Gautier Battistella - 2010-05-17

It is January 1^st and we have just landed in Nassau. It is 32 degrees Celsius under a white sun. The colonial capital has the perfect balance between tropical exoticism and old colonial style. Turquoise waters lap against the tired woodwork of the wealthy Victorian houses. One night spent in Graycliff, the town’s oldest hotel and a residence of the Duke of Windsor (where Winston Churchill and the Beatles stayed) then we head off to the “Out Islands” with their immaculate beaches surrounded by gardens of coral.

 

The Bahamas archipelago (from the Spanish ‘Baja Mar’) is made up of 700 islands which stretch over 1200 kilometres. Like a “Caribbean within the Caribbean” the Bahamas was the home of Amerindian hunter gatherer tribes from the 7^th to the 15^th century until the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Then followed a tumultuous period of history which first saw pirates and privateers such as Blackbeard flying the Jolly Roger, followed by the Queen of England’s soldiers and colonisation until independence in 1973. Since then, this parliamentary democracy formed in the image of the British model has  devoted itself resolutely to tourism.

 

So where do we begin? There is the island of Exuma with its necklace of 365 islets – one for each day of the year; Inagua, a paradise of birds including 60000 pink flamingos; Andros, home to the bonefish (or albula), a transparent fish that lives in deep waters and Bimini, the place for deep-water fishing (where you confront the Blue Marlin which weighs up to 225kg) in the waters that have earned renown through Ernest Hemingway as the backdrop for his Old Man and the Sea. Also deserving a mention is Abaco, a paradise of white sand, Eleuthera and its beach of pink sand, or Paradise Island, which is visited by hundreds of dolphins. These worlds within themselves will delight swimmers and divers alike.

 

Snorkelling, kayaking, diving with dolphins or sharks and surfing - this sea tourism has the wind in its sails with over 1000 diving sites. Furthermore the clear waters of the Bahamas vary between 29 degrees Celsius in the summer and 24 C ° in the winter! The archipelago is encircled by the third largest coral reef in the world. With its plunging blue holes and engulfed shipwrecks, the underwater décor is worthy of a Hollywood style production. So it is of no surprise that Jack Sparrow with his ‘Rolling Stones’ style gait befitted this area perfectly. The Bahamian depths abound with ships destroyed in combat, with hulls ripped open by pirates and bows ground down by either wars or the reefs. These proud galleons lying at the bottom of the ocean are now homes to an underwater fauna and flora of great richness which the Bahamas are determined to preserve.

 

Here the green-minded and carbon dioxide destroyers have something to be happy about! As the birthplace of eco-tourism, the Bahamas archipelago has no less than 25 national parks. Furthermore the immense beaches of pink or yellow sand are often deserted. Scarcely 6% of them are being utilised. On offer are hikes to the islands’ caves and caverns, bicycle riding, white parrot spotting etc. “Robinson Crusoe” holidays are also organised with a concept motto of “No keys, no news, no shoes” offering the purest experiences of ecological well being .

 

For those who are tired of seeing turquoise blue waters and want to meet the local people, an unusual concept of hosting has been set up by the Ministry of Tourism. It is called “People to People” and it offers the chance of getting to know the native population. As guests for a day the visitors discover and share in authentic aspects of Bahamian life, stories and culture (the host family is chosen according to the participants age, profession and areas of interest.)

 

It is also an opportunity to discover Bahamian gastronomy: conch, grouper fish, lobsters and shellfish seasoned with spices and coconut oil. My particular favourite is the traditional “conch salad” with conch marinated in lime juice and chillies and served raw with onions and celery. This goes down delightfully with the obligatory “Bahama Mama” (rum and coco rum, lemon juice, orange and pineapple, grenadine and cherry brandy) that, according to local custom, you can only drink after the sun has set.

 

 

 

Regular Flights from London to Nassau with British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Bahamasair etc.  

      

 

A valid passport with 6 months remaining and a return ticket (no visa required for British citizens staying less than 3 months.)

 

www.bahamas.com