Grand Bahama Island Off The Beaten Path

Fifteen miles west of Freeport, on the West End Road, there is a little hotel called Paradise Cove at Deadman's Reef. Situated on the beach, the hotel offers day visitors free beach access (all Bahamian beaches are public, remember), plus a dive shop and snack bar with conch fritters, burgers and dogs. You can also purchase your favorite brew. Kayaks, beach chairs and umbrellas can be rented, all at a modest cost.

Though a lot of people seem to have discovered Deadman's Reef, it never seems crowded. Snorkling is excellent with shallow water for hundreds of yards and a reef accessible to swimmers. It's a pleasant drive out past Eight Mile Rock and one of our favorite places in the Bahamas.

Follow East Sunrise Highway to a traffic circle where you will pick up the Grand Bahama Highway and cross over the Grand Lucayan Waterway. Continue another 20 miles, as the road deteriorates and you realize you haven't seen a soul.

Lucayan National Park is the Bahamas largest. From the parking area, a plank walkway winds over dunes and marshes and delivers you to a narrow, completely isolated stretch of beach. You'll see an abundance of wildlife (birds, mostly) , but few people. There are beaches to comb and even caves to explore (check with the rangers first). Pack a picnic (no concessions) and enjoy a day of peace and quiet.

One note: The only facilities I encountered were porta-potties in the parking lot, a good hike back from the beach.

The Sand Bar is nearly impossible to find, but worth the effort. Set on a strip of Fortune Beach, it is reached by traversing sandy, nameless roads. But if you have a trusted cabbie, he'll know where it is. Besides, you won't want to drive home (on the left!) afterwards anyway.

Run by Jenks, Margaritta's Villa and Sand Bar is an unimposing cinderblock structure plopped on the beach. Inside you'll find air-conditioning, a floor made of white sand, sports on the TV, great conch fritters and cold, cold drinks. Plus, you're invited to write your name on the walls.

Outside, there are sand dunes, a deck and grill, volleyball net, and one of the prettiest strecthes of beach on Grand Bahama. If you go on a Sunday afternoon when the Miami Dolphins are playing, you'll find a party. (Jenks flies off to Miami whenever the Dolphins are playing at home.)

Open for lunch only, closed Mondays.

On our drive to the West of the Island, we found an area where all of the conch shells are tossed after harvesting the animals.
The smell, as you can imagine was unbearable! But, if you are brave and have a strong stomach, it is a good place to grab a couple of these beautiful shells.
I recommend boiling and bleach!

The basketplace is a little area next to the International Marketplace that people (some of them appeared to live in their little shop) try to sell items so that they can make a living. We found the people there very nice.