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Grand Bahama Island, the fourth largest of The Islands of The Bahamas, gets its name from the Spanish "gran bajamar" – meaning "great shallows" – for its many flats and shoals in the waters off the island.
The island rambles on for 96 miles, rimmed with cities, villages, and cays that offer lasting evidence of the many different people and cultures that have called Grand Bahama Island home.
Early in its history, Grand Bahama Island was
virtually uninhabited for almost 300 years. However, with the
development of Freeport/Lucaya in the 1950s, and because of the island’s
location just 60 miles from the east coast of Florida, it is now one of
the most visited of all the Bahamian islands.
An existing population of approximately 50,000
with recent investments of well over $1 billion, Grand Bahama has a
bright future. Grand Bahama Island already has a solid base of amenities
for its residents. In addition, the strong tourist base supports a wide
variety of retail, dining, and entertainment facilities that would not
otherwise be justified by its population.
Grand Bahama has the largest private airport in
the world. Its 11,000 foot runway is capable of handling the largest
jets in use today, and its systems facilitate safe approaches, landings,
and take-offs regardless of weather conditions. Several carriers,
including Continental Airlines, American Airlines, Bahamasair and
AirTran, offer many daily departures and arrivals between the island and
Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Atlanta as well as other North
American cities.
Grand Bahama Island's rambling, reef-protected shoreline and cays are filled with numerous powdery white-sand beaches. The premier beach on the island is secluded Gold Rock Beach, which is a must-see at low tide when it unfolds its signature “welcome mat.”
You can generally find two kinds of beaches on Grand Bahama Island, the "activity beach” and the “secluded beach.” Each is captivating for its own reasons.
At the activity beaches, you'll find a multitude of fun and games, including jet skiing, snorkeling, and windsurfing.
Half the fun of secluded beaches is discovering
them. The best hunting grounds are on the southwest and southeast sides
of the island. Following the main highway either west or east, you'll
come across miles of empty sand soon enough.
Some of the world’s most beautiful stretches of
sea surround Grand Bahama Island. The island has several world-class
marinas, many of them fully equipped with electricity hubs,
waste-disposal units, and fuel stations. Two excellent marinas are
located a short distance from Cape Hope’s properties:
Grand Bahama Yacht
Club with 125 slips in a private gated
community and Port Lucaya Marina
located in the
“action” area of Port Lucaya Marketplace.
Grand Bahama Island has made significant contributions to Bahamian cooking. Roast conch, which can now be found all over the islands, was developed by Grand Bahamian chef Joe Billy (Billy Joe), then later achieved great exposure through Tony Macaroni, another local chef and character. "Crawfish," as it is called in the islands, or Spiny Lobster, is another major tradition. This clawless lobster is considered a delicacy, and is plentiful in the surrounding waters. You'll find it on almost every menu.
In addition to native fare, there are other
restaurants ranging from simple to elaborate.
The Ferry House Restaurant offers the best of Grand Bahama in a
tranquil waterside setting.
Grand Bahama Island's reputation as a diver's paradise has been growing ever since the earliest episodes of "Sea Hunt" were filmed here. Elaborate coral gardens, playful dolphins, and beckoning blue holes—these are images of the "other" Grand Bahama Island, ones that live beneath a shimmering blue surface that sprawls outwards from the beaches.
Grand Bahama Island is of course also famous for its "blue holes"—spectacular azure portals in the reefs through which you can descend, surrounded by reef wall on all sides. Part of the reason for the dense and unique reef structure is the massive limestone base on which Grand Bahama rests, a phenomenon that also accounts for what is perhaps Grand Bahama's most extraordinary submarine feature: the second largest underwater cave system in the world. Located in the Lucayan National Park, the caves are still being explored, and there are numerous special dive programs that can take you into them (provided you are cave certified).
Several operators provide dive guides, tours and
equipment: UNEXSO and
Xanadu Divers are two of the recommended dive operators.
Grand Bahama Island is an ecological wonder
waiting to be discovered. While there are miles of beaches, you’ll also
find miles of park trails. West End and East End both offer exploration
possibilities – not to mention Grand Bahama’s national parks, the
underwater cave system, horseback riding on the beach or kayaking
through the mangroves.
Grand Bahama Island is considered one of the premier destinations in the world for sportfishing. Marlin, sailfish, blue, and yellowfin tuna, bonefish, or barracuda are [available] in the waters surrounding Grand Bahama.
One of the world's best game fish—the
bonefish—not only likes the waters of Grand Bahama Island, but is more
at home here than anywhere else in the world.
Pelican Bay Bonefishing
offers daily fishing packages with some of the best guides in the
Bahamas.
Grand Bahama Island averages seven hours of
completely sunny skies per day, and rain seldom lasts for longer than it
takes to get under cover—even during the rainy season. Grand Bahama
boasts four excellent championship golf courses.
Rand Memorial Hospital is a government-operated
90-bed community type hospital. There are also several private medical
clinics with a total of over thirty physicians and dentists. For major
long-term medical problems, Miami is only half an hour away.
The extent and quality of the road system in
Freeport is tremendous. Because the Freeport area has been under private
control and development by DEVCO (a joint venture between the Port
Authority and Hutchison), its road system is of a far higher quality
than would normally be expected in an island environment. DEVCO has
built over 200 miles of wide roads in broad rights-of-way, the more
important of which are designed as boulevards with landscaped medians.
Both roads and roadways are kept meticulously maintained and
litter-free. The resulting visual effect is very different from what is
typical on other Caribbean islands.
The British school system provides the model for
education. There are many schools on the island, both private and
public, providing instruction from the preschool to the high school
levels. Of significant note is the
Lucaya International School, partially funded and managed by the principals of
Cape Hope, which provides an excellent opportunity for education on the
island. The Lucaya International School has classes ranging from
pre-kindergarten through grade 12. There is an additional grade 13 that
gives students an International Baccalaureate degree, recognized by top
colleges around the world as signifying a premier education. The school
is a member of the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and
the International Baccalaureate Organisation.
Perfumes and fragrances, crystal, leather goods, jewelry, fine linens and tablecloths, watches and clocks, photographic equipment, china, binoculars, and telescopes are all duty free. The best shopping is at the Port Lucaya Marketplace and the International Bazaar; boutiques and gift shops are also found in the downtown area and at most major resorts.
Everything from duty-free products to local arts
and crafts, wood, straw, shell and clothing creations are readily
available. A wide variety of produce and grocery items can be found at
local Food Stores throughout the island. There are a number of
American-style supermarkets on the island.
Grand Bahama, through Cable Bahamas and Batelco,
has high speed internet and telecommunications readily available.
Businesses can lease bandwidth at reasonable rates -- and individuals
have broadband internet available at most homesites. Batelco offers
cellular (GSM) phone service throughout the island.
Water is yet another fundamental in respect of
which Grand Bahama is particularly fortunate. Most islands in the
Caribbean area suffer from inadequate fresh water resources to
accommodate substantial populations, not to mention the needs of
tourists for irrigated golf courses, swimming pools, and ornamental
water features. Grand Bahama Island, on the other hand, lies atop a vast
natural aquifer with fresh water lenses up to 60 feet in depth. It is
estimated that there is enough fresh water throughout the island to
supply a population of about 300,000.
One of the features of Grand Bahama Island is the emerald green water. Not only is the water beautiful, but it’s also ideal for a variety of water sports.
The island’s distinctive coral and reef formations also make the clear, often-shallow water remarkably more rewarding for snorkelers.
Several hotels throughout Grand Bahama Island have beach water sports operators who can equip you with the right gear for any activity.
