The Beautiful Bahamas An idyllic sun spot brimming with endless attractions By Donna Carter During the 1700s, notorious pirates used the Bahamian islands as their operational hub, a location that served them well. The shipping lanes of the period provided Blackbeard, Henry Morgan, Captain Kidd and others with a steady stream of vessels which they regularly attacked and looted. Ships carrying anything worth thieving were fair game. However, the centuries-old history that ties The Bahamas to the famous “Golden Age of Piracy” lies in the ancient past. Today, the archipelago’s history as a buccaneers’ headquarters has long since been replaced with a different kind of fame. Consisting of 700 coral islands southeast of Florida, with 30 of them inhabited, the subtropical country in the Atlantic attracts millions of visitors a year. What entices them is a sublime sunshine environment, clear blue water, pink sand beaches, golf courses, water sports and casinos, together with a vibrant nightlife and a host of unique attractions. With more than 300 days of sunshine each year plus an abundance of entertainment features, it’s hardly surprising that The Bahamas has attracted the attention of the rich and famous. The many who either own property there or regularly visit include Tiger Woods, Johnny Depp, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, Faith Hill and Nicolas Cage. Lying 50 miles east of mainland Florida – and 250 miles north of Cuba – the islands are so rich with things to see and do that the choices are vast and can vary from one island to another. While there are boat shuttles, water taxis and ferries connecting some of the islands, there are also short-haul flights, making it easy to visit more than one island during the same trip. New Providence ranks as the country’s most popular; its capital city, Nassau, is the largest centre in The Bahamas. Other popular islands include Paradise, Bimini, The Exumas, Eleuthera and Grand Bahama. However, repeat visitors and longtime fans of this sunshine archipelago insist that there are no bad choices. What follows is a representation of what the islands have to offer in terms of activities, adventure, sightseeing and surprises. 16 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
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