Bahamas Main Islands

Long Island

Long Island, which is 100 km long and 5 km wide, practically unvisited by tourists and untouched by civilization, is one of the most picturesque islands in the Bahamas. The island’s landscape is formed by a combination of rolling hills, sandy beaches and surf-washed rocky shores, lapped by some of the richest marine life in the world. The Atlantic waves are forever crashing against the cliffs on Long Island’s windward coast, while the west coast is gently sloping and filled with long sandy beaches. At the northern tip of the island – Cape Santa Maria – the western and eastern shores meet, forming a long white sandy beach with a large number of shallows – one of the most beautiful beaches in the western hemisphere.

The main town of the island, Stella Maris, is a small but quite modern settlement. This is a small but very beautiful town, which is also a center for scuba diving and sport fishing.
In McCanns Bay, on the west coast, there is a breathtakingly beautiful beach, formed by high sand dunes, framing numerous lagoons, favored by numerous birds.
In the town of Salt Pond you can see the beautiful Anglican Church of St. Joseph, and 24 km to the south lies Didman’s Cay, where you can find the ruins of an old plantation. South of the city lie the Cartwrights Caves, once used by the Indians and now home to thousands of bats.
South of Didman’s Cay is the village of Pettiz, which is home to the famous Wild Tamarind Pottery Studio, where you can view or buy fine pottery.

Cat Island

Cat Island is the sixth largest island in the archipelago. Its dimensions are: 77 km long and about 6 km wide. The island, which was named after the pirate Arthur Catt, is located northeast of Nassau near the Tropic of Cancer and has the mildest climate in the entire archipelago and constant refreshing winds. This island is rarely visited by tourists, thanks to which it retains the charm of an unexplored and somewhat mysterious place. The islanders still live in wicker huts and use traditional medicine.

Cat is considered one of the most beautiful islands in the archipelago, its pristine beaches are suitable for both relaxation and a variety of water sports. Beaches with pink sand stretch for several kilometers, and streams flow in the west, where white herring is found.

Among the sights of the island, one can single out the Alvernia Monastery, designed in the Celtic-Mediterranean style by an apostate Anglican priest, Father Jerome. The monastery is located on the top of a hill, which offers wonderful views of sunrises and sunsets. To the north of the town of New Bight (located on the southern tip of the island) flows the Amtrister Creek, whose banks are bordered by mangroves, where you can take a ride in a rented canoe. The stream flows into the clear Boiling Hole Lake, which seeths and bubbles under certain tidal conditions, which has given rise to a belief among the locals about an underwater monster that lives in it.

Grand Bahama

Grand Bahama Island, which is the second most visited region of the country, lies in the north of the archipelago, just 90 km from the coast of Florida. Contrary to its name, it is not the largest island in the country (Andros is one). Tourists are attracted by snow-white beaches, vast forests of Cuban pine and rich nature. On the territory of the island there are three national parks, and not far from its shores there is one of the largest systems of underwater caves.

In the 17th century, this island, like many other Caribbean islands, was chosen by pirates – the shallows surrounding about. Grand Bahama, ideally suited for organizing shipwrecks.

You should definitely visit the international bazaar in Freeport, as well as small towns on the west coast. Pirates and underground rum producers once hid there. In addition, the monuments of the ancient culture of the Arawak Indians, the huge underwater caves and magnificent beaches on the east coast of the island, the Garden of the Groves, the Rand Memorial Park and the Preacher’s Cave are very interesting.

The country’s second largest city, Freeport is more hectic and cosmopolitan than Nassau, an outdoor paradise. In the city and its environs there is a huge number of golf courses, tennis courts, diving and fishing centers. The city is only half a century old, and from the very beginning it was built as a fashionable resort. Around the port of Lucaya, a huge number of markets, hotels and restaurants are concentrated, framed by carefully trimmed lawns and ornamental shrubs. It is believed that this is the most fun and party area of ​​the country, with the most vibrant nightlife, two casinos and an abundance of shops.

To the south of the city, in the middle of a luxurious resort area, lies the Lucayan National Park, on whose territory there are the world’s largest underwater cave system, a mangrove swamp and many luxurious beaches (the total area of the park is about 40 acres). And on the western tip, you can visit the colorful village of Jack-Ter, where pirates and underground rum producers once hid.