Gaming

30 reasons to travel to the Bahamas

One of the main reasons so many visitors travel to the Bahamas is, of course, its wonderful warm weather, beautiful turquoise waters, and friendly faces. But with these 700 islands and cays off the Florida coast, you can give yourself 30 more reasons (and counting) what you’re missing out on if you choose to sit on the beach or stay at a resort for your entire vacation.

1. Clifton Heritage Site – If you travel to the Bahamas and visit this place, you will find that it is full of wonderful trials in the wild where you can bird watch and learn about our surroundings. This place is also steeped in history dating back to the age of slaves, where many ruins of old slave houses still stand today.

2. Garden Groves: The Garden Groves of Grand Bahama is another wildlife oasis where you can kayak, walk with birds, and learn more about the natural vegetation of Grand Bahama Island.

3. Bimini- Sapona “Ruins of the 1920s” – If you ever travel to the Bahamas off the coast of South Bimini and Cat Cay there is an old barge that was commissioned by Henry Ford in the late 1920s during the era of prohibition. Back then it was known as a private “speakeasy” / club on the sea that was accessible by boat but shallow enough for divers to reach as well. It came close to the Bahamas during a hurricane in 1929.

4. Bimini Road – The Bimini Road legend has been around for decades. Legend tells of the path that leads to the acclaimed lost city of Atlantis. Underwater archaeologists from around the world travel to the Bahamas to study the underwater wonder.

5. Myths of Bimini: One of our smaller islands off the coast of Florida has a lot of history and even bigger legendary myths. The Spanish explorer Ponce de León is known to have explored this island in search of the remarkably acclaimed fountain of youth. The island’s tour guides will be happy to guide you to the point where it bloomed this spring.

6. Hemingway’s Fishing Lodge – You can’t travel to the Bahamas without learning about Ernest Hemingway’s favorite fishing spot and lodge on Bimini Island. A well-known and acclaimed sport fisherman, the author was known to spend a lot of time here fishing, writing, and meeting the locals here in Bimini.

7. Joulter Keys – The Joulter Keys on Andros Island are a unique place for those interested in “bone fishing”, bird watching, snorkeling, swimming, you name it. Such a rare and unique place in all the Bahamas, due to its particular dust like sand and various species of endangered animals that live there. The Bahamas National Trust is applying for it to become another protected wildlife area in the Bahamas.

8. Androsia Batik: known as the national fabric of the Bahamas. The Androsia factor houses the original Androsia design. They come in many colors and patterns and if you get the chance to visit them one day they will show you exactly how it’s done.

9. Red Bay Village – One of the best kept secrets in the Bahamas … I didn’t even know about it despite my trip to the Bahamas. Red Bay Village is a remote village in northern Andros that was inhabited by an African tribe that lived like the Seminole Indians more than 50 years ago. The descendants of this tribe still exist and maintain their traditions to this day.

10. Mount Alvernia: Mount Alvernia is the highest point above sea level in the Bahamas. Located on Cat Island, its highest peak will give you great panoramic views of the island.

11. Hermitage – Located on Mount Alvernia Cat Island, the Hermitage was the first Catholic church and monastery in the Bahamas dating back to the time of Columbus. This is one of the oldest relics ever found in the Bahamas.

12. Deveaux Mansion – The Deveaux Mansion ruins are just another property of a slave plantation. Deveaux was a naval officer who helped capture Nassau from the Spanish in 1783.

13. First land monuments – The island of San Salvador is known as the place of discovery and the initial birth of the Bahamas as we know it today. Early landfall monuments include the stone cross that is supposed to replicate the first (wooden) cross that Christopher Columbus placed on the beach the day he landed on the island and claimed it for Spain.

14. Dixon Hill Lighthouse – The Dixon Lighthouse is one of the last manually operated lighthouses in the Bahamas. Built by John Dixon on his plantation estate, the lighthouse uses more than 400,000 kerosene oil-lit candles to protect ships at night.

15. HMS Conqueror – The HMS was an English ship that was built in 1855 in Devon, England and served in the Crimean War. After the wreck of his ship in 1861, the ship continues 30 feet into a Staghorn ravine near Rum Cay in front of the reef barriers that are breaking. It is considered an underwater museum and is owned by the government of the Bahamas.

16. Fortune Island – Sometimes confusingly called Long Cay, where experts believe this was the island Columbus named after Queen Elizabeth of Spain for funding his exhibit. There is only one settlement called Albert Town that looks like a ghost town and is rumored to be occupied by the lost souls that once lived there. But what gives this island its acclaimed name is Fortune Hill itself, which is visible from 19 km (12 miles) out to sea. Legend has it that hundreds of Bahamians arrived here expecting to be picked up by transoceanic freighters, which would take them to their fortune and new life in Central America.

17. French Wells Bay: If you ever travel to the Bahamas, you will see that one of the jewels of Crooked Island is French Wells Bay. It is a beautiful wetland area that is filled with dense mangroves and is home to many wild birds that come from North America to hibernate in the Bahamas during the winter months.

18. Marine Farms Fortress – Come see the abandoned British fort that defended Crooked Island and the southern Bahamas in the War of 1812.

19. US Military Base – Over the years there have been several US military bases on various islands in the Bahamas. At least two settled on the islands of Eleuthera and another on the island of Andros. However, this base is located in Mayaguana and was built in the 1950s. It is the only base that can be accessed with a tour guide. Many of these bases were used for training sessions for the United States Army.

20. Southwest Point: Southwest Point in Inagua is popular for its clear view of the island of Cuba from the hand-operated lighthouse.

21. Inagua Lands & Sea Park: home to the largest flamingo reserves in the Caribbean, located on Great Inagua Island, just outside Matthew Town.

22. Preachers Cay – Known as a safe haven for the Eleutheran adventures during the 17th century, when they first caused the earth to fall. The Preachers’ Cave was used at the time as a church gathering place for the Adventurers. The cave is located on the north coast of the island of Eleuthera.

23. Glass Window Bridge – Several miles from the Preachers’ Cave in Eleuthera is one of the many wonders of the world known as the Glass Window Bridge. What is special about this place is the union of the serene turquoise waters on one side and the choppy dark blue waters of the Atlantic on the other. Despite the fact that the bridge itself (which transports people from north to south of the island) has been damaged by past storms and hurricanes over the years, the phenomenon of nature is truly something to marvel at.

24. Deans Blue Hole – There are many blue holes located on various islands in the Bahamas. But Deans Blue Hole, located on Deadman’s Cay, Long Island, is not only one of the deepest, it is one of the prettiest and easiest to access in the Bahamas. Right next to the beach and hidden under a cave like a cliff, you will find it in plain sight.

25. Pink Sands – If you ever plan to travel to the Bahamas, you must visit our Pink Sand beaches on Harbor Island, Long Island, and various parts of Eleuthera Island. Check out the science behind it on our Harbor Island page (check out the benchmarks after this article)

26. Hope Town Lighthouse – The Hope Town Lighthouse in Hope Town Abaco is one of the oldest manual lighthouses in the Bahamas. It stands out from any other lighthouse in the Bahamas for its horizontal red and white stripes.

27. Loyalist Monument – The Loyalist Monument is a small art space of various bust figures of various members of the Loyal community who traveled to the Bahamas to avoid political persecution during the American War of Independence. The memorial is a tribute to those who helped build community not only on Abaco but on other islands in the Bahamas as well.

28. Albury Boat Builders – A generation shipbuilding company that is committed to building the best quality boats and ships in the region. If you stop by, you can learn how everything is done and meet the family.

29. Darby Castle – Darby Castle is an old ruined mansion located on Big Darby Island, which is one of the five islands owned by the late plantation owner Sir Baxter (known as a Nazi sympathizer). In the 1800s, the Darby Islands were one of the largest employers in the southern Bahamas, producing everything from cotton to food production.

30. Pretty Molly Bay & The Hermitage in Exuma – Great Exuma is an island steeped in history and relics of former slave plantations, and stories from where you can learn more about our country and its past. One of these most popular stories can be found around Pretty Molly Bay named after the slave Pretty Molly who lived on Exuma and took her own life walking into the water. Some say they have seen their ghost enter the water at night. You will find similar stories in the Williamstown area, where many slave plantations were established.

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