Bahamas Vacations
With over 700 islands, cays, reefs and beaches plus hundreds of activities on land and sea to choose from, visitors to the Islands of The Bahamas will find there's not enough time in a day to do everything that the islands have to offer. Vacationers looking for an active Bahamas Vacation will find a myriad of choices for sports - from sailing, windsurfing, fishing and scuba diving to golf, biking and hiking on land. Those in search of edification will not be disappointed as The Bahamas is rich in history and culture on display in museums, in communities and in live performances. And, of course, the inimitable shoppers will find themselves in a shopping paradise, with duty-free opportunities and local crafts at reasonable prices.
The Bahamas is known to be the haven of watersports enthusiasts. The Islands of The Bahamas have some of the best diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean with barrier reefs, fringing reefs, platform reefs and atolls. The island of Andros has the third-largest barrier reef in the world (after Australia's Great Barrier Reef), and a wide variety of underwater sealife for divers to view. This is why it is the best place for a perfect Caribbean family vacation.
Grand Bahama, headquarters of UNEXSO - the best-known Bahamian diving school, also has a number of sites where divers can search for hidden treasures and explore underwater caves. Also popular are dives around the various shipwrecks of the islands. These include shipwrecks as the USS Adirondack the 125-year-old American warship lying off the Man-O-War Cay: a train freighter intentionally sunk off Freeport/Lucaya; and the Ms. Cumberbach off Cape Santa Maria.
Other watersports available are parasailing, windsurfing, sailing, water-skiing, angling and game fishing, with several operators arranging outings for visitors.
But, if you're in the Caribbean vacation resort and you love to shop, then The Islands of The Bahamas is the place for you! With shelves piled high with products from around the world and the discounted duty-free prices lurking at every corner, travelers should be armed with a strong will power or an extra stash of money for a shopping spree. Some of the best buys include deals on watches and jewelry; perfume at greatly discounted prices; crystal and china; leather goods; cameras from around the world and paintings. The famous Straw Market (there's usually one on each island) has stacks of local handmade produce at tempting prices.
Landlubbers who'd rather keep both feet on the ground but are still the active type will have plenty to keep them busy. Most of the golf courses are in and around the cities of Nassau and Freeport/Lucaya. Some are Robert Trent Jones and Dick Wilson designs and range from beginner courses to professional ones. The Islands of The Bahamas also plays host to a number of tournaments including the annual Pro-Am and an Open on the Bahamian Independence Day.
A vacation the Caribbean island can be the perfect choice for equestrians, who will find horse stables in Freeport and in Nassau, and joggers can take flight just about anywhere from the sandy beach to the tree-lined, traffic-free esplanade in Nassau and Paradise Island.
Tennis courts are at most of the big resorts as well as on some of the Out Islands including The Abacos, Berry Islands, Eleuthera, Long Island and Exuma. Squash and racquetball courts are available in Nassau.
If neither land nor sea will do, bungee jumpers can take the plunge at Club Waterloo in Nassau.
The Islands are rich with tropical plant and animal life, and national parks and nature reserves offer wonderful opportunities to view the flora and fauna in unspoiled settings. These features turn into the perfect Bahamas family vacation destination.
National parks include the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park with such rarities as the rock iguana and the hutia; Inagua National Park with one of the biggest flamingo reserves in the western hemisphere; Conception Island Park, an important breeding ground for birds; Lucayan National Park, home of one of the oldest underwater cave systems; and the palm garden Retreat on New Providence. The reservations include Peterson Cay Park; Pelican Cays Land and Sea Park, and Black Sound Cay National Reserve.
Plant lovers will especially enjoy the Rand Memorial Nature Centre in Freeport, the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo and the Botanical Gardens in Nassau as well as the Garden of the Groves in Lucaya.
Bathing Beauties' Best Bets Needless to say, The Bahamas is a great place just to lie on the beach and soak up the sun. Some of the most popular beaches can be found on Long Island, San Salvador, The Abacos, Harbour Island and the northern Exuma cays. But just about anywhere one turns, they'll find an alluring stretch of soft white sand.
If The Bahamas and family vacations go together so well, that is also because culture lovers find here model ships of the late Albert Lowe as well as paintings of Alton Lowe, nautical craft, and artifacts from Loyalist settlers at the Albert Lowe Museum at Plymouth or Green Turtle Cay, Abaco. The Grand Bahama Museum has displays on the history of Grand Bahama Island with reconstructed caves, a marine exhibit and artifacts from the Lucayan Indian culture and era of piracy. In addition, small galleries and museums are scattered throughout the islands. In the heart of Nassau, the Pompey Museum houses a prominent collection by internationally recognized Bahamian artist Amos Ferguson who paints in the Native style.
The tumultuous historical past of The Islands of The Bahamas contributes to a wide and varied collection of architecture. This will make The Bahamas romantic getaways is perfect choice for the architecture lovers. Walking tours afford fine views of British Colonial, Victorian, Spanish and Spanish-American architecture. Buildings of note include the 19th-century mansion East Hill, the 1810 St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, the Government House; St. Francis Roman Catholic Church; the mid- 19th-century Devonshire House, Hillside Manor, Christ Church Cathedral, the Masonic Temple and Trinity Methodist Church, just to name a few.
After Sundown, in the Caribbean luxury vacation rentals it's time for Jazz, Disco, Calypso and more. If you're not too tired after a day's activity in The Islands of The Bahamas, get ready because there's as much to do at night as there is during the daylight hours, and there's something for everyone -from a quiet, romantic seaside dinner and jazz to dancing the night away at one of the islands' clubs.
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