Andros Island Bonefishing Lodge

You can't leave the Bahamas...

by Rockhound

You can't leave the Bahamas without snorkling and exploring the barrier reef off of Andros Island. Just Andros Island is a must see. The island has not been commercialized at all and provides the true Bahama experience.

Visit the out islands, where...

by jake22

Visit the out islands, where the locals are friendly. My best memory is of a cruise on a bare sail boat to the east side of Andros Island. We put in at the mouth of South Bight and were welcomed by Leroy Bannister who was the owner of the only restaurant. The restaurant had an opening in the side where a turtle pen was located. He showed us how he fed the turtles conch and showed us how to clean and eat fresh conch. His wife was away, so he couldn't fix us up a turtle dinner.

We walked about and the people all wanted to show us rooms in their homes that they would rent to us.

Roaming around Nassau

by seagoingJLW

"History"

The Bahamas were Christopher Columbus' first New World discovery. In 1492 he went ashore on an island originally called Guanahani and renamed it San Salvador. The native Arawak Indians were sent by the Spaniards to work in the sugar mills of Cuba and Hispaniola. Since the Spaniards did not settle here, King Charles I of England granted the islands to Sir Robert Heath.

The Eleutherian Adventurers, a group of English merchants and pioneers came here seeking religious freedom, but were soon overrrun by pirates such as Blackbeard and Avery who were finally routed in 1718 by Capt. Woodes Rogers, the first royal governor.

After the American Revolution, Loyalists fled here with their slaves.

Not only were the Bahamas a hideout for pirates, but they were exploited by Confederate blockade runners during the Civil War and bootleggers during the Prohibition era.

Spain captured the islands from the British in 1782, but the Treaty of Versailles returned them to Britain in 1783. From 1718 to 1969 the governor was appointed by the British Crown; after 1969 it was made in consultation with the Bahamas Government. It became an independent nation on July 10, 1973.

Miscellaneous Information

The Bahamas is a coral archipelago consisting of about 700 islands and 2,000 cays. The total area of the islands is about 5,400 square miles (13,940 sq km).

The archipelago extends for about 600 miles from the Mantanilla Shoal off the coast of Florida to 50 miles north of Haiti.

The weather can be pleasant in the winter season although there are occasional north winds accompanied by heavy rain and surprisingly low temperatures. The summer months are hot, humid and windless with frequent thunderstorms.

About 15 island areas have been developed. They have a population of about 287,000 which is 85% black and 15% white. the major religions are: Baptist (32%), Anglican (20%), Roman Catholic (19%), Methodist (6%), Church of God (6%), other Protestant (12%), none or unknown (3%), and other (2%).

English is the main language, but Haitian immigrants speak Creole.

We strolled through the streets of Nassau. You see the same stores everywhere in the Caribbean. Sometimes I think you see the same people. Do they fly them around to meet you at every port?

Information about the Islands

The Abaco Islands are for sailing and boating.
Andros Island is the largest and least explored.
The Bimini Islands are known for big game fishing
Eleuthera/Harbour Island are known for pink and white sand beaches.
The Exuma Islands are a collection of 305 cays and islands stetching over 120 miles.
Grand Bahama Island is an ecological wonder.
Nassau/Pardise Island is the jewel of the Bahamas. It is the cultural, social, political and economic center of the islands.