Fun and Sun in The Bahamas

Over the years, the people of the Bahamas have been able to successfully, promote the islands, making this a very popular destination, especially for Westerners. With 700 islands and 2,500 cays, this is a beautiful part of the world, great for both energy and relaxation. The environment ranges from coral reefs to mangrove forests to high-rise hotels, meaning there is a part of the Bahamas that can be enjoyed by all.

The original people of the Bahamas were called Lucayans, which was an Arawak Indian tribe that arrived sometime around the start of the 9th century. These people were very peaceful, living off the fish of the sea and the vegetation of the land. Today, the only part of their culture that remains is shards of pottery and petroglyphs that have since been translated into words such as hammock, hurricane, tobacco, canoe, and even cannibal.


In 1492, Christopher Columbus set his Spanish flag on the island of San Salvador and then three years later, established the first settlement that would serve as a final point for the Lucayans who had been enslaved by the Spaniards before being shipped off to Hispaniola. Sadly, in just 25 years, the entire population of 50,000 Lucayan was gone. Eventually, the Spanish also left, abandoning the settlement.

After Juan Ponce de Leon sailed the seas in the 16th century in search of the “Fountain of Youth”, many Spanish galleons passed by the islands of the Bahamas carrying treasures from both Central and South America empires. However, between rough waters and attacks by pirates, many of the ships never reached their destination of Spain. At this time, the pirates had discovered the islands made an excellent hiding place. For the most part, the Bahamas remained unsettled for more than a century after this time until they were granted to the Attorney General by King Charles I of England.

Many changes occurred over the years from towns being destroyed by the French and Spanish, pirates proclaiming and “Privateer’s Republic” with no laws with the exception of Blackbeard making himself the magistrate, and so on. However, in 1714, Britain signed the Treaty of Utrecht, making pirates outlawed, thus the beginning of some type of order to the islands.

At the conclusion of the America’s Revolutionary War, many loyalist from England came to the islands by the thousands and with them, both cotton and slavery. Plantations were established based on those found in the United States. However, finding the land unsuitable for farming, most failed and soon, slave trade was abolished. Unfortunately, much of the economy floundered during the 19th century but as a new class of people discovered this paradise, things began to take a positive turn.

Even though there were years of bootlegging, soon construction of hotels, casinos, and businesses began. Hit by the depression of 1933, the Bahamas again were faced with difficult times but after World War II ended, the tourist industry exploded. With this, some very influential people visited the islands to include the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, giving the islands the promotion they so deserved.

Today, we see a part of the world that has lived through multiple challenges to include poverty, slavery, crime, and devastating hurricanes, only to come out on top. Even so, the natives still live in a culture that includes bush medicine, folk tales, religion, and music. Interestingly, the number one sport in the Bahamas is basketball. You will find that most towns have several courts, even though many are makeshift but the kids have an intense fervor for the sport.

Although most people think the Bahamas is a part of the Caribbean, it is not. Instead, the Bahamas is a part of North America. Again, there are approximately 700 islands and close to 2,500 smaller cays (inlets) that cover around 100,000 square miles of ocean. The islands themselves reach some 750 miles from the south, 75 miles from the east, and 50 miles from the northeast, with all the islands together accounting for 5,385 square miles of land.

One of the fascinating aspects of the Bahamas is that each island is surrounded by sandbanks and coral reefs. Some of the islands have giant sinkholes known as “blue holes”, which are filled with water. These circular pits actually lead to underground submarine caves, some as deep as 600 feet.

Additionally, the islands feature some 1,350 plus species of plants and trees. In fact, you will discover pine forests on the western and northern islands and beautiful mangroves on the western shores, which are the only trees capable of surviving off saltwater. The islands also produce colorful and fragrant flowers such as the Pride of India, which is actually a large tree that produces flowers and a type of Hibiscus called the Blue Mahoe, which changes its brilliant colors from red to yellow.

As far as mammals, there are only 13 native species, which includes the endangered bat. Another mammal is the endangered terrestrial Hutia, which resembles a very large guinea pig. Other animals found on the islands include horses, cattle, donkey, and wild boar, all of them feral. If you look out over the ocean to the east, you will commonly see the blue and humpback whale. Then, the Bahamas offer wonderful reptiles, 44 species in all.

As you can imagine, there are multiple things to see while visiting the Bahamas. For instance, the capital city, Nassau, definitely demonstrates quasi-Caribbean flavor. There, you will find a wonderful balance of contemporary with Old World charm. One of the most popular destinations is Paradise Island, which actually connects to Nassau via a bridge. The beaches are pristine and the resorts all five-star.

You could also enjoy a trip to the Royal Victoria Garden that features more than 300 plant species, Bay Street for amazing shopping, or take a trip to the Grand Bahama island with beautiful beaches, duty-free shopping, and dense Cuban pine forests. Other islands to consider that are not visited as often include Long Island, which is great for snorkeling at the reef gardens and Cat Island, the least visited of all the islands but a definite paradise with pink sandy beaches.

If you love water adventure, then the Bahamas is the ideal destination, known for its outstanding snorkeling and scuba diving. You can dive in blue holes, off the beach, or into underwater caverns. The water is a turquoise color that is amazingly clear and the temperatures perfect all year long so no wetsuits are required. While under the water, you will experience some of the most colorful and unique displays of life imaginable to include moral eels, barracudas, stingrays, turtles, sand tigers, parrotfish, angelfish, grunts, and the list goes on. Keep in mind that there are also great ship and plane wrecks just waiting to be explored.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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