Where to go, where to stay, and what to catch
With summer in full swing, more and more boat owners are making the short trip from Florida to the Bahamas. It’s the perfect summer getaway with family and friends, partly because many of the best cruising and fishing destinations are close by and easy to get to.
These include Bimini, the closest point in the islands, Grand Bahama (West End and Freeport/Lucaya), and the Abaco chain of islands a little further east. The Abacos beckon to many of us due to their proximity to home, but also because they offer a distinctive island vibe that’s not like home. Favorite Abaco destinations include Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Man-O-War Cay, Elbow Cay/Hopetown, and Marsh Harbour, with many smaller island destinations spread out among those better-known options.
For the more adventurous among us, dozens of other less crowded Bahamian destinations offer even more amazing attributes. The Berry Islands sit south of Grand Bahama on the eastern edge of the Great Bahama Bank, with Great Harbour on the north end and Chub Cay on the south. The Berry’s offer some of the finest bonefishing opportunities in all the Bahamas, with seasonally awesome offshore fishing as well. Just bear in mind that Chub Cay intends to become all private later this fall.
Further south lies what may be the most exquisite cruising grounds in all the Bahamas, the Exumas. From Highbourne Cay to the north, down to Georgetown on Great Exuma, this spectacular chain provides breathtaking scenery and water as beautiful as any you’ll find anywhere. They say there are 365 islands in the Exuma chain, with countless cuts, harbors, and reefs to explore, and you’ll almost never find a crowd there. Highlights include Staniel Cay, Compass Cay and Pipe Creek and Warderick Wells and the Exuma Land and Sea Park.
We also recommend Eleuthera (Greek for “freedom”), specifically Harbour Island, which lies off Eleuthera’s northeast corner. Harbour Island was once the capitol of the Bahamas, but now offers luxurious hotels and fantastic restaurants, all situated around the famed pink-sand beach along the eastern shore, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It’s a great family destination, with great fishing to boot. Whether you want to be pampered in a posh resort or anchor out, alone in a secluded bay, the Bahamas has what you want. If you’ve never tried it out, you owe it to yourself to do so. There’s no better time than now.
