Stretching across 500 miles of some of the most beautiful waters in the world, the area collectively known as “The Islands of the Bahamas” is a 100,000-square-mile tropical archipelago. Numbering close to 700 in total — including uninhabited cays and large rocks — the most popular and populated islands are New Providence (Nassau and Paradise Island), Grand Bahama (Freeport and Lucaya), Eleuthera and the Exumas, Turks and Caicos, Abacos, and others simply known as the “Out Islands.”
While more than two-thirds of the population lives in Nassau, the capital, and more than a million cruise ship passengers arrive there annually, for my first-ever visit, I decided to forego Nassau’s glitz, glamour and gambling casinos and settle in at Old Bahama Bay on Grand Bahama, a mere 52 miles east of Palm Beach, Fla. Here the Gulf Stream’s warm waters lap its western tip, and the Little Bahama Bank protects it from the northeast.
But long before my visit, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World on the island of San Salvador (some historians think he landed on Cat Island in the eastern Bahamas). After observing the shallow sea around the islands, he said, “Baja mar” (shallow water or sea), and effectively named the area “The Bahamas,” or “The Islands of the Shallow Sea.” Since it was located close to Florida and well-traveled shipping channels, the islands eventually caught the attention of explorers, settlers, invaders, and traders, and it is these people who shaped the colorful history of the Bahamas and made the country what it is today.
Surprisingly, the tourism industry didn’t begin until the mid-19th century with government support for the construction of hotels and subsidized steamship service. Tourism once again blossomed in the 1920s, when Prohibition brought well-to-do Americans to the islands, and the influx of visitors increased the demand for food, lodging, and other items. When Cuba, with its glitzy casinos and beach resorts, was closed to American tourists in 1961, good fortune returned to the Bahamas.
Capitalizing on its close proximity to the United States, the government set out to increase the number of people who visited it each year, dredged Nassau’s harbor so that it could accommodate up to six cruise ships at a time, and building a bridge connecting Nassau to Paradise Island.
Nassau aside, the lovely Grand Bahama Island, which gets its name from the Spanish “gran bajamar,” meaning “great shallows” to describe the many flats and shoals in the waters off the island, is the fourth largest in the archipelago. It rambles on for a blissful 96 miles, and is rimmed with villages, cays, and interesting nooks and crannies that offer beaches, boating, relaxation, and refreshment. For almost 300 years, it was virtually uninhabited and little more than a pine forest. With the development of Freeport/Lucaya in the 1950s, and because of its close proximity to Florida, it is now one of the most visited of all the Bahamian islands and is the quintessential tropical Caribbean playground.
We left the relaxing life of the West End for a day visit to Freeport/Lucaya, which included an obligatory duty-free shopping spree at Port Lucaya Marketplace — a harbor side village of shops, restaurants, a straw market, and Count Basie Square, where you might catch a “Junkanoo” performance by local musicians — and a visit to UNEXSO (Underwater Explorers Society), home to swimming and diving activities with friendly Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
One of the oldest dive resorts in the world, and the first one on Grand Bahama, the UNEXSO experience (www.unexso.com) has something for everyone, including those who want to learn the basics of snorkeling and diving. Children (4 to12) and adults who want minor interaction, like a kiss on the cheek or a few strokes on the back, will enjoy the “dolphin close encounter” from a shallow platform in a lagoon pool. More adventurous types can swim and play with them in another lagoon, and experienced swimmers can actually frolic with them in an open ocean environment.
We chose the “close encounter,” a three-hour, two-for-the-price-of-one event that included a scenic boat ride to/from the dolphin’s 9-acre playground, as well as the chance — my first-ever — to kiss Kaholo, an 11-year-old, 380-pound male dolphin, who enjoys entertaining his audience as much as he does eating the 23 pounds of fish he gets daily. UNEXSO also has a wonderful harbor-side store selling vacation apparel and beach wear from the likes of Tommy Bahama and Lily Pulitzer, snorkeling equipment, and Dive-In, a poolside restaurant open for breakfast and lunch.
But Grand Bahama offers many other tropical experiences, including reef and wreck diving, deep-sea and bottom fishing, glass-bottom boat tours, golf, horseback riding through nature trails and powder-white beaches, and eco-adventures at Paradise Cove, Lucayan National Park, and the BNT Rand Nature center.
Grand Bahama Island is, I think, quite a unique destination. It lets you combine a cosmopolitan vacation at a world-class resort with the charm of historical fishing villages and undiscovered ecological treasures. After suffering through several hurricanes during the 2004 and 2005 season, it’s good to know that “The Islands of the Shallow Sea” are back in business.
INCIDENTAL INTELLLIGENCE
WHERE TO STAY:
OLD BAHAMA BAY RESORT AND YACHT HARBOR, West End (346-6500, www.oldbahamabay.com), sits on 230 acres of oceanfront property on Grand Bahama’s western tip. Currently there are nine two-story cottages with 49 guestrooms and suites with four more cottages due to open shortly. The rooms are elegantly decorated in Bahamian-Colonial style, with luxurious bathrooms, complete kitchen facilities, Frette linens, and terraces that overlook the ocean, pool, or marina. There’s a 72-slip marina; Aqua, a fine dining restaurant; Dockside Restaurant and Sports Bar; and beachfront Straw Bar (be sure to sample a Kalik (the Bahamian-brewed beer pronounced “ka-lick’). Room rates range from $199 to $489 depending on season; suites run from $569 to $1,089. There are a variety of packages available in and out of season.
WESTIN GRAND BAHAMA, Sea Horse Lane (242-373-1333, www.westin.com/ourlucaya) is one of three hotels sharing a 372-acre complex known as Our Lucaya. The 10-floor Westin Breakers Cay and two-story Westin Lighthouse Point are the largest with 749 guest rooms and suites — all with the trademark Heavenly Bed and Heavenly Bath. The Lighthouse Point property also has 21 lanai suites. Fourteen restaurants and cafes cater to all tastes in formal and informal settings, and there are swim-up bars for those who never want to leave the serpentine or infinity edge pools. The resort has two golf courses, a spa and fitness center, and the new Isle of Capri Casino offers 400 slot machines and 30 game tables. Off-season rates range from $179 to $239 depending on ocean, marina, or island view. High season rates run $300 to $359.
SHERATON GRAND BAHAMA, Royal Palm Way (242-373-1444, www.sheraton.com/ourlucaya) is a 514-room family-friendly retreat. Rooms and suites feature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds to ensure a good night’s sleep after a day filled with beach, pool, and waterslide activities. Camp Lucaya offers supervised activities for children 3 to 12. The resort shares facilities with the neighboring Westin. Off-season rates range from $140 to $325 depending on ocean, marina, or island view. High season rates run $300 to $399.
PELICAN BAY AT PORT LUCAYA, Royal Palm Way (242-373-9550, www.pelicanbayhotel.com) is an attractive boutique hotel that incorporates Caribbean warmth and ambiance with sophisticated European design. Its 186 rooms and suites are in a prime, center-of-it-all location adjacent to the Port Lucaya Marketplace and UNEXSO, home of the dolphin experience. Ferry House, one of the island’s premier fine dining restaurants, is owned by Pelican Bay, and Yellow Tails Bar & Grill, located waterside at the main pool, features drinks and light fare such as fresh grouper sandwiches or cracked conch. Depending on view and season, rates are $129 to $369.
WHERE TO EAT:
FERRY HOUSE, on Bell Channel (242-373-1595), serves as the main restaurant for adjacent Pelican Bay Resort. The restaurant has a spectacular view overlooking the channel, and offers diners interesting and eclectic choices ranging from a $75 tasting menu (choices include truffle infused mushroom soup, duck breast with Thai barbeque sauce, and hot chocolate cake) to a $21 oyster sampler offering four different varieties. A daily lunch special ($25) might include grilled Wahoo or tiger shrimp, and dinner entrees range from $28 to $38 per person. Wines available by the glass. The Ferry House is open daily for lunch, dinner Tuesday to Sunday.
AQUA, at old Bahama Bay (242-350-6500), features a Bahamian fusion menu that reinterprets the presentation of classic Bahamian delicacies, such as conch and Caribbean lobster. Other local specialties include “fruits of the sea,” a mix of shellfish tossed in a cognac-saffron cream, and Bahamian-style group served with green peppers, onions, and tomatoes. Several dishes, such as Caesar salad and fettuccine Alfredo, are nicely presented tableside. Dinner for two without wine is $95 to $120. Open daily for dinner.
LUCIANO’S, at Port Lucaya Marketplace (242-373-9100), is “the” place to go for a candlelit, romantic dinner. Serving a pleasant mix of European and Continental classics (foie gras, beluga caviar, coquilles St. Jacques, Chateaubriand for two) with Bahamian specialties (conch chowder, broiled lobster tail, island grouper with roasted almonds), Luciano’s also has a fine selection of wines list to complement the menu. Dinner for two without wine is $110 to $135. Open for dinner Monday to Saturday.
LA DOLCE VITA, at Port Lucaya Marketplace (242-373-8652), serves traditional Italian cuisine in a stunning waterfront setting. Antipasti choices include bruschetta, carpaccio, and roasted pepper salad with golden raisins and olives. Fresh pastas and pizzas are good entree choices, as is homemade ravioli offered with cheese, lobster or spinach fillings. Risotto comes flavored with black ink or with seafood, and a traditional veal chop is grilled with fresh rosemary. Pasta courses range from $13 to $24, seafood and meats $19 to $36. Open daily for dinner. Closed during September.
VISITOR INFORMATION:
The Tourist Information Office on Grand Bahama has offices at the International Airport, International Bazaar in Freeport, and at Port Lucaya Marketplace (242-352-8044). For tourist information visit www.grand-bahama.com. For information on The Islands of the Bahamas in general, visit www.bahamas.com.
The area code for Grand Bahama Island is 242; all numbers are for local calls. The currency unit is the Bahamian dollar, which is equivalent to the U.S. dollar.
ART: With six numbered color images with captions.
CAPTIONS:
IMAGE 1. Junkanoo, a costumed and musical Bahamian festival, is officially celebrated on Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, but many hotels hold Junkanoo performances for guests throughout the year. (Photo courtesy of Bahamas Tourism) Slug: WF-FEATURE1-JUNKANOO
IMAGE 2. Chef at Old Bahama Bay presents conch (pronounced “konk”) the island’s favorite mollusk and an ingredient in many Bahamian dishes. Photo by Margaret Johnson. Slug: WF-FEATURE1-CONCH
IMAGE 3. Friendly dolphin Kaholo performs for visitors at UNEXSO’s Dolphin Experience. Photo by Margaret Johnson. Slug: WF-FEATURE1-KAHOLO
IMAGE 4. This exotic menu seduces diners to La Dolce Vita Restaurant. Photo by Margaret Johnson. Slug: WF-FEATURE1-LADOLCE
IMAGE 5. Port Lucaya Lighthouse is one of the oldest in the Bahamas. Photo by Margaret Johnson. Slug: WF-FEATURE1-LIGHTHOUSE
IMAGE 6. This colorful Bahamian parrot chats with visits at UNEXSO’s Dolphin Experience. Photo by Margaret Johnson. Slug: WF-FEATURE1-PARROT
(Margaret M. Johnson has been writing about food and travel for more than 20 years. She is also the author of five Irish cookbooks, most recently “Irish Puddings, Tarts, Crumbles and Fools,” a desserts cookbook published by Chronicle Books, San Francisco.)
(C) 2006 MARGARET JOHNSON DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
