In The Islands of The Bahamas,every story starts with a smile.

Life's one big party here andwe've been celebrating since we could walk.

Casheron Coakley and Kieasha Adderley –

Nassau/Paradise Island

Welcome to The Islandsof The Bahamas...and to a genuine laid-back rhythm oflife, colourful traditions and richculture. Feel free to discover how manyamazing things there are to enjoy, howmany unforgettable islands there areto explore and you’ll find your veryown holiday story has already started.

Your story starts here...

The incredible rushof Junkanoo and theintoxicating spirit ofone of the world’sgreatest culturalfestivals will staywith you forever.

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18 New Providence/Paradise Island20 Grand Bahama Island22 Abaco Island24 Andros25 Bimini26 The Berry Islands27 Eleuthera28 Exuma29 Cat Island30 San Salvador31 Rum Cay32 Long Island33 Acklins34 Mayaguana35 Inagua

Explore our world37 History38 People

Find your Island

6 Beach7 Fishing8 Diving9 Golf10 Cruises11 Eco adventures

12 Food andnightlife

13 Shopping14 Weddings15 Spas

Choose your activities

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ActivitiesIf you’re looking for exhilarating new challenges, blissful relaxation orreal once-in-a-lifetime adventures, you’ll find everything you’re lookingfor in The Islands of The Bahamas and the waters that surround them.

Fishing

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Beach

Hook up with some ofthe best sport fishing

in the world.

From blinding whiteto pastel pink, oursand is as seductive as our climate.

Gently lapped by translucent turquoise water, theendless stretches of powder-soft sandy beachesyou’ll find on every island are some of the mostidyllic in the Caribbean. And whether youwant to relax, sip drinks at thefriendly beach bars, celebrate withthe locals at their nightly fish fry,swim, snorkel or simply explore inblissful isolation, you’ll be more thanwelcome.

Land yourself a bonefishOffering the drama of deep-sea fishing and the thrills of reef,bottom and fly-fishing, The Bahamas attracts the keenestanglers from around the world. But ask ‘the one and onlyBonefish Folley’, and he’ll tell you that your biggestchallenge is to fight it out with a beautiful Grey Ghost. Bonefish Folley, storyteller and fisherman –

Grand Bahama Island

Soak up some Bahamian beach culture.

With 60 to 140ft of underwater visibility,

it 's easy to see the attraction of diving here.Stuart Cove, shark wrangler and dive tour guide – Nassau

Diving

From San Salvadorand Andros, toGrand BahamaIsland and Exuma,every island hasa unique collectionof dive sites.

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Get into the swing ofthings and discoversome of the sweetestspots in The Bahamasright here on ourislands’ championshipcourses.

Golf

Tee-off and watch for birdiesSerious golfers are in for some memorablegames in The Islands of The Bahamas.Dramatic views, created by nature, andtricky holes, created by top-class playersand leading international designers, makefor some of the most spectacular coursesin the world. And take the sport to anexciting new level.

Dive in for a realunderwater adventureFor sheer breathtaking diversity,from shark feeding and dolphinencounters to wreck and reefdives, no place on earth can matchThe Islands of The Bahamas. Witha wealth of shallow, clear watersites for beginners and anincredible range of blue holecaverns and precipitous sponge-encrusted sea walls for advanceddivers, everyone will experiencesomething utterly amazing. Andenjoy an unforgettable adventure.

Crystal clear waters,blue holes and thethird largest reef in the world.

Lloyd Jones, Golf Operations Manager

and 7-handicap player – Paradise Island

Eco adventuresMake our islands your natural choice.

Grab your snorkel, wetsuit, kayak paddle or theedge of your 4WD seat and prepare to encounter

the protected habitats of The Bahamas.

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Enter another worldYou can’t beat The Islands ofThe Bahamas for a wide choice ofluxury eco resorts and eco toursfrom hiking, bicycling, kayakingand walking to birdwatching. As an archipelago with over 700islands and unnamed cays plus 25 National Parks, you canexperience a close encounter withnature on every island and in thephenomenally clear waters thatsurround them.

Cruises Drop anchor in our tax-free paradise.

Cruise through thewarm Bahamianwaters with over adozen major cruiselines and you’llhave the perfectopportunity to stopoff and explore.

Jump ship for avoyage of discovery A rewarding time spent hunting fortax-free bargains in the colourfulquayside streets of Nassau, or a fewheavenly hours where you’re freeto venture across the uninhabitedtropical islands of The Bahamas,will be the highlight of anyCaribbean cruise.

Some cruise companieshave even bought theirown islands to offer youexclusive ‘desert island’experiences – with all the luxuries of a cruise.

Prepare foryour close-ups

with wildflamingoes,land crabs,egg-laying

green turtles andthe distinctiveAbaco parrot.

Phil Russell, ecotour guide and science writer – Grand Bahama Island

ShoppingFoodand nightlifePerfect yourbargain hunting.From Nassau’s chic boutiquesoffering all kinds of tax-freedesigner brands, to colourful strawmarkets and a fabulous array ofhandmade crafts being sold by theartists themselves, it’s funny howthere’s always time to indulge insome bargain hunting.

Satisfy your appetite for all thingsBahamian – after sipping cocktailsat a beach bar, enjoying traditionaldelicacies at a fish fry or dressingfor dinner at world-classrestaurants, you can dance thenight away to the hypnoticrhythms of local goombay bands.

Taste the excitement.

You’ll find adifferent styleof straw workon every islandyou visit.

Fish Fry on the beach

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Weddings

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Set your heart on aBahamian weddingand leave the restto us.

You couldn't wish for amore romantic setting.With the chance to exchange your vows onan idyllic tropical cay, amid a picturesque14th-century French Cloister, in gloriousJunkanoo-style, or surrounded by aquamarinewaters with your very own guest dolphin, youcouldn’t wish for a more romantic wedding venue.

Spas Pamper your body and soul.Settling into the easy-going, laid-back Bahamian way of life is theeasiest thing in the world after sampling the blissful treatmentson offer at our islands’ luxurious spas. Based on locally growningredients, traditional remedies include pineapple, coconut,cascarilla bark, coffee beans, hibiscus, camomile and sea salt.Making for a deliciously relaxing experience.

Stacy Dorsett, masseuse and foodie – Andros Island

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Find your islandWhether you’re keen to feast your senses onrich and colourful experiences in our vibrantcities, or yearn for a taste of pure desert islandescapism, the different flavours of our islandsmake it easy to find your personal paradise.

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Life's one big party when yourush out to join the Junkanoo.

Every Boxing Day, NewYear’s Day and in thesummertime everyone inThe Bahamas celebratesJunkanoo! This traditionalmix of music and colourfulcostumes is one of theworld’s most flamboyantand vivid street carnivals.

Along with the fabulous Atlantis Resorton Paradise Island, the toast ofThe Bahamas’ buzzing capital is the5-star Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant

Kieasha Adderley, Junkanoo dancer

New Providence1Paradise IslandIsland of contrasts.

Explore The Isles ofPerpetual June’ With its own unique flavour ofcontemporary glamour, old worldcolonial charm and chilled-outtropical style, Nassau, capital cityof The Bahamas, lies on NewProvidence Island, just a stone’sthrow from the Monte Carlo of theCaribbean, Paradise Island. Hereyou can shop to your heart’scontent, explore fascinatinghistorical treasures, or venture outof town to wander across the shining golden sands of CableBeach. Making every day another holiday.

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Come out and play.An adventure playground of championship golf courses, sugary whitesand beaches, top dive sites and exhilarating watersports, Grand BahamaIsland is where all the unforgettable experiences of The Bahamas cometogether. Home to the second largest city in the chain, it’s also thelocation of the Lucayan National Park nature reserve – complete withmangrove creeks, walking trails and the world's longest knownunderwater cave and cavern system.

It's a pleasure!

Swim with dolphins in Sanctuary Bayor hear what it takes to catch bonefishfrom the famous ‘Bonefish Folley’, andyou’ll have plenty of tales to tell.

From the historical East andWest Ends to the modern hotspot of Port Lucaya, having funis a serious business on GrandBahama Island. Ask the localsand they’ll be just ashappy to invite youalong to the crazyCoconut Festival or the Conch CrackingContests as they areto show you theirhandicrafts!

Grand Bahama Island

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Of all the outstanding experienceswaiting for you on and around thischarming cluster of Out Islands andcays, taking in the stunning viewsfrom Hope Town’s 120ft highcandy-striped lighthouse is not tobe missed! And the highlight of thesailing calendar, July’s RegattaTime is so exciting and fun packedyou should set sail for The Abacoseven if you don’t have a boat!

For close encounters

with the dazzling

underwater world

of marine life, nothing

beats snorkelling the

crystal-clear

aquamarine waters

round our islands

Traditionallytropical.Arriving from America in1783, the first settlers onAbaco Island built theirvillages in the style of thehomes they’d left behind.And today, if it wasn’t forthe bright sunshine and thecolourful Bahamian parrots –these attractive clapboardhouses, with their neatgardens and quaint picketfences, could easily be18th century New England.

Abaco Island

Even though it is the most developedof the Out Islands, Abaco Island is stillimbued with the natural charm andambiance of all our tropical hideaways.

Sailing capitalof the world.

Fall under the spell of the magical charm.Surrounded by legend and mystery,Andros is an Eden-like paradise ofsun-kissed white sand beaches,lush green foliage, vivid wildorchids, spectacular tidal blueholes and stunning coral reef – the third longest barrier reef inthe world.

Andros The mystery Island.

Catch on to the world's game fishing capital. Over the years, passionatesports fishermen (and women)including Ernest Hemingway,Howard Hughes, former USPresident Richard Nixon andLana Turner, have all beencaptivated by Bimini’s GulfStream waters, which teemwith marlin, swordfish andgiant tuna. And these days,swimming and diving arecatching on too.

Ernest Hemingway's haven.

The discovery ofhuge limestoneblocks in the shallowwaters off the coastof North Bimini ledmany to believethey’d found theLost City of Atlantis.

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Listen to the remarkably fresh-facedislanders and you’ll hear thatexplorers believe Bimini is the homeof the mythical Fountain of Youth!

It’s said that if you arrive onAndros carryingflowers to charm thered-eyed, birdlike‘Chickcharnies’,you’ll be blessedwith good luck for life!

Bimini

Cre

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: P

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Ad

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The Berry Islands The ultimate escape.

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As famous for its pink sand beachas its destination as a romantichideaway, this 110-mile-longOut Island exudes an air of casualsophistication and privacy that hasmade it a favoured haunt of rockstars, actors, celebrities and mostespecially, British royalty.

The most popular pink beach is atHarbour Island, butyou’ll find another,stretching from theremote James Point to Governor’s Harbour.

Made up of 130 tiny caysand islands, bordered byspectacular reefs tailor-made for diving, snorkelling and fishing, the Berry Islands are theultimate hideaway forbudding Robinson Crusoes.

Drop anchor and explore theFish Bowl of The Bahamas. Raquel Horton, model

and Miss Bahamas 2004 –Harbour Island

Credit: Stuart Cove’s Dive

Eleuthera 'Pink Sand' island.

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For captivating tales ofExuma past and present,take a seat at the bar ofGeorge Town’s oldesthotel and swallow all thatbarman ‘Doc’ Lermontells you! It’s the perfect19th hole after a roundor two at the scenic Four Seasons Golf Club.

Taking its name from thenotorious 17th century pirate,Arthur Catt, Cat Island isshrouded in colourful tales ofundiscovered buried treasureand piracy. Its miles of stunningpink and white sand beaches,lush rolling hills, rugged cliffsand world-class diving and fishingmake it a wonderful honeymoondestination.

Exuma Film set of the Pirates of the Caribbean.’Serenely beautiful andsplendidly remote, Exuma isas much a naturalist’s paradiseas a film buffs; boasting theworld's first Land and SeaPark, established in the ExumaCays in 1958, which todayencompasses 176 square milesof deep cobalt blue water,endless jade and sapphireshallows, reefs, sandbars andlow rocky islands.

Clamber the 206 ftto the top of MountAlvernia and as well asreaching the highestpoint in The Bahamas,you’ll discover a tinymysterious monastery.

Cat IslandA real Treasure Island.

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Even in The Bahamas,few scuba divingexperiences compareto the thrill of exploringSan Salvador’s 15 milesof spectacular AtlanticOcean walls.

Begin your own voyage of discovery.The exposed peak of a submerged mountainthat plunges 15,000ft to the ocean floor,San Salvador is the most easterly of the Out Islands – and the very first New World land to be discovered by Columbus. Withits spectacular dive sites and fascinatingarchaeological remains, today’s adventurershave plenty to explore.

Take in your beautiful surroundings from thesecluded beaches or enjoy a bird’s eye viewfrom the 160ft high Dixon Hill Lighthouse.

San Salvador'Holy Saviour' of Christopher Columbus.

Vast coral walls rising to justbelow the waters’

surfacecreate

incrediblediving

conditions.

RumCay Jewel of the Caribbean.

Enjoy a taste of paradiseThe tranquil home of the ArawakIndians was Columbus’ second stop in 1492. ‘Santa Maria de laConception’, as he named hisdiscovery, became Rum Cay, arenowned haven for world-classsurfing, boating, scuba divingand deep-sea fishing, afterthe cargo of a wrecked freighterwashed up on its shores.

Dive into the clearestwaters on earth.A wonderfully varied terrainand dramatically contrastingcoastline, make Long Islandone of the most scenictropical hideaways in TheBahamas chain. But ventureout to fish some of the world’sclearest waters or to dive thefamous 663ft deep Dean’sBlue Hole, and you’ll be just asrichly rewarded.

Long Island Island hideaway.

Feel the bonefish bite.One of the most remote of the inhabited Out Islands, Acklins Island boasts hidden coves, beautiful beaches and tiny colourful villages. Separated from its neighbour, CrookedIsland, by a shallow lagoon known as the Bight of Acklins, it offers some of the finest bonefishing in The Bahamas.

The natural wonders of the island areevery bit as magnificent as its Loyalistmansions and plantation ruins.

Acklins Every anglers dream.

As well as greatharvests from thesea, the islandgenerates vastquantities ofcascarilla bark, anessential ingredientin a cool Campari.

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Set out to explore theisland’s hilly terrain andyou’ll find a wealth ofunusual rock formations,rare plants and weirdand wonderful animallife, including theoccasional swamp turtle.

Mayaguana The island time forgot.

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Get away from it all.Uninhabited until 1812, Mayaguanais one of the few Bahamian islandsto retain its original Arawak Indianname. Precious little else haschanged here either, which meansthe weekly mail boat remains themain form of communication withthe world and its arrival iscelebrated as a grand occasion.

Inagua is in fact two islands; Great Inagua,almost half of which is a National Park, andLittle Inagua, which apart from wild donkeys,goats and birds, is completely uninhabited.

Take off for nature's playgroundAttracted by the saline lagoons created by saltproduction on the island, Inagua is home to theworld's largest breeding colony of West Indianflamingoes – ‘fillymingos’ as they’re knownlocally – which outnumber the resident humanpopulation by a staggering 61:1.

Inagua Natural wonderland.

Waters teeming with marine life and rich,

fertile soils have made fishing and farming

the main occupations of the island’s inhabitants.

From coral reefs andshipwrecks to naturereserves and wellover 100 species ofbirds, there’s plenty tobring you to Mayaguana.And even more tokeep you here.

Explore our worldStretching back way beyond the arrival in 1492 of the first European,Christopher Columbus, evidence of the fascinating history andculture of The Islands of The Bahamas is everywhere you turn; in thecustoms and traditions, the landscape and architecture, and most ofall the Bahamian people themselves.

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Getting to know the localsand sharing a part of theirlives is a great way of gettingunder the skin of the islandsyou visit. That’s why The Bahamas Ministry ofTourism and Aviation runs a ‘People-to-People’programme matching upBahamian volunteers withvisitors of a similar age andcompatible interests.

Whether you get toattend a local church,you’re invited to afamily party or you’reintroduced to everyonein the neighbourhood,your holiday experiencewill be that much richer.

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For more inspirational holiday ideas, visit our image gallery.

Join us You' ll be more than welcome.