Bahamas Resorts, anyone?

The resorts of the Bahamas are the playground for sunbathers, golfers, divers, sailors, sport fishermen, and nature lovers, not to mention its world-class casinos, shopping, and historical sites. With more than 700 beautiful islands and more than 2,000 limestone and coral outcrops, the Bahamas is unique in the Caribbean due to its prosperity and wealth, its political stability, and its proximity to the US.

The Bahamas was the first Caribbean island discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was a haunt of pirates, including Blackbeard Teach and the notorious pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read. Only thirty islands are populated, with the island of New Providence containing 60% of the population and the capital, Nassau, with its Victorian buildings and forts. Nassau is the departure point for full-service crewed cruises, day and sunset cruises, sailboats, powerboats and personal watercraft. Bahamas all-inclusive professionally guided charter boat fishing is some of the best in the Caribbean. In the evening it is traditional to sit in a Nassau bar and watch the spectacular Bahamian sunset; then repair to a gourmet dinner. During the day, you can shop at the straw market on Nassau’s Bay Street, or you can take a horse-drawn tour of the city. The city has retained much of its colonial architecture, and set against the pastel-colored buildings in Parliament Square, the statue of Queen Victoria looks out over Nassau. Fort Fincastle features the Water Tower, the highest point on the island. Climb the 66 steps of the Queen’s Staircase (one for each year of Queen Victoria’s reign). Nassau’s Junakanoo Festival is a New Year’s celebration of gaily costumed parades dancing to whistles, cowbells and goatskin drums. In addition to Nassau, Freeport on Grand Bahama Island is also famous for its nightlife and glitz. The lively casinos of the Bahamas dazzle with music, color and the thrill of chance, offering blackjack, craps, slots, baccarat and sports betting.

The Bahamian water has the clearest visibility in the world (over 200 feet), making for a great adventure to dive and snorkel, and have a barefoot picnic on remote Bahamian beaches all-inclusive. Andros Island, the largest island in the Bahamas, lies on the edge of the unfathomable depths called the “Tongue of the Ocean.” The Andros Barrier Reef offers an impressive underwater adventure. Andros also has rare orchids in its tropical forests and hunters also find ducks, partridges and doves there. The island of Eleuthera is famous for its magnificent white sand beaches and private coves for swimming in the dark blue-green waters. You can swim in Paradise Lagoon through shimmering, cascading waters, watch shoals of multicolored, exotic fish, then plunge into a free-form pool. You can splash under a symphony of forty waterfalls or float down a lazy river in a rubber tube. Or walk through a 100-foot-long transparent underwater tunnel to get an up-close look at rays, sharks, and barracudas, and make eye contact with hundreds of species of tropical fish.