Travel and Tourism Information

Travel - International

AIR

The Bahamas’ national airline is Bahamasair (UP).

International Airports

Nassau International (NAS) is 16km (10 miles) west of the city. To/from the airport: Taxi services are available. Facilities: Banking, car hire, post office, bars, restaurants and duty free shops.

Freeport International (FPO) is 5km (3 miles) from the city. To/from the airport: Taxis are available. Facilities: Banking, car hire, car parking, bar/restaurant and a duty free shop. The international airport at Moss Town, Exuma, also offers a runway.

There are scheduled turbo-prop services between several airports in Florida and Treasure Cay (TCB) and Marsh Harbour (MHH), Abaco Island; Rock Sound (RSD) and Governor’s Harbour (GHB), Eleuthera; and Georgetown (GGT), Exuma.

SEA

The Main ports: A large number of international passenger ships from New York and Miami call at Nassau. Nassau has direct passenger–cargo connections with the USA, the UK, the West Indies and South America. In addition, a large number of cruise ships call there. Facilities for cruisers in Nassau and some harbours of the Out Islands (Eleuthera, Andros and Exuma) are being improved. Contact Bahamas Tourist Office for an up-to-date list of cruise operators to The Bahamas, with all relevant contact numbers.

Travel - Internal

AIR

Charter services are available from Airstream, Caribbean Aviation, Diving Safaris, Four Way Charter, Island Helicopters, LeAir Charter Ltd, Sky Unlimited, TAKEFLIGHT Air Charters and The Travel Club.

SEA

The Out Islands are served by a leisurely mail boat which leaves Nassau several times a week carrying mail and provisions to the islands. Passengers share facilities with the crew. Arrangements should be made through boat captains at Potters Cay. Air-conditioned ferries operate twice-weekly between Nassau, Eleuthera and Harbour Island. For further details, contact Bahamas Fast Ferries, Dowdeswell Street, PO Box 3709 (tel: 323 2166; website: www.bahamasferries.com). There are also local ferries available.

ROAD

Traffic drives on the left. Bus: The jitney (minibus) provides inexpensive touring and they operate in the hubs of Freeport and Nassau. Exact change is required. However, there is no public transport on any of the smaller islands. Paradise Island is served by a bus service which stops at every hotel. A horse-drawn ride, which takes three passengers, is available along the streets of Nassau. Care should be taken when using a bus service after dusk on routes away from the main tourist areas along Cable Beach and East and West Bay Streets. Taxis are readily available and are the main form of transport on the smaller islands. Taxis in New Providence are metered and the rates are government controlled. For real Bahamian hospitality, keep an eye out for taxis with a Bahamahost sticker in the window. Surcharges often apply for more than two people and for extra luggage. Car hire: Avis, Budget, Dollar and Hertz are represented at the airports and in Nassau and Freeport. Motor scooter hire is also available. Helmets must be worn. Typical cost of hiring a scooter is $25-35 per day. Documentation: International driver’s licence. Drivers must be aged 25 or over. Bicycles can be rented by the day or by the week at popular tourist centres and hotels. Documentation: A national driving licence is valid for up to three months. Motorcycle riders and passengers are required to wear crash helmets.

Resorts & Excursions

Introduction

There are more than 700 islands in The Bahamas, many of which have escaped the notice of tourists. The islands offer clear warm water and sandy beaches. Several are relatively large - see individual entries for a description of some of these - but others are tiny and uninhabited. All the larger islands offer a high standard of accommodation and leisure facilities.

Nassau

The capital of The Bahamas, Nassau, stands on New Providence Island. In the capital, tourists can shop in the bustling 'straw market', where local vendors create unique straw goods on the spot, or the more sophisticated shops in Bay Street. The 18th-century Fort Charlotte, on West Bay Street has a moat, open battlements, dungeons and a magnificent view of the harbour. The nearby Ardastra Gardens have tropical flowers and pink flamingoes. The Queen's Staircase, at the top of Elizabeth Avenue, is a 40m (102ft) climb up steps carved into the limestone leading to Fort Fincastle and the Water Tower. Built in 1793, Fort Fincastle is in the shape of a ship's bow. The Water Tower is the highest point on the island, 85m (216ft) above sea level. An elevator takes visitors to an observation deck for panoramic views. Many bars, restaurants and discos can be found along Cable Beach, a two and a half mile-long stretch of golden sand, located just three miles outside the city. Paradise Island boasts some beautiful beaches, a 14-acre aquarium, the island's largest casino and a multitude of resorts. Sunbathing, diving, fishing and boating are the main daytime amusements on these islands

The Main Islands

Grand Bahama Island: The main towns are Freeport/Lucaya, which has an airport, and West End. The island offers wide white sandy beaches, two casinos and good shopping facilities, entertainment and restaurants at the International Bazaar and Port Lucaya. The Rand Memorial Nature Centre offers an excellent nature walk and the Garden of the Groves has exotic flowers, waterfalls and colourful birds.

Andros: The largest but probably the least well known of the bigger islands. Laced with creeks and densely forested inland, the interior is still largely untouched and natural. Off the eastern shore is the 224km-long (140-mile) coral barrier reef - the world's third longest. Beyond the reef, the ocean floor drops away steeply to a depth of more than 1.5km (1 mile); called the Tongue of the Ocean, deep-water fishing here is a major attraction.

The Abacos: A crescent-shaped chain of islands to the north of New Providence. Many of the towns here have the atmosphere of New England fishing villages. The islands are particularly noted for their tradition of shipbuilding, the original 200-year-old practice of which can still be observed in Man-O-War Cay. Treasure Cay has an excellent golf course and here, as in the other major islands, there are excellent leisure facilities. Other attractions include Alton Lowe's Museum in New Plymouth, Green Turtle Cay, Elbow Cay and Marsh Harbour, the bare-boat charter centre of the northern Bahamas. Scuba divers are drawn to Pelican Cay National Park, an underwater preserve where night dives can be arranged

Eleuthera: A narrow island 177km (110 miles) long but seldom more than 3km (2 miles) wide. Attractions include the Ocean Hole, Glass Window Bridge, Harbour Island (with Dunmore Town, one of the oldest settlements in The Bahamas), Spanish Wells, off the northern tip of the island, Preacher's Cave and the underwater caves at Hatchet Bay. The scuba diving from Eleuthera is particularly superb.

The Exumas: The waters surrounding this 160km-long (100-mile) chain of islands have been described by yachtsmen as being the finest cruising region in the world. There are also spectacular reefs protected by the Exuma Land and Sea Park. Inland, several once-great plantation houses now stand ruined and deserted, although the names of their owners still live on in many local family surnames. In April, Elizabeth Harbour is the setting for the Family Island Regatta.

Cat Island: One of the eastern bulwarks of The Bahamas, Cat Island has 60m (200ft) cliffs (a rare height for The Bahamas), dense natural forest and pre-Columbian Arawak Indian caves. On Mount Alvernia is the Hermitage built by Father Jerome. The Cat Island Regatta takes place here during the August bank holiday.

Bimini: Lying between Andros and Florida, Bimini is widely regarded as one of the best fishing centres in the world. Hemingway used to live in Alice Town in Blue Marlin Cottage, and mementoes of his life can be seen in the local museum.

Berry Island: Popular with fishing enthusiasts and also noted for its serene landscapes and white sand beaches. Great Harbour Cay has a championship golf course and a marina. Scuba divers can admire the underwater rock formations and 5m (15ft) staghorn coral reefs off Mamma Rhoda Rock.

Blue Lagoon Island: An exotic lagoon where visitors can enjoy close encounters with friendly bottle-nosed dolphins. Regular 45-minute sessions include an educational talk and about 30 minutes of swimming in the water with the dolphins.

Long Island: This island certainly lives up to its name, being almost 100km (60 miles) long but rarely more than 5km (3 miles) wide. The landscape consists of rugged headlands dropping sharply down to the sea, fertile pastureland, rolling hills and sandy beaches washed by surf. At Conception Island divers can explore over 30 shipwrecks and tours are arranged from the Stella Maris resort complex at the north end of the island. The Long Island Regatta at Salt Pond takes place here in May.

San Salvador: This was Columbus' first landing place in the New World. Cockburn Town is the main settlement, which is not far from the spot where Columbus is said to have landed, although other sites also claim this distinction. Game fishing and diving are the most popular pastimes.

The Out Islands: These stretch across a huge area of clear ocean and are fringed with hundreds of kilometres of white sandy beaches. The islands have resort facilities for groups of up to 200 people and are ideal for a relaxing, secluded holiday. Though secluded, the islands are not isolated. They are served by the national flag carrier, Bahamasair, from Nassau and Freeport.