mandate to economically develop the area. The city of Freeport was built, which has grown to be the second most populous city in The Bahamas (26,910 in 2000) after the capital, Nassau.
The Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) operates the free trade zone, under the Hawksbill Creek Agreement signed in August of 1955 whereby the Bahamian Government agreed that businesses in the Freeport area will pay no taxes before 2054. The area of the land grants has been increased to 138,000 acres (558 km²).

Freeport Harbour is accessible by even the largest vessels, and has a cruise terminal, a transshipment/container port, and both a private yacht and ship maintenance facility. Grand Bahama International Airport handles nearly 50,000 flights each year.

Tourism complements trade as a revenue earner in Freeport, with over a million visitors each year. Much of the tourist industry is centered on the seaside suburb of Lucaya, owing its name (but little else) to the pre-Columbian Lucayan inhabitants of the island. The city is often promoted as "Freeport/Lucaya." Most hotels on the island are located along the southern Atlantic Ocean shore. Primary shopping venues for tourists include the (mostly closed since damage caused by Hurricane Frances and labor issues closed the nearby hotel) International Bazaar near downtown Freeport and the Port Lucaya Market Place in Lucaya.

Crooked Islands, Bahamas

Crooked Island is an island and district of the Bahama group of islands lying in a shallow lagoon called the Bight of Acklins, of which the largest are Crooked Island in the north and Acklins in the southeast, and the smaller are Long Cay (once known as Fortune Island) in the northwest, and Castle Island in the south.

The islands were settled by American Loyalists in the late 1780s who set cotton plantations employing over 1,000 slaves. After the abolition of slavery in the British Empire these became uneconomical, and the replacement income from sponge diving has now dwindled as well. The inhabitants now live by fishing and small-scale farming.

The main town in the group is Colonel Hill on Crooked Island. The population of Crooked Island was 350 at the 2000 census.
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East Grand Bahama

East Grand Bahama is a district of the Bahamas, situated on the eastern part of the island of Grand Bahama.

The local government for the district is in the settlement of High Rock, a fairly small town. It is situated approximately 40 miles east of the City of Freeport, and 20 miles from the easternmost settlement of McLeans Town. Other settlements of East Grand Bahama include Rocky Creek, Pelican Point, Gambier Point and Sweeting Cay.

For many years the United States Air Force maintained a missile tracking station near High Rock, which was used mainly in connection with all launches from Cape Canaveral FL and NASA's manned space flights. The station is now used as a base of operations for a film studio, Gold Rock Creek Enterprises, where filming took place for the Disney production of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. The Bahamas Film Studios has one of the largest open water filming enclosures in the world, along with production offices and support facilities, such as property warehouses, wardrobe workshops and other covered space. The studio is still in development and will eventually add state-of-the-art sound stages, post-production facilities and a hands-on international film school.

Exuma Islands, Bahamas

Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, consisting of over 360 islands (or cays). The largest of the cays is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length. The largest city in the district is George Town (permanent population 1,000), founded 1793 and located on Great Exuma. The Tropic of Cancer runs through the city. The entire island chain is 130 mi (209 km) long and 27 sq. mi (72 km²) in area.

Exuma was settled in or around 1783 by American loyalists fleeing the Revolutionary War. The expatriates brought a cotton plantation economy to the islands. George Town was named in honor of George III, to whom the settlers maintained their sovereignty.

Lord John Rolle, a major Loyalist settler of the Exumas, is a major figure in the islands' heritage. Upon his death in 1835, he bestowed all of his significant Exuma land holdings to his slaves. As a result, a number of towns on Great Exuma have been named after him (such as Rolleville and Rolletown).

The islands are a popular place for yachting, sailing, diving, and coral reef and cave exploring. Much of the unnamed beaches and coves of the island, including extensive offshore reef areas, are part of the protected Exuma National Land and Sea Park of the Bahamas National Trust. Some of the islands on which there are permanent residents and resorts include Staniel Cay (home of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, a fixture in the Exumas), Fowl Cay, Musha Cay and Iguana Cay. Thunderball Grotto, located just a few hundred yards off Staniel Cay, is one location where the James Bond film Thunderball was filmed. Sandy Cay, just a short boat ride from Little Exuma was the location used for filming the Pirates of the Caribbean beach scenes and one Shell commercial.

One of the more beautiful Islands is Shroud Cay, which has nothing on it other than beautiful beaches and landscape. This Cay is especially enjoyable for those who enjoy boating or jet skiing through the streams that run throughout the island. Be careful however as the streams are only deep enough during high tide.

The Exumas are the historic home of the Lucayan Indians, who were wholly enslaved in the 1500s, leaving the islands uninhabited until the 1700s. In the intervening period, the Exumas provided many hideouts and stashes for pirates. Elizabeth Harbor was a favorite lair of Captain Kidd.

Harbour Island, Bahamas

Harbour Island is set off the north east coast of Eleuthera Island. The principal city is Dunmore Town.

Harbour Island is famous for its pink sand beaches, which is found all along the east side of the island. The island is accessible by plane through North Eleuthera Airport, followed by a short water taxi ride from neighboring North Eleuthera. Harbour Island is a popular holiday destination for Americans.

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Hope Town, Bahamas

Hope Town is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on the Abaco islands as well as a small village on Elbow Cay, located in Abaco. Golf carts are the main source of transportation, and most of the supplies for the area are brought in by barge each week. In Hope Town, neither cars nor golf carts are permitted in the main part of town. Only bicycles and walking are permitted. Cars and golf carts are permitted on the outskirts of town though. All the buildings that are built must adhere to Bahamian Architecture at the discretion of Town Planning.

Hope Town features one of the last operational kerosene-fueled lighthouses in the world. This lighthouse is striped red and white. Its light can be seen from 17 miles away.

The Hope Town Lighthouse is one of only TWO (might be the only one now) Manual Lighthouses left in the World. It has a spring mechanism that has to be hand cranked every several hours to maintain the 5 flash sequence of the light. The Lamp Burns Kerosene Oil with a Wick & Mantle which makes the light that magnifies as it passes through the 5 Lenses which floats on a bed of mercury.

Inagua, Bahamas

Inagua is the southernmost district of the Bahamas comprising the islands of Great Inagua and Little Inagua.

Great Inagua is the third largest island in the Bahamas at 596 sq mi (1544 km²) and lies about 55 miles (90 km) from the eastern tip of Cuba. The island is about 55 x 19 miles (90 x 30 km) in extent, the highest point being 108 ft (33 m) on East Hill. It encloses several lakes, most notably the 12-mile long Lake Windsor (also called Lake Rosa) which occupies nearly 1/4 of the interior. The population of Great Inagua is 969 (2000 census).

The island's capital and only harbor is Matthew Town, named after George Matthew, a 19th century Governor of the Bahamas. This town houses the Morton Salt Company’s main facility, producing 500 tonnes of sea salt a year - the second largest solar saline operation in North America and Inagua's main industry. Great Inagua Airport (IATA: IGA, ICAO: MYIG) is located nearby.

There is a large bird sanctuary in the center of the island with a population of more than 80,000 of West Indian flamingoes and many other exotic birds such as roseate spoonbills, pelicans, herons, egrets, and Bahama pintail ducks.

The neighboring Little Inagua five miles to the northeast is uninhabited and occupied by a Land and Sea Park. It is 30 sq mi and has herds of wild donkeys and goats (descendants of stock introduced by the French). Little Inagua has a large protective reef that prevents boats from coming too close.

The original settler name Heneagua was derived from a Spanish expression meaning 'water is to be found there'. Another interesting name origin is that it's an anagram of 'iguana', which is found in large quantities on the island (this from the Bahamas official website).
Local legend has it that former Haitian tyrant Henri Christope, king of Haiti from 1811 to 1820, buried treasure at the Northeast Point of Great Inagua where he had a summer retreat.

Several documented treasure laden ships were destroyed on Inaguan reefs between the years of 1500 and 1825. The two most valuable wrecks lost off the Inaguas were treasure-laden Spanish galleons; the Santa Rose (1599) and the Infanta (1788). Other ships of considerable value were British HMS Statira and HMS Lowestoffe in 1802, and French Le Count De Paix in 1713.

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Long Island, Bahamas



Long Island is an eighty-mile (nearly 130km) long island in the Bahamas that is split by the Tropic of Cancer. The island is only about four miles (6km) wide, but a road spans most of the length. Long Island is about 165 miles or 265 kilometers southeast of Nassau. Some of the main settlements are Clarence Town, Deadman's Cay, Simms, Salt Pond (Home of The Annual Long Island Regatta), Stella Maris and Scrub Hill. Long Island is one of the Districts of the Bahamas and is known as the most scenic island in the Bahamas.

The island originally was called by the Arawak name "Yuma". It was rechristened "Fernandina" by Christopher Columbus on his first voyage in 1492. Archaeological evidence shows that the Lucayan Taíno tribe settled on Long Island, as they did throughout the Bahamian chain of islands. After the demise of the Lucayans, who were carried as slaves to Hispaniola and Cuba, there was no large settlement until the arrival of the Loyalists.

The Loyalists were people mainly from New England and New Jersey who fled the American Revolution. Numerous Loyalist families settled on Long Island, some setting up cotton plantations and other raising cattle and sheep. The plantations flourished for only a few years and, by the time of the abolition of slavery in 1834, most of them had collapsed and been abandoned. There are many ruins from this era today, the majority of which are overgrown by bush. There are also remains of some of the houses built after slavery, which are usually small and built of stone. Originally they had thatched roofs; today, most are shingled. The descendants of these families continue to be widespread on the island. The population of Long Island is roughly 4,000 inhabitants.

Part of the economy is based on tourism and farming, but fishing dominates the economy. The inhabitants grow peas, corn, bananas, and pineapples, and they raise small livestock such as pigs, chickens, goats, and sheep. Some cattle are raised for export. Tourists enjoy sailing, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and relaxing on fine beaches and exploring its distinctive landscapes, which consist of rugged hills and crashing waves along the Atlantic east coast, with more tranquil waters on the west coast. Cape Santa Maria Beach is listed in the top most beautiful beaches in the world and Dean's Blue Hole is the world's deepest Blue Hole dropping to a depth of about 660 feet.

Mangrove Cay, Bahamas

Mangro Cay is one of the districts of the Bahamas, on Andros Island. Mangrove Cay, located in the South Central part of Andros, is separated from North Andros by straits known as North and Middle Bight. It is often described as an island within an island, and has a beautiful coastline on the east, inundated with blue holes and a portion of the Great Andros Barrier Reef. The "Cay" is really comprised of a number of little towns whose names bespeak their origins: Little Harbour (or Moxey Town), Burnt Rock, Pinders (the largest settlement), Swains, Dorsette, Peaks, Grants, Orange Hill, Victoria Point, Lisbon Creek.

This is one of the few places where a visitor can still get a glimpse of the way of life that characterized the Islands of the Bahamas half a century ago. Dishes prepared in outside rock oven and pothole-farming methods are just a few features that distinguish Mangrove Cay from many other Out Island communities. Here recreational pursuits are all nature based: scuba dividing, snorkeling, miles of selected beaches, kayak tours, bicycling, nature walks and world-class bone fishing. Mangrove Cay boasts no less than half a dozen guesthouses, small hotels and fishing lodges.

Twice daily flights from Nassau on Western Air and a twice-daily water taxi service provide easy access to Mangrove Cay. Boat service from North Andros can be made by advance arrangement with one of the Mangrove Cay hotels.

Mayaguana Islands, Bahamas

Mayaguana is the most easterly island and district of the Bahamas. It is one of only two Bahamian islands which retain their Arawak names, the other being Inagua. The population of Mayaguana in the 2000 census was 259 and is currently about 312. It has an area of about 110 square miles.

About 60 miles north of Inagua and 350 miles south of the capital of Nassau, Mayaguana is considered the halfway point between South Florida and Puerto Rico and is about 450 nautical miles off Palm Beach, Florida. It is a popular stopover for yachtsmen on a direct route to the Caribbean.

Mayaguana was uninhabited until 1812, when people began to migrate from the Turks and Caicos Islands, which are located about 60 miles southeast.

The Brazilian historian Antonio Varnhagen suggested in 1824 that Mayaguana is Guanahani, the first island visited by Christopher Columbus at his discovery of the Americas. His theory has found little support.
During NASA's Project Mercury and the Apollo program, the United States Space Program had a missile tracking station on what is now Mayaguana Airport. The station was used to help keep astronauts on course.

The Bahamian government has recently approved working with American investors [I Group headquarters in Boston]to turn Mayaguana into a "free trade zone," complete with tourism development of approximately 14% of the island. Actually, this is 14% of the total landmass but essentially most of the coastal region. The proposal has been met with much resistance by Mayaguanians and other Bahamians, including the highly influential Nassau Guardian newspaper. Development now is imminent and will completely transform the nature of the island from a quiet ecotourism haven to a massively developed real estate venture.

The largest settlement is Abraham's Bay on the south coast; other settlements are the neighboring towns of Betsy Bay and Pirate's Well in the northwest. The uninhabited areas of Upper Point (north shore), Northeast Point, and Southeast Point are largely inaccessible by road.
The least developed Bahamian island, Mayaguana has never seen major growth. It was settled gradually after 1812 by people from the Turks and Caicos. Most people make a living fishing and farming.

Considered the most isolated Bahamian island, Mayaguana uses the country's mail boat system as its primary form of communication. Mayaguana is visited once a week for delivery and pickup.

Mayaguana is known for its fertile soil, which is good for farming, and its woody terrain. Lignum vitae and other hardwoods can be found throughout the island. The island is home to several government nature preserves.

As the easternmost island in the Bahamian chain, Mayaguana is bordered to its east by deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Many underwater coral reefs are found offshore, as well as shipwrecks.

Mayaguana is home to the Bahamian hutia, a rodent that was thought to be extinct until the mid-1960s, as well as West Indian flamingoes, iguanas, plovers, terns, and osprey. Nesting sea turtles can be found throughout the undeveloped eastern part of the island. About 118 species of bird are found on the island, including two large brown booby colonies.
As the most isolated island, Mayaguana is the least visited by tourists in the Bahamas. Most tourists who visit do so for the isolation, as well as reef-diving, bone fishing, snorkeling, and duck hunting. The eastern part of the island is popular with advanced off-trail bikers. Ecotourism is also a common draw.

The island is accessible by Mayaguana Airport (MYG), which is located southeast of Abraham's Bay and is visited by Bahamasair as well as private aircraft.

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Ragged Island, Bahamas

Ragged Island is a small island (9 square miles) and district in the southern Bahamas.

Until recently it had an active salt industry, the salt ponds having been developed in the 19th Century by a Mr. Duncan Taylor, after whom Duncan Town, the only settlement, is named.

The island was badly affected by Hurricane Donna and there has been a gradual emigration to more prosperous islands such as New Providence. The population of Ragged Island in the 2000 census was just 72.

Ragged Island is part of the Jumentos cays and Ragged Island Chain. The cressent-shaped chain measures over 110 miles in length and includes cays known as Raccoon Cay, Hog Cay and Double-Breasted Cay. Fishermen say that the best bone fishing can be found on the Ragged Island.

Duncan town is the only settlement of the entire chain and is situated within a bay of shallow water. The island relies on the "mail boat" for transportation to and from the major islands and for freight and commerce. The island contains a small airstrip and a harbor.
Although the island is remote and sparsely populated, many of its descendants have taken important roles within politics, athletics, entertainment and business.

Most of the inhabitants are the direct descendants from the original settlers and they bear their original family names such as Curling, Lockhart, Maycock, Moxey, Munroe, Wallace, and Wilson. The familiar heritage and their remoteness have resulted in the islands being part of the “family islands” or “out island”.

Rum Cay Island, Bahamas

Rum Cay Island is an island and district of the Bahamas. Rum Cay, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of San Salvador Island, is mainly flat with rolling hills that rises to about 120 feet (37 m). Christopher Columbus called it Santa Maria de la Concepción. The island is believed to have acquired its more racy modern name from a shipwrecked cargo of rum. The main settlement is Port Nelson, a picturesque village lying among coconut groves.

First known as Mamana :] by the Lucayan Indians, the cay was later renamed Santa María de la Concepción by Columbus. Spanish explorers once found a lone rum keg washed up on a shore and changed the name again to Rum Cay (pop: 53 1990 census). In the north there is an interesting cave, which has Lucayan drawings and carvings. Various artifacts from the Arawak period have been found by farmers in the fertile soil, which the Indians enriched with bat guano. In common with other islands, Rum Cay has experienced a series of booms and busts. Pineapple, salt and sisal have all been important industries, but competition and natural disasters, such as the 1926 hurricane, have all taken their toll and today tourism is the main source of employment. Plantation boundaries known as ‘margins’ can be seen all over the island, which date from the beginning of the 19th century when Loyalists settled here. Nearly everybody lives in Port Nelson where cottages can be rented. Settlements such as Port Boyd, Black Rock and Gin Hill are now deserted and overgrown.

Deep reefs and drop-offs surround this former pirates’ haven. There is staghorn coral at Summer Point Reef and good diving at Pinder’s Point. At the Grand Canyon, huge 60-foot coral walls almost reach the surface. Sumner Point Marina has dockage, moorings, bar and restaurant. There is a small guesthouse available from former Constable Ted Bain. The Last Chance Yacht Supply has groceries. Batelco office for phone calls closes at lunchtime. Yachts wait here before sailing to Mayaguana or the Turks and Caicos Islands, or before returning to Georgetown and points north.

Adventuresome divers can still find the shaft, anchor chains and hawser holes of the H.M.S Conqueror, Britain's first propeller driven warship. It sank in 1861 and can still be found in 30 feet of water in a staghorn gully near the breaking reef.

San Salvador Island, Bahamas

San Salvador Island, also known as Watling Island, is an island and district of the Bahamas. Until 1986, when the National Geographic Society suggested Samana Cay, it was widely believed that during his first expedition to the New World, San Salvador Island was the first land sighted and visited by Christopher Columbus on October 12, 1492. Columbus' records indicate that the native inhabitants of the territory where he landed called the island Guanahani.

The British gained control of what are now The Bahamas in the early 1700s. For some time, San Salvador was the home of John Watling (alternately referred to as George Watling), who gave the island its alternative name by which it was officially known until 1925. At that time, the name "San Salvador" was transferred from another place, now called Cat Island, and given to "Watling Island" under the belief that it seemed a much more likely match for Columbus' description of Guanahani.

Today, thanks to its many sandy beaches, the island's prosperous main industry is tourism. About 1,000 people reside on San Salvador Island and its principal community is Cockburn Town, the seat of local government.

The Gerace Research Centre (formerly the Bahamian Field Station) is located on the north end of the island on the shores of Graham's Harbour. Over a thousand students and researchers use the station every year as a base of operations from which to study tropical marine geology, biology, and archaeology.

The island is home to many shallow-water reefs, which allow snorkelers to observe hundreds of fish species without the use of SCUBA equipment. It is also known for its quick drop in the continental shelf, allowing for numerous dive sites.

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South Andros, Bahamas

South Andros is a district of the nation of The Bahamas. Geographically, South Andros is the southernmost third of the land mass colloquially called Andros, which includes the districts of North Andros, Central Andros and South Andros. The districts are divided by broad creeks, some of which offer public ferry crossing; otherwise the only way to travel from one district to another is by private plane or boat.

South Andros is accessed from Nassau via commercial airline (currently 2 trips daily from Nassau to Congo town International Airport), from the U.S. via two flights commercially from Fort Lauderdale International and other islands by charter airplane (usually from Fort Lauderdale, Florida), and from anywhere by private boat. A public ferry runs daily between South Andros and its northern neighboring Mangrove Cay in Central Andros. The mail boat comes to Andros once a week from Nassau, leaving Nassau Monday night and arriving at Drigg's Hill port on South Andros on Tuesday morning, which brings the majority of all imports and supplies to the island, from milk to petrol.

Almost the entire population of South Andros lives in housing abutting the Queen's Highway and a few short, unpaved "sand roads" trailing off it. The only other significant road is that leading west, inland, along the edge of Deep Creek, to Black Point, where there are a handful of additional homes. South Andros' widest point is about 20 miles east to west, but only the eastern fringe is inhabited, as most of the island consists of salty marsh and tidal estuaries.

South Andros is known for the production of certain seasonal delicacies, fresh conch, land crab, and spiny lobster, in relative abundance, which are sold commercially in Nassau or to the representatives of Nassau food distributors, providing an important source of cash to many inhabitants. The only other current industry of note is tourism. Albeit limited, there is a small upscale ecotourism lodge, a 36 room traditional hotel and as well the management of "bonefish lodges," small hotels which offer all-inclusive packages for tourists wishing to fish the world famous "bonefish flats" of the southeastern fringe of the island. As of summer 2005, there were 4-6 such lodges in operation, each maintaining 4-12 guest rooms. The very low level of tourist traffic supports few restaurants and almost no shops aside from the necessary basic hardware and grocery stores.

All housing on South Andros consists of small, single family homes, sometimes clustered in small groups on a single tract of land, and almost all buildings are made of cement block and/or local limestone, as wood is expensive to import and does not withstand hurricanes well. Government provided electric, telephone and rubbish disposal services are available to all homes on the island, with a major power generation plant located mid-island in the settlement called The Bluff or Blufftown. Municipal water is supplied to much of the island inhabitants but for residents in the southern part of the island, water is obtained by catchment or private well: many parts of Andros enjoy an abundance of underground fresh water lenses. Natural gas is purchased by the tank, brought in weekly by mail boat from Nassau.

Spanish Wells, Bahamas

Spanish Wells is one of the districts of the Bahamas. It is a settlement on the small island of St. Georges Cay (which is about half a mile wide by 2 miles long, and is located approximately 1 mile off the northern tip of Eleuthera Island), in the Bahamas. It has a population of approx 1,527 residents. It is, in fact, so small that many residents get around the island using golf carts instead of full-sized cars. Historically, the island was used as a last stop for Spanish ships returning to Europe, where these ships refilled their water supply from wells created for this purpose - thus the English name of the settlement: Spanish Wells.

The first colonists were the Eleutheran Adventurers from Bermuda (intending to be some of the first settlers of Eleuthera), who suffered shipwreck on a reef, known as the "Devils Backbone" off Eleuthera in 1647. After living in a cave known as "Preacher's Cave" on Eluthera, They ended up at Spanish Wells. Among later groups of settlers were Crown loyalists, who left the United States after the American Revolutionary War.

Many of the people in (and around) Spanish Wells share the surname Pinder. The demographics of the island are opposite that of the Bahamas as a whole - the vast majority of the population is white.

Currently, (2006) Spanish Wells is a center for lobster fishing in the Bahamas. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Spanish Wells served as a transshipment point for illicit recreational pharmaceutical products, being shipped from South America to North America.

The area suffered extensive property damage during a direct hit from hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Floyd in 1999.

West Grand Bahama

West Grand Bahama is one of 31 districts of The Bahamas. The district covers the entire western portion of Grand Bahama island, excluding the city of Freeport, which forms its own district. Communities within West Grand Bahama include the settlements of Eight Mile Rock, Pinder's Point, Holmes Rock and the westernmost settlement of West End. West End's development has been dominated by a hotel and marina located at the western tip of Grand Bahama Island and now known as Old Bahama Bay.

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