Overview

Look around at the elegant resort hotels, golf courses, casino, marinas, and shopping malls of Freeport/Lucaya - and you may find it hard to believe that none of this existed when JFK was president. Faster-paced than Nassau, this cosmopolitan "second city" of the Bahamas is really only four decades old, a monument to modern tourism. But what makes Grand Bahama special is the fact that while you can play, shop, gamble, and boogie the night away to your heart's content in American-style comfort, much of the island remains as it was before the resort revolution.

That includes miles of uncrowded, white-sand beaches (some, like Paradise Cove, with fine snorkeling right off the sand) and three national parks, including one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world. The island is a favorite with birdwatchers (18 native Bahamian species can be seen here, along with a resident flock of flamingos), kayaking is popular in the mangrove swamps and creeks along the north shore, and the scuba diving facilities are world-class. And if your heart's desire has always been to swim with a dolphin, look no further: More than a dozen Atlantic bottlenose dolphins make their home at Sanctuary Bay, a natural saltwater lagoon near Port Lucaya, where guests of the always popular (i.e., reserve well in advance) Dolphin Experience get a chance to float up close and personal with them.

 Plan Your Trip

BEACHES

Ready for a day away from the water toys and snack shacks of Lucaya? Then head east for a day of quiet beach time. Fortune Bay, about 5 miles from Port Lucaya, is a classic sandy strand that lives up to its name (paying homage to a $2 million find in a shipwreck found here). But for an even better bet, keep on truckin' for another 20 miles to Gold Rock Beach. No, there's no gold, but this secluded beach (part of Lucayan National Park) is spectacular, particularly at low tide.

FISHING

Nearby Bimini basks in the big-game spotlight (it was Ernest Hemingway's favorite fishing haunt), but Grand Bahama gets its fair share of marlin, tuna, and wahoo during the prime season (April through September). Less known is the island's healthy bonefish population. Grand Bahama has played host to the Bonefishing World Championships, and if your flyfishing is up to the task (the fish are skittish, requiring skillful casting), you'll love the flats off Deep Water Cay, just off the east end of the island.

SHOPPING

Serious spenders can go directly (without passing Go) to International Marketplace, a 10-acre collection of "global" theme shops (and restaurants) just east of Freeport, or its close kin, the Port Lucaya Marketplace on the waterfront setting, where the live entertainment evenings in the Count Basie Square is worth a listen. You'll find a lively straw market and arts & crafts stalls near both marketplaces.

 Where to Stay

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