Bahamas Islands
The Abacos, Andros, Berry Islands, Bimini, Grand Bahama Island, Long Island, San Salvador
The Abacos
The boomerang shaped Abacos are situated 106 miles north of
Nassau and stretch for 130 miles. Great and Little Abaco shield
the beautiful and uniquely different cays of Elbow, Guano,
Walker, Man-O-War, Green Turtle, Stranger’s and Umbrella.
The naturally protected Abaco waters play host to
internationally famous regattas and game-fish tournaments.
Marsh Harbour is the third largest town in the Bahamas and acts
as a pivot to all Abaco. Nearby Treasure Cay is a modern resort
facility with world top ten beach, lively marina and
championship golf.
Just south, you will find The Abaco Club On Winding Bay
developed by English entrepreneur Peter de Savary on 534 acres
of the most stunning land in The Bahamas and centring on ‘
perfect heart shaped beach and the Caribbean region’s first
Scottish style links golf course which already ranks in the top
world 100.
Now managed by Ritz Carlton, here you will relax from the moment
you arrive at the Clubs own private terminal at Marsh Harbour
Airport. There is a membership scheme which entitles both
residents and non residents to use the Club’s exclusive
facilities.
Famous international golfers like Lee Westwood have already
invested in the property. Fist time visitors are also welcomed
to this private club where the opportunity to join is
facilitated by the immensely attractive surroundings and elegant
rental accommodations which rang from one of their privately
owned cottages, estate homes or inn style suites.
Just around the corner from Winding Bay is Little Harbour where
you’ll find something completely different. Pete’s Bar, Cafe and
Art Museum – it’s just a must see and you will be amazed at how
such businesses tick over without any help from big corporations
or millionaire regulars, which of course, there are!
A short ferry ride from Marsh Harbour is Elbow Cay famed for its
pink and white candy stripe lighthouse and Green Turtle Cay
where you will be enchanted by the beautiful clapboard buildings
of New Plymouth.
At Guano Cay on ‘ Sunday there is an old style pig roast where
boaters from surrounding cays and islands head; a sumptuous
feast on a tiny cay in the middle of the ocean; an absolute
Abaco sojourn...
The boomerang shaped Abacos are situated 106 miles north of Nassau and stretch for 130 miles. Great and Little Abaco shield the beautiful and uniquely different cays of Elbow, Guano, Walker, Man-O-War, Green Turtle, Stranger’s and Umbrella.
The naturally protected Abaco waters play host to internationally famous regattas and game-fish tournaments.
Marsh Harbour is the third largest town in the Bahamas and acts as a pivot to all Abaco. Nearby Treasure Cay is a modern resort facility with world top ten beach, lively marina and championship golf.
Just south, you will find The Abaco Club On Winding Bay developed by English entrepreneur Peter de Savary on 534 acres of the most stunning land in The Bahamas and centring on ‘ perfect heart shaped beach and the Caribbean region’s first Scottish style links golf course which already ranks in the top world 100.
Now managed by Ritz Carlton, here you will relax from the moment you arrive at the Clubs own private terminal at Marsh Harbour Airport. There is a membership scheme which entitles both residents and non residents to use the Club’s exclusive facilities.
Famous international golfers like Lee Westwood have already invested in the property. Fist time visitors are also welcomed to this private club where the opportunity to join is facilitated by the immensely attractive surroundings and elegant rental accommodations which rang from one of their privately owned cottages, estate homes or inn style suites.
Just around the corner from Winding Bay is Little Harbour where you’ll find something completely different. Pete’s Bar, Cafe and Art Museum – it’s just a must see and you will be amazed at how such businesses tick over without any help from big corporations or millionaire regulars, which of course, there are!
A short ferry ride from Marsh Harbour is Elbow Cay famed for its pink and white candy stripe lighthouse and Green Turtle Cay where you will be enchanted by the beautiful clapboard buildings of New Plymouth.
At Guano Cay on ‘ Sunday there is an old style pig roast where boaters from surrounding cays and islands head; a sumptuous feast on a tiny cay in the middle of the ocean; an absolute Abaco sojourn...
The biggest island in The Bahamas and surprisingly empty: its vast mangrove swamps are critical to new ocean life and help incubate the precious young before they begin the big swim. The coral gardens, drop-offs and wall dives are among the most spectacular. Numerous blue holes which spring freshwater to the surface in the middle of the ocean floor, make breathtaking diving experiences. From September to March hunters stalk the island’s large population of partridges and quail. Rare white-crowned pigeons breed here and Andros is also home to the rare whistling tree duck. Quack, quack!
Androsia Batik, the ancient Indonesian method of hand painting and dying fabric, is made at Fresh Creek and by extreme contrast, there is a luxurious 96 acre resort called Kamalame Cay where your life is seriously pampered!
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 and 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 (largest settlement), Swains, Dorsette, Peaks, Grants, Orange Hill, Victoria Point, Lisbon Creek.
The Berrys consist of about 30 tiny islands and are renowned as a haven for sport fishing. Just 35 miles from Nassau and across the Bahama Bank from the Bimini Islands, its location at the edge of the Tongue of the Ocean is perfect. The 600 or so inhabitants live mainly in Bullocks Harbour on Great Harbour Cay. At the northern most tip of the Berry Islands, Great Stirrup Cay has wonderful beaches and a lighthouse that beams brightly to passing ships. The Chub Cay Club is building on a 40 year reputation as the social hub of these classic cast-a-way Islands.
An expanded marina with state of the art floating concrete docks, approximately 200 slips and an overall depth of 12 feet accommodate yachts up to 200 feet. A new two-story, manor-style clubhouse with members-only club area will include a trophy room, ding room and bar on the second level. Pretty pastel coloured Villas including 2,3,4 and 5 bedroom homes are being built in authentic Bahamian Colonial Style.
The creation of Conch Point – Chub Cay’s ultimate private island enclave within the island, will provide the piece de resistance.
Juan Ponce de Leon searched here for the “Fountain of Youth”, he failed of course and years later was out trumped by revelations about the Lost City of Atlantis following the discovery of huge limestone blocks off the coast of North Bimini.
Then Hemingway arrived and wrote “Islands in the Stream” in between some fabled big game fishing and placed Bimini on the map forever! Closest to Florida, its colourful atmosphere and rustic charm have been private getaways to a host of other celebrities. Bimini is a tiny fishing paradise that is rich in history and was also the first island in the Caribbean to have a casino, so maybe this is where fish ‘n chips became a world favourite.
However, to accommodate the growing boom in mega yachts, Bimini Bay Resort & Marina has completed a 96 – slip mega yacht marina. They have ensured the new marina offers exceptional accommodations to guest while being environmentally sensitive.
This Bahamian retreat offers white-sand beaches and emerald waters, located just 48 miles off the shores of South Florida. There will soon be a luxury Conrad Hotel, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. – designed links golf course and additional restaurants and shops so it might be a good time to buy in Bimini.......
Eleuthera – Spanish Wells & Harbour Island From the Greek meaning ‘Adventurer & Freedom’. An eclectic population drawn from descendants of religious dissidents fleeing persecution, British loyalists from the new United States and freed slaves, Eleuthera has been an economic and human sanctuary over the years.
Today, you can live here on the main island of Eleuthera in the lap of luxury. The superb 1500 acre private development of Cotton Bay Estates and Villas is a place to buy, rent and stay. From the Cotton Bay hilltops you can see both sides of the island and the seas beyond; this is a marvellous community in the making and one that has progressed in keeping with the high quality of life that visitors and resident s have come to expect in Exuma.
The local towns of Hatchet Bay, Governor’s Harbour and Cupid’s Cay are charming settlements with colourful homes and a colourful history.
Harbour Island has become a celebrity enclave with exclusive hotels and restaurants and now adds the newly developed Valentines Resort, all nestled amongst the colourful clapboard houses. Famous of course for its pink sand beach and hotel of the same name where Chris Blackwell of Bob Marley fame redeveloped the hotel to past glories but has now sold to ambitious new owners who took over in late 2007; watch out for another exclusive real estate development. Former Miss Bahamas, Brenda Barry keeps a delightful boutique style hotel and restaurant, The Landings, and is constantly upgrading one of Harbour Island’s prettiest properties.
Spanish Wells was once used as a safe harbour by Spaniards in the 17th Century. Locals now make a living mainly from fishing especially lobster and it has become the lobster capital of the Bahamas. Explore the affluent cay on bicycles, picture postcard clapboard houses where fishermen sit on their sun kissed balconies pondering the true meaning of wealth.
Is made up with 365 cays, one for each day of the year and all surrounded by the cerulean sea which make them ideal for water sports and fishing.
On the main island of Great Exuma the Four Seasons Resort has everything you would expect from a luxury resort, fine restaurants, spa facilities and a Greg Norman golf course.
However, 2008 belongs to the Peace & Plenty Hotel in George Town which commemorated its golden anniversary in January 2008 with weeklong festivities capped by a lavish party on January 17th.
The significance of Peace & Plenty’s 50 years in Exuma cannot be overstated and all who travel to Exuma will understand why. On top of its half-century-old background, the resort boasts over 40 years of actively promoting the Bahamas Tourism industry around the word. Venice Walkine, Director-General of the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, said the Peace & Plenty has done much to position The Bahamas in the global marketplace. “Peace & Plenty is so well-known by name that as soon as you talk about Exuma, people say Peace & Plenty,” she said describing the very spot as the most beautiful on God’s Earth.
Paying tribute to the owning Benjamin family, and Stan Benjamin in particular, Charles Pflueger, recalled Stan and family vacationing in the northern Bahamas before descending on Exuma. “Stan fell in love with the island and the people. He purchased the property which later became his labour of love over four decades. Stan was bringing in money to the island by the suitcase loads. He was bringing it in and not taking it out!
In the 80’s money was a little scarce and without Stan, we would have not survived,” said Pflueger, longest-running general manager who served as president of the Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board in 1989-90 and won the prestigious Bahamas Hotel Association Hotelier of the Year in 1991.
A favourite with snorkelers and birdwatchers is the 176 sq mile Exuma Land and Sea Park, part of the Bahamas National Trust. As you stroll through George Town, established in 1793 and still Exuma’s main settlement, passing pretty coloured houses, you won’t see a traffic light but you will see friendly locals selling their handmade straw and other locally made goods.
The main road follows the curve of Elizabeth Harbour, a beautiful, natural harbour protected by long, narrow Stocking Island, which lies about a mile offshore and is renowned for its pristine beaches and the Mystery Cave, a long horizontal tunnel opening into a blue hole grotto, which is only accessible to divers. At the northern most tip of the Exumas is Allen Cay home to the rare protected Bahamian Iguana.
The beautiful water around the small island of Sandy Cay near Williams Town, Little Exuma was the stunning backdrop for “Pirates of the Caribbean 2”, so typical of the visual Exumas.
Grand Bahama has a very different appearance to many other Bahamian islands; to begin with, it’s huge with large tracks of pine forest to explore, where happy Hikers can trip through the national parks and kayak kings can sidle through mysterious mangrove flats and endless inland water ways.
Ornithologists can search for Grand Bahamas 18 bird species; not found anywhere else in North America.
Golfers are spoilt for choice. There are over 50 tennis courts, many with floodlighting.
Big-game Fishermen brag alongside Bonefishing bloggers, there are tournaments for all, none will get away.
The world renowned Underwater Explorers Society (UNEXO) offer scuba divers the best dive sites. Nature lovers will enjoy the many splendid parks and spectacular botanical gardens feature cascading waterfalls and graceful flamingos.
History buffs will keep their hair on at The Grand Bahamas Museum where Lucayan Indian and pirate-era artefacts give a real perspective.
The biggest single resort development in Grand Bahamas can be found at the West End of the island where the Ginn Sur Mer programme is gathering pace. It has always been something of a mystery why Grand Bahamas has not progressed in tandem with Nassau in New Providence as a tourist and visitor destination when it has all the natural attributes of space, coastal beauty and recreational facilities second to none. However, all that now appears to be changing as the Ginn Corporation, huge in the USA, get to grips with the Sinn Sur Mer myriad resort, comprising golf, real estate, marina, spa and of course a private airstrip.
There can be no doubt they mean business and it only remains for the first visitor gates to open in earnest before this wonderful Grand Bahamas Island, the third biggest in all the Bahamas, begins to fulfil its long overdue potential.
Meanwhile, many visitors already appreciate the wide open spaces, the intriguing canal systems with little man made islands sporting sophisticated homes and really love the glorious botanical gardens, endless pine forests and truly great championship golf courses; the beaches are endless, naturally.
The photo on this spread is from one of Long Island’s remarkable pink sand beaches. Dotted with limestone caves and miles of dazzling white and pink sand beaches, The Arawak Indians called Long Island ‘Yuma’ but Columbus decided on ‘Fernandina’.
The annual Long Island Regatta is a race for Bahamian made boats only, huge crowds attend the colourful event held each Spring on Whit Monday. “Star of the Sea” (Stella Maris). So said, Johann Hellmuth Aufochs, the German founder of the famous sea side Stella Maris Inn which nestles near eight different beaches at the North end of this unquestionably long, remote and beautiful island.
The Inn has a world renowned diving centre and marina. Divers say these are the clearest waters in the world and 12 miles away at Cape Santa Maria is reckoned to be the best beach.Clarence Town which serves as the island’s capital, has two white churches, one Catholic, one Anglican, BOTH built by John Hawes (Father Jerome) who swapped religious allegiance and then died a hermit on Cat Island.
First landfall – Legendary landing place of Chrisopher Columbus in 1492 who anchored at what is now Long Bay and this is commemorated with a bronze monument under the sea and a large white cross on shore.
From Cockburn Town, visitors can enjoy exploring the narrow, quaint streets or tour points of interest around the island including the San Salvador Museum, Watlings Estate and the Dixon Hill Lighthouse. Set at the foot of a beautiful 2 mile-long beach is the resort, Club Mediterranean. Hemingway’s love of big game fishing inspired the classic ‘Island in the Stream’ ; had he ventured further south than Bimini there is no doubt that he would have eulogised about these ‘Family treasures and who knows how many more classic works might have emerged. The unquestioned beauty and solitude to be found on these outer islands of the Bahamas belies the relatively small nation to which they belong and the esteem in which they are held by the fortunate few who have been able to visit.
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