What to do
1. Passenger ferry – Fort Lauderdale to Freeport regular passenger ferry operated by Baleària Caribbean runs daily between Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Freeport and Bimini, in the Bahamas.
2. Fly Freeport to Nassau – $CAD112.
The Bahamas are an archipelago of about 2,000 islands if you include the cays, which are small islands that are formed on coral reefs in the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida. Not densely populated, the Bahamas is renowned for its natural beauty, unique culture, and is a popular tropical vacation destination.
The word Bahamas is of Spanish origin and means “Shallow Water”.
Note: The areas of Abacos and the Grand Bahama Islands are largely destroyed following the effects of Hurricane Dorian, which made landfall on both islands on September 1, 2019. Travel in and out of the islands is difficult and will be off limits for travelers for the coming weeks. Water supply is disrupted due to freshwater wells contaminated with seawater. Roads are peppered by debris and access to tourist spots is essentially blocked. Additionally, NHC forecasts and warnings state that a tropical storm, Humberto, will be in the area around September 14, 2019.
Visa. Almost all Western countries do not require a visa
Capital: Nassau
Currency: Bahamian Dollar (BSD) (B$), but it’s tied to the US dollar at a 1:1 ratio and US dollars are accepted everywhere at par.
Population: 337,000
Language. English
Accommodation – expensive, virtually no backpacker/hostel-type lodging. The cheapest hotels start at around US$ 70, and most hotels cost US$200-300/night, with the very best resorts easily pushing up above US$500. Deals may be available in the summer off-season though.
Be aware the Bahamas charge a Service Fee or Resort Fee to every person staying overnight. Hotels collect the fee of $18 per night per person as well as a $6 per person one time bellhop fee. This is an addition to the rate of the room and is not optional and cannot be waived. Often tourists first hear about this when checking into their hotel for the first time.
The Bahamas Government levies a Hotel Guest Tax which is payable by each guest. This tax is 10% of the hotel rate, it submitted monthly to the Bahamas Government by the hotel operator.
Hotels in the Bahamas may levy a number of other charges upon guests in addition to the standard bill, including; gratuities-maid/bellman), a hotel ‘Levy’ (Promotion Board), cable, telephone, water & sewerage, energy surcharge, pool/towels.
Most hotels and resorts in the Bahamas are located in New Providence (Nassau) and neighboring Paradise Island. The rest of the country remains rather off the beaten track for tourism, and places like Eleuthera, despite being 100 miles long, has only three hotels.
Tourism is the main industry followed by banking. 50 percent of the national GDP is generated by tourism.
SEE
Diving: The “shallow seas” of the Bahamas lie over an extensive submerged limestone platform, with high points here and there just breaking the surface to form an archipelago. The climate is good for diving year-round, and hurricanes seldom strike. All the inhabited islands have local diving, and some have extensive inland cave systems. Nassau on New Providence is the base for liveaboard cruises.
BAHAMAS NORTH
Historic Lighthouses of Bahamas Tentative WHS:
Great Isaac Cay Lighthouse. On rock half way between Miami and Freeport to south of ferry route.
Beaches: Half Moon Cay (tiny speck of cay between Eleuthera and Cat Island), Pig Beach
Bimini Island. Alice Town
Great Abaco Island
Green Turtle Cay: Albert Lowe Museum
Hope Town: Wyannie Malone Museum, Hope Town Lighthouse
Grand Bahama Island
Lucayan National Park, Lucayan National Park Caves
Freeport. Cooper’s Castle, Garden of the Groves
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BAHAMAS SOUTH New Providence (Nassau), Andros, Exuma, Cat, Inagua
Sights: Dean’s Blue Hole, Plana Cays, Ragged Is.
Clifton Heritage National Park
Lighthouses: Bird Rock Lighthouse; Dixon Hill Lighthouse
Pink Sands Beach
Islands: Acklins, Crooked Island, Mayaguana, North Andros, Rum Cay, Samana Cay, South Andros, Eleuthera, Little Inagua, San Salvador
Cat Island. The Hermitage
Great Exuma. Thunderball Grotto
Great Inague. The Inagua National Park (Tentative WHS), Great Inagua Lighthouse
Long Island. Colombus Monument
New Providence Island
Nassau. Nassau Colonial Architecture. Paradise Island (off Nassau)
Museums: National Art Museum, Pompey Museum, The Heritage Museum of the Bahamas, Balcony House
Nassau Fort (Fort Charlotte – Sight)
Christ Church Cathedral
Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre
Dolphin Encounters
Nassau Harbour Lighthouse
GETTING IN
By Plane. The largest airports in the Bahamas are at the capital Nassau, on New Providence, and Freeport, on Grand Bahama.
By Boat. popular cruise ships with Nassau, on New Providence Island is one of the world’s busiest cruise ship ports, and is well served by ships that originate from Florida. Freeport on Grand Bahama Island is a growing destination as well.
Additionally, a regular passenger ferry operated by Baleària Caribbean runs daily between Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Freeport and Bimini, in the Bahamas.
GET AROUND
By Plane. Bahamasair offers a comprehensive network radiating out from Nassau – expensive, frequencies are low, planes are small and the airline is notorious for extensive delays.
By Bus. Nassau/New Providence have a system of buses called jitneys. Bus travel on the other islands (with the exception of Grand Bahama) is very limited.
By Taxi. expensive.
By Boat and Yacht. Mail boats serve almost all populated islands in the Bahamas, and are amongst the cheapest way to reach many areas, though far from the fastest or most comfortable. The government has a mailboat schedule of mailboat routes online which may or may not reflect reality.
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Grand Bahama (Freeport), Bimini, Berry, Great Abaco
Tentative WHS: Historic Lighthouses of Bahamas
Great Isaac Cay Lighthouse.
Beaches
Half Moon Cay.
Pig Beach
Islands
BIMINI Villages and Small Towns: Alice Town
GREAT ABACO
Green Turtle Cay: Albert Lowe Museum
Hope Town: Wyannie Malone Museum, Hope Town Lighthouse
GRAND BAHAMA
Lucayan National Park
Lucayan National Park Caves
FREEPORT. Cooper’s Castle, Garden of the Groves
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NOMAD MANIA Bahamas – New Providence (Nassau), Andros, Exuma, Cat, Inagua
Tentative WHS: Historic Lighthouses of Bahamas
Sights: Dean’s Blue Hole
Plana Cays
Ragged Is.
Clifton Heritage National Park
Bird Rock Lighthouse
Dixon Hill Lighthouse
Pink Sands Beach
Islands
ACKLINS
CROOKED ISLAND
MAYAGUANA
NORTH ANDROS
RUM CAY
SAMANA CAY
SOUTH ANDROS
CAT ISLAND. The Hermitage
ELEUTHERA
GREAT EXUMA. Thunderball Grotto
LITTLE INAGUA
GREAT INAGUE (far south)
Tentative WHS: The Inagua National Park, Great Inagua Lighthouse
LONG ISLAND. Colombus Monument
SAN SALVADOR ISLAND
NEW PROVIDENCE
NASSAU Cities of the Americas World Capitals World Cities and Popular Towns
Nassau Colonial Architecture
Paradise Island (off Nassau)
Museums
National Art Museum
Pompey Museum
The Heritage Museum of the Bahamas
House Museums/Plantations: Balcony House
Nassau Fort (Fort Charlotte – Sight)
Christ Church Cathedral
Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre
Dolphin Encounters
Nassau Harbour Lighthouse
Entertainment/Things to do: Pirates of Nassau