Over 700 islands make The Bahamas and although many of them are uninhabited, the ones that are populated are home to magnificent towns and scenic villages, either fringing the sandy coastline with the crystalline waters or the fascinating inland.
Whether you love the idea of enjoying the cool ocean breeze on a sugary shore with a Bahama Mama in hand, swimming, treating your palate with delicious fish and seafood, exploring scenic sites of historical or cultural interest, or laying eyes on exquisite marine life underwater or at aquariums, The Bahamas will certainly grand your every wish through its islands, towns, and villages. Below are eight of them (plus one bonus city) that will probably make you fall hopelessly in love with the Caribbean country forever.
Nassau – The Glorious Capital
Tucked in the beating heart of New Providence Island, Nassau is arguably the most beautiful city also serving as the capital of The Bahamas. Spanning over 35 kilometres (21 miles), it is an incredibly diverse town enchanting visitors with a delightful mix of Haitian, English, and West African cultures. At the same time, Nassau is the most developed and populated place and home to about 50% of the total population of The Bahamas. As expected, there are plenty of accommodation options, including luxury hotels, and a wide array of museums and restaurants, along with a plethora of water sports facilities and chances to try from jet skiing and snorkelling to scuba diving and kitesurfing.
Arawak Cay – Breath-Taking & Seductive
Arawak Cay is another adorable city in New Province Island that receives the admiration of thousands of tourists flooding the island every year. Come here if your wish list includes pampering your palate with authentic Bahamian food and staples like snapper, fried grouper, conch fritters, conch salad, and the likes. With more than 30 seafood restaurants spread all over Arawak Cay, it feels like a place of gastronomic excellence. Culinary experiences aside, though, Arawak Cay is also notorious for its cultural events, such as the conch festivals, parades, and live concerts, giving lively vibes to the island with an overall celebratory atmosphere almost year-round.
Freeport – Gracious & Diverse
Chances are you will feel like royalty at Freeport, the picturesque capital of the Grand Bahama Island – another idyllic island dotting the Caribbean. This is because Freeport is a dreamland for whatever your desires might involve. From activities like duty-free shopping and gambling to diving, fishing, enjoying refreshing drinks at nightclubs, boating, and playing golf, your expectations will surely be exceeded by far.
Apart from everything else, though, Grand Bahama Island is regarded as the Bahamian game fishing capital, which means that you have the unique opportunity to get a barracuda, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, marlin, and lots more. Not to mention its spellbinding beaches with the fine sand and the turquoise waters.
Gregory Town – Pure Bahamian Culture in One Place
Stunning Eleuthera Island hides a little gem in its lap – Gregory Town. Most travellers heading to this place are lovers of Bahamian culture that wish to learn some more about it, while also experiencing genuine Bahamian moments during their vacations. You can imagine their thrill when participating in local events like the annual Pineapple Festival that takes place in early June during the Bahamian Labor Day weekend, where local musicians play a specific type of local music the islanders refer to as Rake n Scrape music! Barbecues, fun nights with lots of dancing and drinking, surfing competitions in the winter months, and impressive Bahamian landmarks, like the Preacher’s Cave and the Glass Window Bridge all come to complement your visit at Eleuthera!
Alice Town – Miles-Long Beach and Tranquillity
You will find Alice Town sitting quietly and comfortably at Bimini Island, waiting to spoil visitors with a sublime shore that stretches for miles and miles. Alice Town is the perfect getaway destination for those wanting a short (or longer) break from the tourist-packed places and the noise. Extremely peaceful and quiet, it provides opportunities for mind and body-pleasing activities like walking, hiking, sunbathing, and beachside reading. Of course, it also offers a decent level of entertainment with several fast-food restaurants and bars.
Bonus town: Cape Santa Maria is another exquisite town in The Bahamas (at Long Island) that also charms with its endless sugary shore, clear blue waters, and the serenity exuded from the land. If being just you, your loved one, and the sound of the ocean waves is your cup of tea, then this is your place.
Marsh Harbour – The Perfect Place to Explore Offshore Cays
Marsh Harbour is located in Abaco Islands and is the third largest town in The Bahamas. Besides being an important shipbuilding centre, it is also a bustling hub with tourist facilities like a shipping centre, travel agencies, specialty shops, grocery shops, and great water-taxi connections, which is why it is hugely preferred for offshore cay explorations. Feel free to hop on a motorbike or a bicycle and traverse through the entire island or try water sports like kayaking in the Marls, snorkelling, and swimming.
George Town – The Town of the Blue-Bloods
Great Exuma is the largest of the Exuma cays (islands), which count over 360 in total. In this district, George Town holds the scepters as the largest city and the capital of Great Exuma. Run by the Tropic of Cancer, it was first settled around the late 1700s by American loyalists that wanted a getaway from the Revolutionary War. Among other things, the expatriates introduced an economy based on a cotton plantation, while also naming the largest town on the island in honour of George III. A perfect destination for both history buffs and nature lovers alike.
Lucaya City – Home to the Most Stunning Natural Park
This beautiful Freeport suburb welcomes visitors with luxury resorts and 5-star hotels, including the jaw-dropping Pelican Bay and Our Lucaya resort, which includes properties from both the Reef Village and The Radisson. It is also home to the very first destination dive charter business (aka UNEXSO or Underwater Explorers Society) and even features shark feeding dives and a dolphinarium. But, aside from them all, Lucaya is probably most well-known for the homonymous national park, which offers the chance to dive into the largest underwater cave system in the world and see amazing sites and natural scenery that is hard to find elsewhere.
Over 700 islands make The Bahamas and although many of them are uninhabited, the ones that are populated are home to magnificent towns and scenic villages, either fringing the sandy coastline with the crystalline waters or the fascinating inland.
Whether you love the idea of enjoying the cool ocean breeze on a sugary shore with a Bahama Mama in hand, swimming, treating your palate with delicious fish and seafood, exploring scenic sites of historical or cultural interest, or laying eyes on exquisite marine life underwater or at aquariums, The Bahamas will certainly grand your every wish through its islands, towns, and villages. Below are eight of them (plus one bonus city) that will probably make you fall hopelessly in love with the Caribbean country forever.
Nassau – The Glorious Capital
Tucked in the beating heart of New Providence Island, Nassau is arguably the most beautiful city also serving as the capital of The Bahamas. Spanning over 35 kilometres (21 miles), it is an incredibly diverse town enchanting visitors with a delightful mix of Haitian, English, and West African cultures. At the same time, Nassau is the most developed and populated place and home to about 50% of the total population of The Bahamas. As expected, there are plenty of accommodation options, including luxury hotels, and a wide array of museums and restaurants, along with a plethora of water sports facilities and chances to try from jet skiing and snorkelling to scuba diving and kitesurfing.
Arawak Cay – Breath-Taking & Seductive
Arawak Cay is another adorable city in New Province Island that receives the admiration of thousands of tourists flooding the island every year. Come here if your wish list includes pampering your palate with authentic Bahamian food and staples like snapper, fried grouper, conch fritters, conch salad, and the likes. With more than 30 seafood restaurants spread all over Arawak Cay, it feels like a place of gastronomic excellence. Culinary experiences aside, though, Arawak Cay is also notorious for its cultural events, such as the conch festivals, parades, and live concerts, giving lively vibes to the island with an overall celebratory atmosphere almost year-round.
Freeport – Gracious & Diverse
Chances are you will feel like royalty at Freeport, the picturesque capital of the Grand Bahama Island – another idyllic island dotting the Caribbean. This is because Freeport is a dreamland for whatever your desires might involve. From activities like duty-free shopping and gambling to diving, fishing, enjoying refreshing drinks at nightclubs, boating, and playing golf, your expectations will surely be exceeded by far.
Apart from everything else, though, Grand Bahama Island is regarded as the Bahamian game fishing capital, which means that you have the unique opportunity to get a barracuda, wahoo, yellowfin tuna, bluefin tuna, marlin, and lots more. Not to mention its spellbinding beaches with the fine sand and the turquoise waters.
Gregory Town – Pure Bahamian Culture in One Place
Stunning Eleuthera Island hides a little gem in its lap – Gregory Town. Most travellers heading to this place are lovers of Bahamian culture that wish to learn some more about it, while also experiencing genuine Bahamian moments during their vacations. You can imagine their thrill when participating in local events like the annual Pineapple Festival that takes place in early June during the Bahamian Labor Day weekend, where local musicians play a specific type of local music the islanders refer to as Rake n Scrape music! Barbecues, fun nights with lots of dancing and drinking, surfing competitions in the winter months, and impressive Bahamian landmarks, like the Preacher’s Cave and the Glass Window Bridge all come to complement your visit at Eleuthera!
Alice Town – Miles-Long Beach and Tranquillity
You will find Alice Town sitting quietly and comfortably at Bimini Island, waiting to spoil visitors with a sublime shore that stretches for miles and miles. Alice Town is the perfect getaway destination for those wanting a short (or longer) break from the tourist-packed places and the noise. Extremely peaceful and quiet, it provides opportunities for mind and body-pleasing activities like walking, hiking, sunbathing, and beachside reading. Of course, it also offers a decent level of entertainment with several fast-food restaurants and bars.
Bonus town: Cape Santa Maria is another exquisite town in The Bahamas (at Long Island) that also charms with its endless sugary shore, clear blue waters, and the serenity exuded from the land. If being just you, your loved one, and the sound of the ocean waves is your cup of tea, then this is your place.
Marsh Harbour – The Perfect Place to Explore Offshore Cays
Marsh Harbour is located in Abaco Islands and is the third largest town in The Bahamas. Besides being an important shipbuilding centre, it is also a bustling hub with tourist facilities like a shipping centre, travel agencies, specialty shops, grocery shops, and great water-taxi connections, which is why it is hugely preferred for offshore cay explorations. Feel free to hop on a motorbike or a bicycle and traverse through the entire island or try water sports like kayaking in the Marls, snorkelling, and swimming.
George Town – The Town of the Blue-Bloods
Great Exuma is the largest of the Exuma cays (islands), which count over 360 in total. In this district, George Town holds the scepters as the largest city and the capital of Great Exuma. Run by the Tropic of Cancer, it was first settled around the late 1700s by American loyalists that wanted a getaway from the Revolutionary War. Among other things, the expatriates introduced an economy based on a cotton plantation, while also naming the largest town on the island in honour of George III. A perfect destination for both history buffs and nature lovers alike.
Lucaya City – Home to the Most Stunning Natural Park
This beautiful Freeport suburb welcomes visitors with luxury resorts and 5-star hotels, including the jaw-dropping Pelican Bay and Our Lucaya resort, which includes properties from both the Reef Village and The Radisson. It is also home to the very first destination dive charter business (aka UNEXSO or Underwater Explorers Society) and even features shark feeding dives and a dolphinarium. But, aside from them all, Lucaya is probably most well-known for the homonymous national park, which offers the chance to dive into the largest underwater cave system in the world and see amazing sites and natural scenery that is hard to find elsewhere.