Bahamas travel guide
Seven hundred sand-drizzled islands idyllically set in the Caribbean Sea, the Bahamas is for island hopping, diving, fishing and sailing
Great things come in small packages, and the Bahamas is no exception to this rule. Whether you’re snorkelling in the translucent waters or discovering glimpses of the islands’ piratical past in deserted cays, this is the ultimate desert-island destination. The scatter of low-lying, coral-fringed islands is bedecked in vibrant colours, warmed by the Gulf Stream and seems to bask under endless sunshine.
There is history here. This was Columbus’ first landfall in the New World, but the Spanish never colonised the Bahamas: instead they enslaved any natives they found and shipped them off to Hispaniola. Barely habited, the islands later provided endless hiding places for privateers, whose exploits are commemorated in Nassau’s Pirate Museum. During the American War of Independence the islands were a safe haven for Loyalists: their mansions can still be seen on Loyalist Cay. And the islands boomed during America’s prohibition years, with the Bacardi rum distillery cheerfully establishing its reputation for producing one of the world’s finest spirits.
The Bahamians don’t dwell too much on their past. Affluent and lightly taxed, they have other interests. The main islands are Grand Bahama, with the towns of Freeport and Lucaya, and the busier island of New Providence, with the Capital, Nassau. These are where you’ll find the tax-exile banks, the lightly-staffed ‘head offices’ of major corporations and the real estate sharks circling islets - and waiting till high tide to take their brochure photos.
The other islands are known as the ‘Out Islands’, reached by yacht, launch or seaplane, and are far less developed. Each, the locals say, have a character all of its own. The larger ones are dotted with countless churches, mainly Baptist, but there’s a strong undercurrent of Animist beliefs that strengthens the further ‘out’ you get. On Cat Island, especially, it is said you can still see an obeah ritual, with distant West African roots.
Many of the smaller islands are home to a modest fishing village – if that. Countless little isles, fringed with palms, lie deserted. A relatively relaxed attitude to foreign ownership means some have been developed as private resorts, but it’s still easy to find an uninhabited desert island of your own.
Yachts and speedboats are a way of life, and the Bahamas have become a major stop on the cruise ship circuit, but none of that need trouble a visitor here. Settle in to a local bar, rich with the percussive sounds of calypso and rake ‘n’ scrape music, the islands’ signature genre, and enjoy a glass or two of local rum.
With its laid-back attitude and tropical picturesque beaches around every corner, the Bahamas is the ideal location to slow down and immerse yourself in beach life.
Wanderlust Recommends
- Climb a Mountain. There’s nothing too demanding about the ascent of the Bahamas’ highest peak: Mount Alvernia on Cat Island rises only 63 metres above sea level. At the top is a charming stone monastery, built by hand by a local hermit
- Dive Abacos. This, the third-largest coral reef in the world, teems with colour and marine life. If that’s too far the 14-acre Atlantis open-air aquarium in Nassau claims to be the largest in the world
- Haggle Hard. The islanders' laid-back nature is set aside at the Straw Market in the capital, Nassau. There are bargains to be had but you’ll have to bargain
- Find your Sea Legs. The Bahamas are made for island hopping. Charter a yacht to be dropped off for a day on a deserted island or take a trip out to the remote Exuma Cays
- Swim with Dolphins. Blue Lagoon Island has a natural seawater dolphin facility with resident bottlenose dolphins, while there are plenty of reefs where you can dive with sharks: try Walker’s Cay
- Go Riding. Horseback riding is a great way to explore pristine, deserted beaches, and there’s little to beat a gentle canter through the shallows
- Past Pirates. Follow the footsteps of pirates at Graycliff and the Pirates of Nassau museum, and explore their shipwrecks off the Bahamas’ coast
- Twitch Flamingos. Forty years ago the West Indian flamingo was almost extinct. Now Inagua National Park's pristine wetland region is home to the world’s largest breeding colony: 50,000 blindingly pink birds taking to wing are an unforgettable sight
Wanderlust Tips
Visit the Bahamas during Boxing Day, and get involved in Junkanoo, the Bahamas’ most important national festival. Competing ‘shacks’ dress up teams in extravagant costumes to dance and perform raucous musical displays.