Where to Stay in the Bahamas
The Bahamas is comprised of more than 700 islands and cays, some are inhabited and some are not. It’s important to choose the right island when traveling to the Bahamas based on your interests. This guide, “Where to Stay in the Bahamas” was created to help you choose the right island and resort for you whether you are a fisherman, a scuba diver, a beach bum, or an ecological explorer!
Table of Contents
The Abacos – Where to Stay in the Bahamas for Boating & Sailing
The Abacos with it’s New England style cottage bathed in warm colors and a candy striped lighthouse is perfect Bahamian island charming pubs and quirky character. The Abacos is made up of two islands – Great Abaco and Little Abaco, which are connected by road and several cays. The Abacos is a great destination for boating and sailing as well as charming colonial towns on Green Turtle and Elbow Cays.
Resorts
Green Turtle Club Resort & Marina
Treasure Cay Hotel Resort & Marina
Bluff House Beach Resort & Marina
Activities
Sunday Pig Roast Party at Nipper’s Beach Bar and Grill – Located on the North Side of Great Guana Cay, this once per week sought after event features a barbecue buffet, drinks, and live music.
Elbow Cay’s Hope Town – Climb 101 stairs to the stop of Elbow Reef Lighthouse for a beautiful view of the Bahamas. While you’re there, visit the famous Sugar Shack ice cream shop.
Fishing at Marsh Harbor and Walker’s Cay – Visit for top-notch bonefishing, perfect for any skill level.
Andros Island – Where to Stay in the Bahamas for Scuba Divers and Nature Lovers
Scuba divers fall in love with the abundance of blue holes and the shipwrecked filled harbors of Andros Island. Fishermen will also enjoy the best saltwater fly fishing anywhere in the world. One of the least inhabited islands in the Bahamas, Andros is home to the third largest fringing barrier reef, the Tounge of the Ocean (a mile deep abyss), and plenty of flora and fauna to satisfy any nature lover.
Resorts
Andros Lighthouse Yacht Club & Marina
Activities
Blue Holes National Park – 40,000 acre National Park that comprises vast areas of Caribbean pine forest, picnic lunches are encouraged. Don’t leave without taking a plunge into Captain Bill’s Blue Hole!
Morgan’s Bluff – Visit the ship-wrecked filled harbor and look for Henry Morgan’s hidden treasure!
Uncle Charlie’s Blue Hole – This blue hole was made famous by Jacque Cousteau, jump on the rope swing to splash in to the dark waters of this blue hole.
Acklins and Crooked Island – Where to Stay in the Bahamas for Natural Beauty
Connected by a narrow passage called “The Going Through,” Acklins and Crooked Island are home to bonefishing lodges, shallow water, and undeveloped wilderness.
Resorts
Chester’s Highway Inn Bonefish Lodge
Activities
Bight of Acklins – 1,000 square feet of knee deep water, some of the best bonefishing in the Caribbean.
Lucayan Indian Sites – One of the largest ancient Lucayan Indian Settlements sits along Pompey Bay Beach.
Plana Cays – Protected reserve for grand iguanas and the very rare hutias, the only native animal in the Bahamas.
Bimini – Where to Stay in the Bahamas for Fishing
Located just 50 miles off the coast of Miami, Bimini is known for it’s fabulous deep sea fishing. Thought to be the place of the lost city of Atlantis, Bimini is comprised of two main islands and a string of cays. Bimini is also known as Ernest Hemingway’s favorite vacation spot where he would come to escape the world.
Resorts
Bimini Big Game Club Resort & Marina
Hilton at Resorts World Bimini
Activities
Sapona Shipwreck – Cargo ship that wrecked in 1926 is one of Bimini’s most popular snorkeling and scuba diving attractions.
Fountain of Youth and the Healing Hole – Both located in South Bimini, both are said to hold restorative and mystical properties to anyone who swims or drinks in them.
Bimini Nature Trail – Located at the Bimini Sands Resort & Marina, this mile long hike is nice for anyone that wants to learn about Bimini’s indigenous animals and plants.
Cat Island – Where to Stay in the Bahamas to Relax and Unwind
Cat Island is one of the most untouched islands in the Bahamas and is also the boyhood home of actor Sir Sindey Poitier. This island is perfect for nature lovers to explore the breathtaking landscape along the 50 miles of unbeaten path nature trails and 8 miles of Pink Sand beaches.
Resorts
Activities
Boiling Hole: Great spot to spy sting rays, baby sharks, and flocks of birds.
Deveaux House – Explore the ruins of this 18th century plantation house.
Mount Alvernia – The highest point in the Bahamas, visit the small stone monastery built by Father Jerome.
Eleuthera and Harbor Islands – Where to Stay in the Bahamas to Chill Out and Visit Pink Sand Beaches
Filled with natural wonders, when you’re not just chilling out you can dive Devil’s Backbone, an infamous sunken wreck, or watch the sands glow pink at sunset. It is also home to supposedly the narrowest place on Earth, the “Glass Window,” where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Bahama bank. Named “Best Island in the Caribbean” in 2015, Harbor Island features the infamous “Pink Sand Beach.”
Resorts
Cape Eleuthera Resort & Marina
Activities
Glass Window Bridge – Just 30 feet wide, with the Atlantic on the west and Exuma Sound on the east.
Ocean Hole – A limestone wonder on the south edge of the Rock Sound, it is rumored to be bottomless.
Pink Sand Beach – Located on Harbor Island, the Pink Sand Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
The Exumas – Where to Stay in the Bahamas to Swim with Pigs
The Exumas consists of 365 islands and cays and boasts the clearest, most blue water in the Bahamas. It is divided into three main sections – Great Exuma, Little Exuma and the Exuma Cays. One of the Exumas most famous attractions are the swimming pigs, you can even book excursions so you can swim with them! Due to the Exumas beauty, most of it has become a Land and Sea National Park.
Resorts
Sandals Emerald Bay – Adults Only All Inclusive
Activities
Mystery Cave – Must see for divers and snorkelers, this 400 foot-deep blue hole located south of Stocking Island.
Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park – Features natural gardens of coral reef with fish and lobster.
Big Major Cay – Visit Pig Beach on a full day tour where you can not only swim with pigs but also visit sharks and iguanas too!
Grand Bahama Island – Where to Stay in the Bahamas that has Something for Everyone
Grand Bahama Island lies only 55 miles south of the Florida coast and features fabulous resorts, casinos, and beaches. It also features National Parks, fishermen’s villages, reefs, marine life, and more. You can take a stroll along Gold Rock Beach or visit Rand Nature centre and walk thru at 2,000 foot nature trail and then visit a replica of a Lucayan village.
Resorts
Blue Marlin Cove Resort & Marina
The Flamingo Bay Hotel & Marina
Island Palms Marina Villas at Island Seas Resort
Memories Grand Bahama Beach and Casino Resort
Ocean Reef Resort and Yacht Club
Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbor
Viva Wyndham Fortuna Beach All Inclusive
Activities
Lucayan National Park – This 40 acre National Park has an underwater cave system – Ben’s Cave and Burial Mound Cave.
Lucaya Beach – The beach that has everything, you can go parasailing, snorkeling, get your hair braided or have an amazing conch lunch.
Treasure Bay Casino – 35,000 sq foot casino has 400 slot machines and 21 table games.
Long Island – Where to Stay in the Bahamas to Dive in an Underwater Cavern
Long Island is best known for “Dean’s Blue Hole,” one of the deepest marine caverns in the world. The island is perfect for fishermen, divers, and boaters but also feature picturesque covers perfect for a romantic honeymoon.
Resorts
Activities
The Love Beaches – Pink sand beaches
Dunmore Town – Visit Dunmore Plantation, an old estate and former slave plantation. Also visit centuries old churches and other historic sites.
Dean’s Blue Hole – World’s deepest blue hole at 663 feet deep, a perfectly safe location to dive and snorkel.
Nassau and Paradise Island – Where to Stay in the Bahamas if You Want to Do it All
From breathtaking beaches, water sports, and colonial history to all-inclusive resorts, casinos, and the one of the world’s largest aqua theme parks, Nassau truly does have it all. You can visit historic forts, British colonial buildings, churches, and dine at an authentic Bahamian restaurant. Much of the shopping in Nassau includes the famous Straw Market near Bay Street where you will also find a wide variety of other shops and restaurants. Paradise Island, connected to Nassau by bridge, is where you will find a plethora of resorts, restaurants, a Marine habitat, and one of the largest casinos in the Caribbean.
Nassau and Cable Beach Resorts
British Colonial Hilton Nassau
Melia Nassau Beach Resort – Adults Only All Inclusive
Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort – Adults Only All Inclusive (check out our day pass review here)
Paradise Island Resorts
Comfort Suites Paradise Island
The Cove Atlantis – Adults Only
Riu Paradise Island – Adults Only All Inclusive
Warwick Paradise Island – Adults Only All Inclusive
Activities
Atlantis – One of the largest aqua-adventure parks in the world.
The Blue Lagoon – Located a 30 minute boat ride from Nassau, the Blue Lagoon offers a beach with water sports as well as marine life encounters with dolphins, sea lions, and string rays.
Cable Beach – A small section of Cable Beach is public, the rest is owned by resorts. You can purchase a day pass from either British Colonial Hilton or the Melia Resort.
Cabbage Beach – One of the most beautiful public beaches in Paradise Island, entry is free.
Junkanoo Beach – Public beach very close to Nassau and the cruise ship port, entry is free.
Nassau Historical Sites:
- Balcony House – Oldest standing residence in Nassau, entry is free
- Fort Charlotte – Largest fort on the island, built in 1788 by Lord Dunmore, entry is $5 for adults and $2 for children
- Fort Fincastle – Located near the Queen’s Staircase, entry is free
- Government House – Residence of the Governor General of the Bahamas
- Graycliff – Mansion built by pirate Captain John Howard Graycliff, it is now a hotel that offers many activities (some for a cost)
- Nassau Public Library – First building constructed on Parliament Square, entry is free
- Parliament Square – Bahamian Government Houses are located at Parliament Square
- Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation – Located at a former marketplace that sold slaves, entry is $3 for adults and $1 for children
- Queen’s Staircase – Staircase sits next to a waterfall and was hand carved by slaves
San Salvador Island – Where to Stay in the Bahamas to Visit Where Columbus First Made Landfall
Well, at least that’s what the locals will tell you. While San Salvador may not have actually been the first place Columbus landed in the Americas, it is for the inhabitants of San Salvador. Five memorials are located on the island that commemorate Columbus’ arrival in 1492. San Salvador is also home to numerous salt water lagoons, amazing reefs, and some of the last hand cranked lighthouses in the world.
Resorts
Activities
Watling’s Castle – Located in Sandy Point, built in the 18th century by loyalist plantation owner George Watling.
Chicago Herald Monument – Simple white cross monument commemorating Christopher Columbus’ landfall on October 12, 1492.
The Bahamas is one of the most accessible Caribbean destinations from the United States with many cities offering nonstop flights to Nassau. The Bahamas has so much to offer for many different types of travelers from adventurers to beach goers to scuba divers. The Bahamas truly does have something for everyone!
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