The Bahamas
The Bahamas is an Atlantic archipelago rather than a Caribbean Sea one: around 700 islands and 2,400 cays spread over shallow carbonate banks southeast of Florida, of which roughly 30 are inhabited. Columbus made his first American landfall here in 1492. Tourism and offshore banking now dominate a country where most people live on New Providence.
Known for pink sand beaches, blue holes, offshore banking, cracked conch and Junkanoo parades.
- Explore The Bahamas
- Events in The Bahamas
- Clubs and group trips
- Plan a trip to The Bahamas
- Getting around The Bahamas
- Guides to The Bahamas
- Tours in The Bahamas
- Deals in The Bahamas
Highlights
- Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, Exuma: Created in 1958 as the first land and sea park anywhere, covering about 456 square kilometres of cays, sandbanks and reef. No fishing has been allowed since 1986, which makes it a nursery for the wider fishery.
- Queen's Staircase, Nassau, New Providence: A flight of about 65 steps cut through solid limestone below Fort Fincastle, carved by enslaved labour in the late 18th century to give troops a direct route between the town and the fort.
- Dean's Blue Hole, Long Island: A sinkhole 202 metres deep in a sheltered bay west of Clarence Town, among the deepest known blue holes. It hosts the Vertical Blue competition and a long run of freediving world records.
- Pink Sands Beach, Harbour Island, Eleuthera: Roughly three miles of sand on Harbour Island's Atlantic side, tinted pale pink by fragments of red foraminifera shells washed in from the offshore reef that shelters it.
Getting around
Nassau moves on jitneys — privately owned minibuses licensed and given their routes by the Road Traffic Department. The basic fare on New Providence is $1.25, and up to $3.50 beyond the city; carry exact change. Taxis are metered at rates set by law, and the airport publishes fixed zone fares for two passengers: $36 to downtown, $29 to Cable Beach and $45 to Paradise Island plus a $2 bridge toll. A water taxi crosses the harbour to Paradise Island in about ten minutes.