The American Yacht Company
and Boat Miami take pleasure
in offering our charter clients a comprehensive
cruising guide to the Bahamas. Only a short
distance from Florida, a vacation or holiday
in the Bahamas on a fully crewed sailing yacht
or a power boat or motor yacht is the ultimate
cruise vacation. Our bareboat and crewed yacht
search engine real-time availability can find
the right boat at the right time at the right
price.
There are 700 islands in The Bahamas covering
150,000 square miles of tropical sea with approximately
5,000 square miles of land. The islands have
flat coral formations with some low rounded
hills. It is a beautiful country and a difficult
one to administer: ferry services between the
islands constitute the main communications and
transportation medium for commercial goods and
people.
Each island of The Bahamas has its own personality
and something different to offer. Enjoy a variety
filled vacation or holiday by visiting as many
islands as time allows. Spend a few fun days
in cosmopolitan Nassau with its duty free shops,
golf, museums and restaurants. Lie back and
relax on the bright white sand of Long Island's
deserted beaches. Experience the dive of a lifetime
in challenging wreck sites off the coast of
San Salvador. Witness the spectacle of nesting
flamingos and other exotic wildlife in Inagua
National Park. Cruise through the Exumas' 100-mile-long
string of pristine cays. The hard part is deciding
which islands to visit!
Luckily for cruising and yachting enthusiasts,
there are some very well defined areas that
are pretty much self-contained for cruises of
a week or more. It's impossible to see all the
islands on one trip, but if you organize yourself
you can explore the different regions at your
leisure over time. The main cruising regions
are:
- Bimini and the Gulf Stream Islands
- The Berry Islands
- The Abacos Islands
- The Exuma Cays chain
- Harbour Island, Eleuthera and Cat Island
- The Out-Islands
- Grand Bahama, Freeport and Port Lucaya
- Nassau and Paradise Island
We will describe each cruising area and recommend
what to do and see and how to get the best from
your Bahamas experience. Click
here to see some of the boats that
cruise and charter in these areas.
Bimini & the Gulf Stream
Crossing the Gulf Stream from Miami
to Bimini can be either a non-event or a nightmare
for smaller recreational and charter vessels.
The sea state of the approximately 40 Nautical
Miles of deep water with a north bound current
of between 2 and 3 kts. is instantly affected
by the wind direction and intensity as well
as by distant Atlantic swells. When the wind
is from the North or North East, it opposes
the direction of the current and has the effect
of forming shorter and more irregular wave patterns
that can be quite disturbing. Generally speaking,
we do not recommend crossings in the Winter,
especially if you have an immovable timetable
like 7 or 10 days into which you need to shoe-horn
your vacation. What we're trying to say, in
a rather roundabout way, is that the Summer
Months are generally the safest and most pleasurable
for crossing the Stream.
On a powerboat, it is possible to go
to Bimini from Miami in 2 1/2 to 3 Hours.
You can therefore go for the day although it
will be quite expensive ($2,000 to $3,000 dollars)
because there is no "regular" ferry
service and you have to charter a boat to do
the crossing and pay the Bahamas cruising tax
to boot. On a sail boat, you're talking about
an overnight trip of about 8 hours to arrive
in the morning. Care needs to be exercised on
overnight trips, the Gulf Stream is a high traffic
area with cruise ships, freighters, tankers,
and recreational boats all doing their thing.
Radar recommended.
Bimini is a Sport-Fishing paradise. There is
always a fine array of recreational fishing
vessels, either locally or Miami based that
will take you out for the day. There are also
diving boats that will take you to the "Atlantis"
rock formations and numerous power and sailing
boats that will take you and the family out
to "swim with the Dolphins".
On land at Bimini you will find the quintessential
Hemingway memorabilia like "The Compleat
Angler" bar and other places to share a
beer or two with the locals. There are several
marinas, some good eating places, a few hotels
and a whole bunch of bars; macho atmosphere
with the emphasis on pictures of heavy duty
Sports-Fishing boats with stuffed swordfish
and marlins on the walls. Nevertheless, Bimini
remains a good weekend getaway or a good first
stop on your trip from Miami or Fort Lauderdale
across to Nassau or to the Berry islands. You
need to check in to clear Bahamas customs and
pay the rather steep $300 per boat cruising
tax.
Gun Cay and Cat Cay are smaller islands just
South of Bimini. Gun Key is uninhabited and
Cat Cay is home to a pretty snooty yacht club
where you can have an excellent but expensive
dinner. The cut between these two Cays is one
of the favorite recreational routes to get up
onto the Grand Bahamas Bank and across to the
Berry's and Nassau. You should be quite careful
navigating this cut, however; hopefully you
would have done it before with a professional
captain. If not, make sure your draft is less
than 5 feet and follow the instructions in your
cruising guide to the letter.
South of Cat Cay there are some uninhabited
rocks that afford little protection but offer
some pretty good fishing. South of these rocks
at some distance, you will find the larger island
of Andros. Although this island is quite large
on the map, in practice it's a huge swamp with
small channels that cross it and a bunch of
mosquitoes . Very Shallow here. The East side
of Andros is now being slowly developed with
some neat small resorts.
Chub Cay and the Berry's
With landmass totaling about a dozen square
miles, the Berry Islands are a cluster of 30
islands and close to 100 cays that lie 60 miles
East of Bimini and 35 miles north of Nassau.
A permanent home to approximately 700 people,
the Berry Islands lure vacationers seeking privacy.
Many desolate cays are home to those who have
created their own private paradise, and are
the nesting grounds of wildlife such as terns,
pelicans and noddies.
These islands, (including Chubb Cay) mostly
known to yachtsmen as a stopover between Florida
and Nassau, have some of the most private, unspoiled
beaches in the world. Underwater life is equally
protected and tranquil. Many big game fish like
sailfish, blue marlin and giant blue fin tuna
roam these waters, making it yet another choice
Bahamian spot for the dedicated fisherman.
Highlights:
- The largest of the Berry Islands is Great
Harbour Cay and its main settlement, Bullock's
Harbour, at six miles long and two and a half
miles wide.
- The southernmost cay of the Berry chain
is Chub Cay, known to many as the billfish
capital of The Bahamas. Due to its location,
Chub Cay overlooks the deep-sea trench, The
Tongue of the Ocean, a haven for big game
fish.
- Great Stirrup Cay, located north of Great
Harbour Cay, is home to a lighthouse that
dates back to 1863 and the wreck of an unidentified
ship lies just offshore.
- Sugar Beach Caves is considered by many
to be the most beautiful spot in The Islands
of The Bahamas and is an area of numerous
sandy coves set among tall cliffs.
- A must for divers, Mamma Rhoda Rock is a
shallow coral reef only 16-feet deep, where
crawfish and moray eels share living space
in the hole-filled rocks.
- Sand Dollar Hill is a sandy shoal that
offers great shell pickings.
- Hoffman Cay is a 600-foot blue hole whose
only living inhabitants are oysters.
The Abacos Islands
The Abacos is one of the principal
cruising grounds for both sail and power boats.
Marsh Harbour, the bustling capital of Abaco,
and Treasure Cay, offer a wide range of small
family run hotels and villas. Restaurants are
plentiful and nightlife varied. The outlying
cays, nestled around Marsh Harbour and Treasure
Cay are made up of picture perfect villages,
with quaint, white clapboard houses, trimmed
in jewel tones. Elbow Cay is a short, 20-minute
water taxi ride from Marsh Harbour. Its main
town, quaint New England-style Hope Town, is
situated on an almost land-locked harbour. The
town is overlooked by a 120 foot candy-striped
lighthouse, perhaps the most-photographed sight
in Abaco. Hope Town is dotted by a number of
small hotels and villas. No worries about traffic
jams here, but be sure to watch out for a bicycle
or golf cart whizzing by.
Green Turtle Cay ranks with Elbow Cay as one
of the two most important destinations that
have wonderful beaches and a relaxing atmosphere.
The main town of New Plymouth also has New England
look-alike pretty clapboard houses surrounded
by white picket fences.
More than anything else, Abaco is synonymous
with sailing. Marinas abound throughout the
cays, and many are the permanent home to numerous
yachts and bareboat charter companies. In addition
to sailing, fishing and diving are popular activities
in Abaco. Deep-sea fishing generally takes place
off the Abaco cays, where the drop-off from
the reef to the Atlantic is steep and the shallow
marshy flats to the west of great Abaco are
ideal for bone-fishermen. Deep walls, reefs
and a multitude of shipwrecks provide excellent
diving territory right around the Abaco cays.
Several excellent dive operations are located
in Abaco, including Walker's Cay Undersea Adventures,
home of the Shark Rodeo. The Moorings has a
base in Marsh Harbour as do several other charter
companies. Please Contact Us for a complete
information package. Sailboats and Sailing Catamarans
are ideal to cruise these shallow but protected
waters.
The Exuma Cays Chain
Diving in the Exumas
Exuma has the distinction of being the only
island in the Caribbean where not one but two
James Bond movies were filmed. Those films,
Thunderball and Never Say Never Again, were
both filmed in Staniel Cay.
There are 365 islands and cays that lie strung
out across over 120 miles of ocean that make
up The Exumas. From the air, these cays look
like jeweled stepping stones surrounded by a
shimmering emerald sea giving this chain the
distinction of being one of the prettiest in
The Islands of The Bahamas. The bright white
sand of the deserted beaches is a striking contrast
to the deep aquamarine and jade hues of the
water.
Most of Exuma's 3,600 residents live on Great
Exuma or Little Exuma, the two largest islands
that are connected by a short bridge. These
friendly and outgoing people are genuinely happy
to receive vacationers. Most Exumians make their
living fishing or farming, with the main crops
being onions, tomatoes, pigeon peas, guavas,
papayas and mangoes.
Visitors will also find wild cotton growing
on Exuma, a testament to the importance of this
plant in the island's history.
Lord John Rolle, who imported the first cottonseeds
in the late 18th century, had more than 300
slaves working on Great Exuma. The slaves, following
the custom of the day, adopted their master's
surname. When cotton proved to be a financial
failure for him and the prospect of emancipation
loomed, Lord John Rolle deeded the 2,300 acres
of land that were given to him by the British
Government to his foremen slaves. This land,
in turn, has been passed on to each new generation
and can never be sold to outsiders. Today almost
half of the residents go by the name Rolle and
one of the largest settlements is appropriately
named Rolleville.
One of The Islands of The Bahamas' most prestigious
events, the Annual Family Island Regatta, is
held every April in picturesque Elizabeth Harbour
in George Town. A tribute to tradition, the
regatta is a race of Bahamian workboats, handmade
sloops with wooden hulls, canvas sails and tall
wooden masts.
George Town is also home to the Government
Administration Building, a pink and white building
modeled after the Government House in Nassau.
A few steps north is St. Andrew's Anglican Church,
a beautiful 150-year old white building with
blue doors and shutters that is an active place
of worship today. Naturally, in the heart of
the Exuma Cays, is the Exuma Cays Land and Sea
Park, a 176-square mile natural preserve which
is home to brilliant coral reefs, exotic marine
life and the rare Bahamian iguana - some of
which grow to over two feet long.
Harbour Island, Eleuthera and Cat Island.
Harbour Island, or 'Briland, as it is known
by residents, is situated one mile off the northern
coast of Eleuthera (just five minutes away by
water taxi) and is just three miles long and
a half mile wide. The island's first major settlement
of Dunmore Town, originally the capital of The
Islands of the Bahamas, was named after the
18th century royal governor of the islands,
Lord Dunmore. Harbour Island was actually founded
before the United States was even a nation!
Today, Dunmore Town is renowned for its three
mile pink sand beach and charming New England-style
architecture. Visitors to Harbour Island enjoy
strolling through the quaint town's tree lined
narrow streets, exploring the settlement onboard
a golf cart, bonefishing in the pristine water
off the island's coast, and frolicking on the
island's sandy coastline. The Plateau and the
Arch, both giant coral structures densely populated
with marine life, attracts divers from around
the world.
At one time Harbour Island was second only
to Nassau in terms of prosperity. In the late
1800's Dunmore Town was a noted shipyard and
sugar refinement centre, both of which lent
itself to a profitable secondary industry -
rum.
The island's charming New England architecture,
which is reminiscent of the island's Loyalist
history, is still very much in existence. The
pastel-coloured clap-board homes edged by white
picket fences and tropical flowers line the
old streets of Dunmore Town. For vacationers,
Harbour Island's popularity is founded on its
spectacular three-mile powdery pink sand beach,
its intimate inns and hotels, and the warm hospitality
of its inhabitants.
Eleuthera, first settled in 1648, is perhaps
the best known of the Out Islands of The Bahamas.
Shaped like a praying mantis, the island is
just under five miles wide and 110 miles long.
The magnificent glass window bridge to the north
of the island affords spectacular views of the
deep blue Atlantic on one side and the turquoise
Caribbean Sea on the other. Eleuthera attracts
those who wish to explore, either by bicycle
or car, the land and nature in its undisturbed
atmosphere. Visitors may visit the island's
scattered settlements, grottos, and hidden caves
that combine to create Eleuthera's remote and
laid back ambiance.
Despite a coral and limestone surface which
may seem forbidding to farmers, Eleuthera is
one of the agricultural centres of The Islands
of The Bahamas. The hilly farming area in the
centre of the island with its rich, red soil
is ideal for producing pineapples, tomatoes
and a variety of vegetables. In the late 1800's
Eleuthera dominated the world's pineapple market
with its luscious fruit of rare sweetness.
History reveals that in 1648 British Puritans
seeking religious freedom settled in Eleuthera.
Taking shelter in a limestone cave, they faced
hardship but persevered on the island that they
named Eleuthera after the Greek word for "freedom".
Led by William Sayle, a former governor of Bermuda,
the group called themselves the Eleutheran Adventurers.
They gave The Islands of The Bahamas its first
written constitution which called for the establishment
of a republic. The group eventually divided
and later settled Eleuthera, Harbour Island
and Spanish Wells.
The enterprising Eleutheran Adventurers were
able to survive on the island with the help
of their generous Puritan relatives in the newly
formed colonies of Massachusetts and Virginia.
The New Englanders sent supplies and the Eleutherans
thanked them in return with rare and valuable
wood - from which the proceeds were used to
help build Harvard College.
Today, many visitors are attracted to Eleuthera
for its abundance of water-related activities
- there are plenty of great fishing holes and
dive spots. The Devil's Backbone just north
of Spanish Wells is a long stretch of fringe
reef that is a vast playground for a variety
of reef and deep-sea fish, attracted to the
many shipwrecks. The Current Cut, located between
Eleuthera and the small island of Current is
exciting for experienced divers, where changing
tides send a tricky current through a 100-yard
wide channel.
Ninety-five miles southeast of Nassau, Cat
Island is known as the least inhabited island
in The Islands of The Bahamas. The destination
caters to those who are looking for total seclusion,
miles of beautiful pink and white sand beaches,
word class diving, snorkeling and fishing sites
and the beauty of the island's 50-miles of rolling
hills, rocky cliffs, empty beaches, especially
the 8-mile Pink Sand Beach, and cerulean waters.
No one is quite sure how Cat Island acquired
its name, however this island has many lives.
A pirate and contemporary of Edward "Blackbeard"
Teach, Arthur Catt was a frequent visitor to
the island, which is one explanation of its
name. Others say that the island resembles a
feline sitting on its haunches when looking
at it from above.
For more than four centuries Cat Island was
actually called San Salvador and many believed
this was where Christopher Columbus first landed
in the new world. However, in 1926 a nearby
island was redesignated San Salvador (as it
is known today) and the name Cat Island was
revived.
British Loyalists who were fleeing the newly
formed United States settled the island in 1783.
They established cotton plantations but when
the cotton industry failed and the slaves were
freed the people of Cat Island turned to farming
peas, corn, potatoes, and later to growing pineapples.
A single road runs the length of the island
making it difficult to get lost while exploring.
Appropriately called the Main Road, it begins
at Arthur's Town in the north and ends at Port
Howe in the south. Along the way visitors will
spot residents participating in traditional
activities such as straw plaiting (weaving)
hats and bags.
The historical sites of the island are all
accessible from the Main Road. Many beautiful
churches dot the picturesque landscape. At Port
Howe one can see the ruins of the Deveaux Mansion,
a two story whitewashed building formerly used
as a cotton plantation and now overrun with
wild vegetation. Deveaux Mansion was once the
home of Col. Andrew Deveaux of the U.S. Navy
and was given to him as a reward for recapturing
Nassau from the Spaniards in 1783.
The highest point in The Islands of the Bahamas
is found on Cat Island. Mt. Alvernia rises up
206-feet through a thick forest. However this
is not its only interesting characteristic.
The Hermitage, a small monastery at the summit
of this mountain, is to this day still shrouded
in mystique. Father Jerome built the Hermitage
and the rock staircase leading to it as a final
act of religious dedication. An Anglican seminarian
turned Catholic priest, Father Jerome was well
know for having built cathedrals and convents
throughout the islands.
The Out-Islands
- San Salvador
- Rum Cay
- Samana Cay
- Long Island
- Acklins Island
- Crooked Island
- Mayaguana
- Great Inagua
Farthest to the east of The Islands of The
Bahamas and looking out to the Atlantic Ocean
lies San Salvador, just 12 miles long and 5
miles wide. Home to miles of pristine and secluded
beaches, an emerald blue sea of sparkling clarity
and challenging reef and wreck dive sites, San
Salvador is the ultimate escape for divers,
fishermen, yachtsmen and those who yearn to
relax in a serene atmosphere. The island is
actually the exposed peak of a submerged mountain
that plunges 15,000 feet to the ocean floor.
The island's several name changes are a reflection
of its deep historical past. The Lucayan Indians
initially named the island "Guanahani".
Then, in 1492, Columbus made his first landfall
in the New World on the island. He named it
San Salvador or "Holy Savior", which
he noted in his travel journal and described
it as "the beauty of these islands surpasses
that of any other and as much as the day surpasses
the night in splendor". Today, four separate
monuments mark the exact spots where he came
ashore, although it is generally regarded that
he landed at Long Bay where a large stone cross
stands. However, British Pirate Captain George
Watling took over the island, making it his
headquarters of the buccaneer and named it Watling
Island after himself. The island retained this
name until 1925 when it was then renamed San
Salvador.
San Salvador is dotted with monuments, ruins
and wreck sites, all illuminating its history.
Besides lounging on secluded beaches, basking
in sunshine and diving, snorkelling and fishing
in clear waters, guests to the island enjoy
touring the old plantation ruins, climbing to
the top of the old kerosene-operated lighthouse
and exploring the archaeological site of the
Lucayan Indians.
Rum Cay is just ten miles long and five miles
wide. The only settlement, Port Nelson, is home
to the few inhabitants of the island. While
rimmed with stunning beaches, Rum Cay remains
one of the less developed islands of the archipelago,
with very little in the way of tourist activities.
Only 80-miles long and 4-miles wide, Long Island
is one of the most scenic hideaways in The Islands
of The Bahamas, famous for its world-class scuba
diving and bonefishing. The island is divided
by the Tropic of Cancer and is bordered on each
side by two contrasting coasts, one with soft-white
beach, and the other with rocky headlands that
descent into the sea and serve as boundaries
for the crashing waves. The topography of the
island varies as well - from sloping hills in
the northeast to low hillsides in the south
to stark white flatlands to swampland to pristine
beaches, all of which combine to create a picturesque
landscape and an ideal haven for seamen, sun-lovers
and vacationers alike.
Long Island was originally named Yuma by the
Lucayan Indians and was renamed Fernandina by
Christopher Columbus upon his third landfall
in the New World. Then, in 1790, Loyalists from
the Carolinas and their slaves settled Fernandina.
They built large plantations and produced sea-island
cotton until the abolition of slavery, which
made them unprofitable.
Today, many of the Loyalist mansions still
stand as a reminder of the island's past. Although
the plantations are overgrown and non-productive,
agriculture is still a very important part of
life. Pothole farming, which is a method that
utilised fertile holes in the limestone where
fertile topsoil collects, yields much of the
food supply for the other islands, including
peas, corn, pineapples and bananas. Raising
sheep, goats and pigs is also popular amongst
Long Islanders.
Pace of life has not changed much from Long
Island's deep past. The carriage road, built
more than a century ago, is lined by the island's
major settlements of Burnt Ground, Simms, Wood
Hill, Clarence Town, Roses and South Point,
all situated around the island's harbours and
anchorages
Little-known Acklins and Crooked Island lie
next to each other and are connected by ferry.
They are an escapist's dream with endless beautiful
beaches lapped by aquamarine water. These waters
are popular with the more adventurous tarpon
and bonefishermen, as well as with divers, as
a 50 mile barrier reef rings the islands. Crooked
Island is the main island of the two, with most
of the sparse population living in and around
the capital of Colonel Hill. Experienced birders
also know that the undisturbed wooded areas
are a popular resting place for numerous species,
including the ever elusive hummingbird.
Crooked Island, approximately 200 miles southeast
of Nassau, is one of three major islands called
The Crooked Island District. At the southeastern
tip of Crooked Island, a ferry transports visitors
across the ocean to the exotic Acklins Island
- also part of The District - where gentle hills
as well as the colorful scattering of the purple,
green and blue houses make Acklins Islands a
very unique site within The Islands of The Bahamas.
According to Bahamian historians, when Columbus
was sailing down the Crooked Island Passage,
the sweet aroma of native herbs and flowers
drifted out to his ship and delighted his senses.
Soon after The Crooked Island District developed
the nickname the "fragrant islands."
However, it was not until the end of the 18th
century that the first-known settlers, British
Loyalists, actually stepped foot on Crooked
Island. These Loyalists established almost 50
cotton plantations, but in 1820 the plantations
were ruined because the crops were destroyed
by blight and poor soil conditions. Those remaining
were able to survive by adapting to fishing
and small-scale farming. In addition, since
the middle of the 18th century, Crooked Islanders
have been stripping the Croton Cascarilla shrub
and shipping the Cascarilla bark to Italy to
be used as flavouring for the famous Campari
liquor.
Some interesting structures, old plantation
houses and the like, still remain on Crooked
Island. The ruins, preserved by the Bahamas
National Trust, overlook Crooked Island Passage,
which separates Crooked Island from Long Cay,
the third island in the Acklins-Crooked Island
chain.
Yet another interesting spot to explore is
Crooked Island Caves. These are dark passageways,
which widen into gaping chambers and embrace
speckles of sunlight that poke through holes
from above.
Built in the north the glistening Bird Rock
Lighthouse on Crooked Island is a popular nesting
spot for ospreys and acts as a guard to the
Crooked Island Passage, one of the most important
sea passages for ships, which follow the southerly
route to the Panama Canal. The Castle Island.
The ultimate desert island dream, Mayaguana
makes Crooked Island and Acklins look busy!
Similarly, Jumento Cays and Ragged Island, to
the west of Acklins, are isolated with just
a few inhabitants who make their living from
fishing.
Inagua's pristine environment is home to an
exotic variety of wildlife and is one of the
largest breeding destinations of the West Indian
flamingo in the western hemisphere. The flamingo
was saved from near extinction 30 years ago
by The Bahamas National Trust, with help from
The National Audubon Society. Today, more than
80,000 flamingoes live primarily in Inagua National
Park. Visitors can witness the spectacle of
nesting flamingoes, see adults standing guard
over fluffy white chicks or feeding on tasty
shrimp. The flamingo mating season runs October
through February and the nesting season is March
through April.
The island is also home to many water birds
including the unusual roseate spoonbill, pelicans,
herons, egrets, black-necked stilts and Bahamas
pintail ducks. One of the most exotic birds
in Inagua is the endangered Bahama parrot that
feeds among the Inagua oak trees and are a vibrant
green color with a whitehead camouflage. Visitors
to the park may be lucky to see the Bahama woodstar,
a dazzling endemic humming bird that is not
found anywhere else in the world.
Other wondrous sights include burrowing owls,
American kestrels in courtship displays, and
ospreys. In the fall and winter many North American
birds escape from the cold to Inagua. The most
famous of these are the endangered Kirtland's
warblers that travel from their Michigan nesting
grounds.
In addition to the exotic variety of birds,
visitors can see feral donkeys and endangered
freshwater turtles. Accompanied by experienced
guides, travelers can explore Inagua's limestone
caves and enjoy fabulous beaches and snorkelling.
Inagua, mostly flat and scrub, is the third-largest
island in The Islands of the Bahamas. The national
park's 287 square miles account for almost half
the island and is dominated by Lake Windsor.
About 1,000 people live on Inagua whose capital,
Matthew Town, is on the southwest coast.
Grand Bahama Island, Freeport and Port
Lucaya
Beautiful beaches and unspoilt pine forests;
sleepy villages and catamaran cruises at sunset.
You can experience it all on Grand Bahama Island.
It is possible to travel by boat from the mainland
to Freeport. There is a ferry service from Fort
Lauderdale that takes 2 1/2 hours and is pretty
reasonable.
There are some great Casinos in Freeport and
many people travel over for the weekend to gamble
and have fun in the resorts.
The holiday mecca of Freeport & Lucaya
boasts wide tree-lined boulevards, elegant resorts,
world-class shopping, superb beaches and a multitude
of activities for everyone. This is particularly
true for the sportsman and the nature lover.
Golf courses and tennis courts abound on this
96 mile island in the stream. If your taste
runs to the more adventurous, take a dive with
the sharks or the dolphins.
Grand Bahama Island is also filled with natural
wonders that make it a fascinating place to
explore. If you head out on your own, be sure
to take in the miles of exquisite beaches which
line the southern shore. Spectacular Gold Rock
beach is a favourite. Take time to visit some
of the colourful smaller towns, or settlements
as they are known, from West End and Eight Mile
Rock to High Rock and McLean's Town, you'll
think you're on one of our Out Islands when
you pass the wood-framed buildings lining the
sides of the roads.
Ultra-modern conveniences and Out island warmth;
it's all here on Grand Bahama Island
Nassau and Paradise Island
Before we describe the nation's capital in
more detail, many people ask us if it's possible
to get from Miami to Nassau by boat or yacht
and the answer is a qualified "Yes".
Yes, it is possible but it's expensive. There
is currently no regular scheduled ferry service
from Miami or Fort Lauderdale to Nassau like
there is to Freeport, Grand Bahama. However,
there are plans for a ferry service in 2005.
Therefore if you want to take a boat from the
mainland to Nassau today, you'll have to charter
one. A one way trip on a yacht from Miami to
Nassau will take about 8 to 10 hours and cost
close to $5,000 dollars or more, depending on
the boat. A sailing boat will take three days.
It's 177 Nautical Miles, a nice trip but a long
one.
If this is in your budget range, call us, we'll
take care of you.
So, welcome to the nation's capital, where
old world charm meets the 21st century. Nassau,
the capital of the Islands of the Bahamas and
it's thriving commercial centre, retains its
colonial appeal. In the historic heart of Nassau,
the British heritage is much in evidence in
the pastel coloured Georgian architecture, and
quaint wooden offices and shops scattered along
lively Bay Street. Hire a horse-drawn surrey
and take a leisurely tour of old Nassau while
your driver regales you with the local lore;
visit the numerous historic sites and forts
and hand-carved Queen's Staircase. Trace Bahamian
history through the centuries with the Pompey
Museum's display of artefacts, documents and
drawings. Don't miss the contemporary Bahamian
art galleries and the cultural Junkanoo museum.
Nassau offers activities to entertain the whole
family - including golf, diving, tennis &
squash and numerous other sports for the enthusiast.
Shopping in and around Nassau is a delight.
Souvenir hunters will enjoy the unique selection
in the Straw Market - this is the one place
on the island where you can freely haggle with
the vendors, in fact, it's expected. In the
many stores throughout Nassau, duty-free savings
on famous brands are passed on to shoppers.
Take a walk along the delightful and colourful
'Bahamian Riviera' of Cable Beach. Only 3 miles
west of the city, and easily accessible by bus
or taxi, this magnificent stretch of elegant
resorts and homes on two and a half miles of
golden sand beach is also the focus of the exciting
nightlife on the island - night-clubs, pubs,
restaurants and even a casino all just a short
stroll away from each other.
Cross the bridge to paradise - Paradise Island
that is. This two mile long playground is dedicated
to fun and relaxation. Stunning beaches, a plethora
of resorts, restaurants, shops, a golf course,
a 14-acre aquarium and the largest casino in
the Caribbean. All that's missing is you. |
