Bahamas Travel Guide

Browse the Bahamas Photo Gallery

Top Things to See

Columbus’ landing spot
Stand in Columbus’ first ‘New World’ landing place near Cockburn Town on San Salvador, home to 40,000 Lucayans at the time of his 15th-century arrival and now a prime scuba-diving spot.

Beaches
The pale pink sands of Harbour Island are a sight to behold, while the powder-fine alabaster beaches of Paradise Island are home to soaring seabirds and gently rustling palms.

Nassau
Explore the 18th-century forts and pastel-colored Georgian architecture of Bahamian capital Nassau on New Providence Island. For more fascinating history and culture, check out the Pompey Museum and its fine collection of island artifacts and exhibits.

Long Island
An expansive, soft, stretch of sand, as its name suggests, Long Island is 130km (80 miles) in length but easily navigable at rarely more than 6km (4 miles) wide.

Grand Bahama Island
Discover the many facets of Grand Bahama Island, from the lavish resorts, boutiques and clubs of Freeport to the world’s largest underwater cave system at Lucaya. Also worth a visit is Lucayan National Park and the Garden of the Groves to see tropical birds and exotic flowers.

Eleuthera
Explore the captivating rose-colored sands of Eleuthera – the jewel of the Out Islands - characterized by pretty colonial villages, charming seafood restaurants and rolling pineapple plantations.

Andros
Revel in the natural creeks, bird-filled forests, thick mangroves, and pastel-colored coral on unexplored Andros – the world's third-longest barrier reef, set amongst the Out Islands.

Mount Alvernia
At the top of Mount Alvernia, the Bahamas’ highest point, is a tiny monastery, the Hermitage.

Cat Island
The cliffs On Cat Island rise up 60m (197ft) from the sea to meet emerald forests, pre-Columbian Arawak Indian caves and undulating hills.

Hemingway and Bimini
Follow in Ernest Hemingway’s footsteps on the island of Bimini where chapters of To Have or Have Not were written in room one of the Complete Angler Hotel. In Alice Town, Hemingway lived in Blue Marlin Cottage and loved to fish and hunt locally: a pastime honored in the town’s museum.

Top Things to Do

Swimming and scuba-diving
Sharks lurking in the warm waters off Long Island are amenable to swimmers but if teeth aren’t your thing explore shipwrecks or discover the stone ruins off Bimini, said to be the remains of the lost city of Atlantis. The underwater preserve of Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park are also open to divers.

Shopping
Dozens of colorful stalls at Nassau's bustling straw market produce a melee of crowds bartering over local goods. You can join them, or, for a sophisticated shop, splash some cash in the swish stores at Bay Street, a haven of designer brands.

Meet the locals
The Bahamas’ People-to-People scheme (www.bahamas.co.uk/activities/people-to-people) helps you learn about the cultures, music and oratory traditions of the islanders. You’ll be paired with Bahamian locals of a similar age to enjoy rocking-chair tales, church meetings, family lunches and local bands.

Golf
Bahamas’ oldest golf course, at Cable Beach, has beautifully kept fairways, or there are five other world-class courses on Grand Bahama Island to choose from. Exuma’s course (www.fourseasons.com/greatexuma/golf) was designed by golfer Greg Norman, while the Abaco Club (www.golfbahamas.com) boasts a Scottish links-style course.

Blue Lagoon Island
At Blue Lagoon Island you can interact with sea-lions displaced by Hurricane Katrina and frolic with bottle-nosed dolphins in waist-high pools – many played starring roles in the movie Flipper.

Fishing
Fishing trips to Bimini’s world-class sport-fishing waters run regularly or you can search for the elusive bonefish in Andros. At 1,800m (6,000ft) the fertile deep water trench dubbed Tongue of the Ocean is a prime deep-water spot for a major haul.

Sailing
The picture-perfect pristine cays and spectacular reefs of the Exumas archipelago are perfect for a leisurely sail. There’s also an upscale boating scene in the marinas, bays and regattas of Nassau/Paradise Island to enjoy.

Junkanoo festivities
Street processions and dance bands fill the streets, along with a lively party crowd, at the Bahamian Junkanoo festivities on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. At the Junkanoo Summer Festival in June and July island music rages for days on end (www.bahamassummerjunkanoo.co.uk).

Rum cocktails
There are few pleasures in life as simple as sipping rum-laden cocktails on Abaco Beach at sundown, watching the golden sky turn a dramatic pink-crimson. To add to the magic, fairy-lights illuminate the shore as dozens of boats gently bob out in the harbor.

Get married
Couples can tie the knot on the sands, atop a wooden jetty, in a church, aboard a yacht, amidst tropical gardens or wearing full scuba gear underwater.