Throughout the last
half of the 1900s, the majority of tourism development in
The Bahamas was congregated in Nassau and Paradise Island on New
Providence Island, and around the city of Freeport on Grand Bahama
Island. Within the last five years, over a billion dollars has been
earmarked for hotel and island infrastructure upgrades and
expansion. Today, both destinations are hardly recognizable to many
past visitors—or as the saying goes: "This isn’t your mama’s
Bahamas."
For the 21st century,
new generations of tourists are discovering another Bahamas. Marked
by untold miles of undisturbed reefs and empty beaches lined by
swaying coconut palms, the Out Islands of the Bahamas are slowly
gaining exposure. The "Family Islands," as they’re called at home,
offer a much slower pace and quieter atmosphere. Rather than
nightlife and attractions, the selling point is natural beauty,
peace and quiet, and the unassuming Bahamians themselves.
New Providence
The capital city of
Nassau hums with activity centered around a variety of important
historical sites. The downtown corridor is replete with regal 18th
century British Colonial architecture, home to government buildings,
churches, fine-dining restaurants and small hotels. Cutting through
town is Bay Street, a cruise ship passenger’s dream with hundreds of
boutique shops, art galleries, cigar stores and sidewalk cafes.
Lastly, the cultural heartbeat for many is the Straw Market just off
Bay Street, a kind of Bahamian souk selling intricate handmade straw
hats and bags.
The four blocks behind
Bay Street offer more attractions not to be missed. Epicurians
should check out Café Matisse for lunch or dinner and Graycliff
Restaurant for dinner. Also, the interactive Pirates of Nassau
Museum on King Street is much more than a kitschy tourist venue. It
illuminates in depth the ribald history of piracy that had such a
major effect on the formation of Bahamian society.
Other stops that make
Nassau an exceptional walking city include the House of Assembly,
the Nassau Public Library located inside the city’s original jail,
Gregory’s Arch, the Pompey Museum of Slavery & Emancipation, and the
18th century Balcony House. More interesting history comes alive at
Fort Fincastle and Fort Charlotte.
For fun and sun
lovers, the major full-service hotels are located on Cable Beach
west of Nassau and across the bridge on Paradise Island. During the
day, the beaches are filled with sun worshippers while active
vacationers play golf on new and improved courses, dive the reefs or
sail to nearby Blue Lagoon Island. In addition, nature preserves
offer a welcome respite from the bustling destination. Recommended
gardens include the 5-acre Ardasta Garden & Conservation Center and
its collection of pink flamingos, the 18-acre Botanical Gardens, and
the world’s largest private collection of rare and exotic palms at
The Retreat. After the sun sets, both Cable Beach and Paradise
Island come alive in the night with live dance revues, lively themed
restaurants, and an impressive variety of packed casinos.
Grand Bahama
Within
the last decade, Grand Bahama Island has undergone nothing less than
a complete transformation. Major infrastructure improvements to the
port and airport have been fueled by major hotel investments in both
Freeport and West End. The two shopping, dining and entertainment
villages at International Bazaar and Port Lucaya Marketplace are
both filled with tourists day and night, but that’s only half the
story on this multi-faceted island.
The beauty of Grand
Bahama is that visitors have all the cosmopolitan lures, from
playing blackjack to nibbling on barbecued eel sushi to perusing the
latest from Rolex and Prada. But when it comes time to escape the
crowds, a whole swath of eco-adventures are only minutes away. Port
Lucaya’s world-class UNEXSO Dive Center offers a host of dolphin
interaction and diving programs. And a batch of tour operators offer
kayak, beach and hiking combo tours out among the pristine 40-acre
Lucayan National Park to explore pineland, mangrove marshes and sand
dunes, along with one of the world’s largest underwater cave
systems.
Grand Bahama is also a
golfer and active traveler’s paradise with four championship courses
designed by fairway architects such as Robert Trent Jones, Jr. The
island features more than 50 tennis courts, and sailors come from
all over the Eastern Seaboard to moor their yachts at Port Lucaya
and the laid-back community of West End about one hour west of
Freeport.
Out Islands
These are the islands
that time forgot—places where people come for nothing more than
endless days of limin’ and the unabashed pursuit of lazy
contentment. The Bahama Out Islands are a sprawled-out series of
eco-friendly destinations offering visitors the chance to completely
decompress. It’s easy to go a whole vacation barefoot in places such
as Eleuthera, Inagua and Cat Island. Whereas, Harbour Island, The
Exumas, Andros and The Abacos offer more of the same serenity plus a
few luxury properties for clients seeking more pampered pleasures.
While many visitors
arrive to the Family Islands with just a suitcase full of books,
each island offers its own unique ambiance and variety of
activities. Deep sea fishing off Bimini and bonefishing near Crooked
Island and Great Exuma are ranked among the best in the world.
Meanwhile, the wall diving is exceptional in places like Cat Island,
while snorkeling is excellent in the Exuma Land & Sea Park and
around Andros.
Harbour Island is an
easy day trip from New Providence, and a favorite for the New
England set. The island is known for its powdery pink beaches and
Nantucket-like clapboard houses surrounded by picket fences. Dunmore
Town resembles the early New England seacoast villages home to
Loyalists who flocked here after the American Revolution.
The Abacos are a
cluster of islands strung out over 200 miles in the northeast
Bahamas. Like Harbour Island, the Loyalist communities of New
Plymouth and Hope Town resemble quaint fishing villages in Maine
with their gingerbread houses and nautical history. Most of the
hotels are either small inns or part of large marinas that make
these islands the sailing mecca of the Bahamas.
Andros is the largest
Bahamian island and home to the third longest reef in the world.
Located about 20 miles west of Nassau, it’s best known for
superlative bonefishing, blue holes and exceptional diving. Farther
south, the 365 cays making up The Exumas are surrounded by
mirror-flat waters home to the Out Island Regatta, a 3-day race with
Junkanoo festivals and arts ’n crafts fairs. Just east of Great
Exuma, Long Island is one of the most scenic of the Out Islands,
with soft sandy beaches on the west coast and dramatic rocky cliffs
along the east. The hotels in the north are well guarded secrets
with private airstrips welcoming pilots from all over the world.
And only 40 miles
farther to the east, it is widely believed that Christopher Columbus
first dropped anchor in the New World on the shores of San Salvador,
close to the present village of Cockburn Town. The San Salvador
Museum pays tribute to the great Italian admiral, while the wall
diving offshore among 40 different dive sites is as good as it gets.
General Sales
Information
Marriage requirements:
24-hour waiting period after arrival with proof of date-of-entry, an
affidavit of unmarried status or a certified copy or original of
divorce decree, plus photo I.D. and $40 U.S. for marriage license
Golf: 10
courses
Gaming:
Casinos in Nassau/Paradise Island and Grand Bahama
Destination Information
Official language:
English
Government:
Independent member of the British Commonwealth
Temperature:
Averages 76ºF
Rainfall:
50 inches annually
Official currency:
The Bahamian dollar, but U.S. currency is widely accepted
Entry requirements: Valid passport or driver’s license with copy of
birth certificate and photo ID
Departure tax:
$15
-------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
One of our Dream Excursions Vacation Specialist at 1-888-898-3628 or
email us at
request@dreamexcursions.com for
fast, friendly assistance.
