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Fodor's Bahamas 2001"Fodor's guides cover culture authoritatively and rarely miss a sight or museum."- National Geographic Traveler "The king of guidebooks."- Newsweek No matter what your budget or whether it's your first trip or fifteenth, Fodor's Gold Guides get you where you want to go. Insider info that's totally up to date.Every year our local experts give you the inside track, showing you all the things to see and do -- from must-see sights to off-the-beaten-path adventures, from shopping to outdoor fun. Hundreds of hotel and restaurant choices in all price ranges-- from budget-friendly B&Bs to luxury hotels, from casual eateries to the hottest new restaurants, complete with thorough reviews showing what makes each place special. Smart Travel Tips A to Zsection helps you take care of the nitty gritty with essential local contacts and great advice -- from how to take your mountain bike with you to what to do in an emergency. Plus a full-size, foldout mapkeeps you on course.

On the Road with Fodor's Don't Forget to Write Smart
Travel Tips A to Z Destination: The Bahamas
A Country Built on Water: The Alluring World of the Bahamas New and Noteworthy
What's Where Pleasures and Pastimes Great
Itineraries Fodor's Choice
Festivals and Seasonal Events
New Providence Island
Exploring New Providence
Island Beaches Dining
Lodging Nightlife and the Arts
Outdoor Activities and Sports
Shopping New Providence Island A to Z Grand Bahama Island
Exploring Grand Bahama
Island Beaches Dining
Lodging Nightlife and the Arts
Outdoor Activities and Sports
Shopping Grand Bahama Island A to Z
The Out Islands
The Abacos CLOSE-UP
Boating in the Abacos CLOSE-UP Undersea Adventures in Andros
The Berry Islands
The Biminis Cat Island Crooked and Acklins Islands Eleuthera
The Exumas Inagua Long Island San Salvador Out Islands A to Z
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks
The Caicos Turks and Caicos Islands A to Z
Portraits of the Bahamas Cashing In: A Casino Gambling Primer
Index Maps and Plans
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

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Destination: The Bahamas

Bahamians like to tell the story -- whether real or apocryphal -- that American astronauts retuning from orbit declared that they could recognize only two sights from space: the Great wall of China and the waters of the Bahamas. It wouldn't be surprising, for the sea is the prevailing feature of this country of more than 700 islands. The sea is geography, attraction, livelihood, and inspiration all in one. Without the sea, the Bahamas would lose its raison d'être.

Even though you can reach it in less than an hour's flight from the Florida coast, the Bahama's singular natural beauty and exotic appeal make it seem more like a far-flung outpost. Picture a tiny cay (pronounced "key") ringed by lacy casuarina pines, stately palms, and silken sands that meet the startlingly hued sea. The water ranges from pale aqua to deep sapphire, the spectrum changing hourly as the relentless Bahamian sun sweeps across the island sky. As you lie on the beach, a distant boat plies the calm waters. A lonely gull swoops by overhead, surprised to see that he has company. A single set of footprints -- yours -- crosses the strand. In many ways, you realize, things have changed very little since Christopher Columbus arrived here in 1492.

Beaches

You're standing in water so clear you can see straight down to your toes; in the distance, the sea becomes the patchwork of emerald, aqua, and sapphire that you thought existed only in postcards. The torrid Bahamian sun beats inexorably down, and golden sands stretch toward infinity. As you look around, you realize there's only one thing you don't see: other people. And that -- sun, sea, sand -- is the appeal of the Bahamas in a nutshell. Best of all, the concept of private beaches doesn't apply here: all beaches in the Bahamas are public up to the high-water mark. Of course, land access can be restricted, so you may need to boat into that unspoiled Eden. But if you can get there, it's yours -- for the afternoon, anyway.

Dining

Most Bahamian cuisine looks to the sea, which provides a cornucopia of fresh products; meat, on the other hand, is often imported and consequently expensive. The islands' signature seafood is the conch. This slow-moving creature abounds in the shallow waters of the Bahamas, and consequently finds its way onto many a menu; its widely touted aphrodisiacal qualities don't hurt its popularity either. Grouper is the headline fish, and you can feast on it and other fish from dawn to dusk if you so desire. For breakfast, you might try "boil fish," cooked with salt pork, onions, peppers, and spices, or "stew fish," in a rich brown gravy -- both are usually served with grits or mildly sweet johnnycake.

Fishing

This country is an angler's dream. Light tackle, heavy tackle, fly-fishing, deep-sea fishing, reef fishing, fishing for blue marlin, bonefishing -- you name it. Fishing in the Bahamas starts in the waters of Bimini off the Florida coast and ends at the southernmost island, Inagua, on the northern edge of the Caribbean. Tournaments pop up all over the Out Islands during the year -- Bimini alone has a dozen.

Golf

Golfers will find some enticing courses, most of them with refreshing sea views. The 18-hole, par-72 championship courses on New Providence and Paradise islands are all spectacularly beautiful and will put your swing to the test. Cable Beach Golf Club is on West Bay Street in Nassau, across the boulevard from Breezes. The course at South Ocean Beach & Golf Resort, an elegant spot on the island's south coast, is secluded and scenic. A third course, Paradise Island Golf Club, covers most of the east end of Paradise Island. All three courses are open to the public, and instruction is available.

Sailing and Seafaring

Crystal seas tinted every color from deep sapphire to pale aqua are dotted with tiny, palm-fringed cays that beckon the weary sailor to step ashore for a brief respite. With more than 700 to visit, the best and only way to reach many of the isles is by ship. And with such pleasures as diving and snorkeling of prime quality here, it would be a shame not to get off the islands for some exploration. Boat rentals are scattered through the islands, making it easy to procure your own craft for a seafaring adventure (most also offer crews for the sailing-challenged).

Excerpted from Bahamas 2001: Completely Updated Every Year, Smart Travel Tips from A to Z, Pull-Out Color Map by Fodor's Travel Publications, Inc. Staff
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

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Fodor's Bahamas 2001

Fodor's Bahamas 2001

0679006613

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