Seven Hundred Islands in Impossibly Clear Water
The Bahamas is an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean, just east of Florida and north of Cuba, made up of about 700 islands and some 2,400 cays and known for exceptionally clear, pale-turquoise water. Nassau, on New Providence, is the capital and main gateway. The nation gained independence from Britain on 10 July 1973, and its population of roughly 400,000 is spread over a few dozen inhabited islands. The shallow banks, white sand and bright reefs give the Bahamas a look that is instantly recognisable and a character as varied as its map.
History runs deep. Christopher Columbus first made landfall in the New World in the Bahamas in 1492, usually identified with San Salvador, and later centuries brought pirates, loyalists and merchants whose stories fill Nassau's forts and old streets. Culture is expressed most vividly in Junkanoo, the Boxing Day and New Year's Day street parade of costumes, cowbells and goatskin drums. Nearby Turks and Caicos and Florida are natural companions for a longer regional trip.
Exumas, Eleuthera and Andros' Blue Holes
The islands each offer a different view. In the Exumas, a long chain of cays runs through the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a marine reserve with sandbars, grottoes and sheltered anchorages, and Thunderball Grotto, a sea cave made famous by a Bond film, is a snorkelling favourite. Eleuthera and Harbour Island are known for their pink-tinted sand, while Andros is the largest island in the chain, with extensive barrier reef and deep blue holes. Long Island's Dean's Blue Hole draws freedivers from around the world.
Nassau and its neighbouring resort island offer city life, forts and restaurants, while Grand Bahama has a quiet side of nature trails and caves. The signature dish is conch, served as a fresh salad with lime and pepper or fried as fritters, and fish fries, such as Arawak Cay in Nassau, are a social ritual. A hotel group could present Bahamian stays as a spectrum, from sailing-led Exuma days to restful boutique resorts on the outer islands.
Read the full The Bahamas guide on Visit Travel Group, or see TheBahamas.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.