#Man o war beach cat island plus

Ok, there’s certainly a lot of debate on this one, but our local guide made a pretty compelling argument, and since I was standing on the sand in the very harbor which the guide said was Columbus’ first anchorage, I choose to believe it! And I definitely did not know anything about beloved Father Jerome.įather Jerome was a British architect, turned Anglican priest, turned catholic priest who was assigned to the Bahamas to build churches after the 1908 hurricane caused massive devastation.

I did not know it was the first place that Columbus touched land in the “New World”. I did not know that it was the home island of Sidney Poitier, the first black man and first Bahamian to win an Oscar for Best Actor. Tour Clifton Heritage National Park, then head for a cold drink, conch fritters, beach time or even a room at Coral Harbour Beach House & Villas.Before traveling to Cat Island, I knew nothing about it. Visit beachfront villages such as Gambier and Adelaide for a taste of the Out Islands. Head west past Cable Beach to feel the pace gradually slowing. It doesn’t take long to escape the traffic and city vibes in Nassau. West End, New Providence IslandĬoral Harbour, New Providence Island - Photo courtesy of Chelle Koster Walton Stay on yet another offshore island, Deep Water Cay, where it’s all about water sports. Don’t stop there: Hop a ferry to Sweetings Cay for a sleepy Bahamian village experience or charter a boat for a day of fishing, drift snorkeling in Thrift Harbour or hopping secret islands for the ultimate beach escape. Some 40 miles and worlds away from Freeport, small fishing settlements dot the landscape to easternmost McLean’s Town, site of the annual Conch Cracking Festival.

'Lunch Beach' at Grand Bahama Island's East End - Photo courtesy of Chelle Koster Walton Score conch pulled right from shallow conch pens and chopped into ceviche-like conch salad, and spend the night at lovely Old Bahama Bay with views of the beach and multimillion-dollar yachts. Once the capital before Freeport arose, quiet West End attracts boaters and bonefishermen, but it’s a good place for a day visit or a stay. West End, Grand Bahama Island - Photo courtesy of Chelle Koster Walton Around the salt ponds, wetlands and unsettled bush, flamingos thrive along with Bahamas parrots, Inagua hummingbirds, herons, egrets, roseate spoonbills and wild donkeys, goats and boars. The population of the national bird outnumbers human residents 60 to 1. One byproduct of the salt industry, however, is responsible for Inagua’s reputation with serious birders: the West Indian flamingo. Frozen in a time and place when salt harvesting began driving the island’s economy in the 1930s, it has ducked tourism’s sometimes homogenizing effect. The difficulty factor here – Inagua is the farthest island from Nassau with flights only three times weekly – keeps it refreshingly remote. West Indian flamingos, Inagua - Photo courtesy of Chelle Koster Walton Enjoy classic island hospitality at Stella Maris Island Resort Club. And we'd be remiss if we didn't mention its natural beauty – ethereal sand flats rife with bonefish, caves, salt ponds, rugged beaches and the deepest inland blue hole in the world.

#Man o war beach cat island plus

Hand-plaited straw work, Long Island - Photo courtesy of Chelle Koster WaltonĪrguably the most traditional of the islands, it is home to a community of hand-plaiting straw workers, plus goat farms and two churches built by Cat Island’s Father Jerome. Stay at shiny new Pineapple Fields, named for the adjacent farm. Plus, its bakeries lure with pineapple tarts, from the island’s signature crop, and fresh goodies from Henry Sands, whose homemade bread won him an invitation to Princess Di’s wedding. Eleuthera’s hard-to-reach beaches keep them secluded.

The pink sands of its Harbour Island are a celeb-magnet, but the main island stretches long and is relatively deserted. Lighthouse Point Beach, Eleuthera - Photo courtesy of Chelle Koster Walton It has the better beaches of the two, plus attractions such as the Fountain of Youth, Shark Lab and full-service boaters’ haven Bimini Sands Resort. Sister island North Bimini has its Ernest Hemingway legends, party beaches and bonefishing claims to fame, while the southern island, a short ferry hop away, hides in the shadows despite the airport located there. South Biminiįountain of Youth, South Bimini - Photo courtesy of Chelle Koster Walton An old Bahamian family operates Fernandez Bay Village resort on the beach with an eye for preserving culture. With a population of about 1,800 and one paved road, Cat Island retains an old-island flavor where Obeah religious practices and ripsaw music survive.