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| Above: Grand
Bahama Island in the Bahamas "Site of the New World Riviera". |
Grand Bahama, Freeport, Bahamas
Grand Bahama is one of the northernmost of
the islands of the Bahamas, lying just 55 miles (90 km) of the coast
of Florida, USA. The Island gets its name from the Spanish "gran
bajamar" – meaning "great shallows" – for
its many flats and shoals in the waters off the island.
Grand Bahama is now the second most populous island in the Bahamas,
and its major city, Freeport, is regarded as the
nation’s second city. [Bahamas
Map]
Location: 200 miles west of Nassau
Size: 530 square miles
Population: 46,994
Language: English
Currency: Bahamian
dollar
Tourism info: Grand Bahama Ministry of Tourism (242-352-8044).
Getting there from Nassau: Fly with Bahamasair or
private air charter. The Bahamas The Bahamas Mailboat costs $45 one
way to Grand Bahama and takes 12 hours.
Bahamas
Day Trip from
$99
Departing from Ft. Lauderdale, enjoy all the amenities of a traditional
cruise during a five-hour voyage to and from Grand Bahama island.
Attractions
Within the last decade, Grand Bahama Island has undergone
nothing a transformation. Major infrastructure improvements to the
port and airport have been fueled by major hotel investments in both
Freeport and West End. The two shopping,
dining and entertainment villages at International Bazaar
and Port Lucaya Marketplace are both filled with
tourists day and night, but that’s only half the story on this
multi-faceted island.
Port Lucaya’s world-class UNEXSO Dive Center
offers a host of dolphin interaction and diving programs. And a batch
of tour operators offer kayak, beach and hiking combo tours out among
the pristine 40-acre Lucayan National Park to explore
pineland, mangrove marshes and sand dunes, along with one of the world’s
largest underwater cave systems.
Grand Bahama is also a golfer and active traveler’s
paradise with four championship courses. The island features more
than 50 tennis courts, and sailors come from all over the Eastern
Seaboard to moor their yachts at Port Lucaya and
the laid-back community of West End about one hour
west of Freeport.
Freeport, the country’s second-largest city,
is sprawling and flat, with good roads and modern infrastructure.
You won’t find many historical sites here, as the city was not
developed until the 1950s. But you will find long, wide beaches, modern
hotels and marinas, and a thriving port.
Places to visit in Freeport are the Rand Nature Centre,
Grand Bahama Museum, Lucayan
National Park, and
the Grand Lucayan Waterway.
Getting around
Nearby settlements include: High Rock, Eight Mile Rock, Hawksbill
Creek, Pinder’s Point, Lewis Yard, Hunter’s, Pelican Point,
McClean Town and Sweetings Cay.
Inter-island Bahamas
mailboats depart from Nassau and run weekly roundtrip to and from
all islands.
Taxi service is available. Although metered rates vary by island,
they are reasonable and are fixed by law. Bicycles are also available
for rent at most popular tourist centers.
Rental cars are also available. You can use your home driver’s
license for up to three months, but remember, when you take to the
road, British rules apply, so keep to the left.
Pedestrians should remember to look right before
crossing streets.
Check Dates & Prices for Bahamas
Cruises.
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Web links
Bahamas.com
Request a brochure, or find a travel agent who represents Bahamas
Cruises at the official Web site.
CIA
Factbook -- Bahamas, The
The CIA factbook says the Bahamas are a stable, developing nation
with an economy heavily dependent on tourism and offshore banking.
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