How You’ll Spend Your Free Time

You may choose to live in the Out Islands and have most of these activities in your fingertips. If you live in Nassau, you can easily hop on a short domestic flight to access any of these islands for weekend getaways. Residents can fly free on Bahamas Air with an ongoing promotion with the Out Islands Promotions Board and booking at a membership hotel, so many take advantage of domestic travel and mini-vacations. 

Boating

Due to the close proximity to the US, sailboat traffic is heavy throughout the winter throughout much of the country. The islands are a short hop from Miami, and many sailboaters spend the entire winter in The Bahamas and then head back to the safety of the stateside marinas for hurricane season. There are numerous marinas in The Bahamas that are able to accommodate a wide range of boat sizes, from center consoles to mega-yachts. The Abacos and the Exumas are both popular destinations for island hopping enthusiasts. If you are based in Nassau, living in Sandyport or Old Fort Bay gives you an opportunity to have your boat parked in your backyard. Nassau residents often head over to Rose Island, just a short 20 minute boat ride from the city. There are a few beach bars with an Out Island feel about them, and a gorgeous stretch of beach. Head over to Green Cay and swim with the turtles.

Fishing

The Bahamas are a dream come true for an avid fisherman. Anglers troll and live-bait for tuna, mahi mahi and wahoo, deep drop for snapper and grouper, and bonefish the shallow flats. The Abacos, Andros and Bimini are popular destinations offering fantastic fishing grounds. From Nassau, fishermen head up to The Berry Islands or over the Tongue of the Ocean to Andros, or even taking weekend treks to islands in the South. The Abacos are known for having record catches of marlin, sailfish and tuna; Bimini is known as the “Big Game Fishing Capital;” and Andros has numerous bonefishing lodges, both rustic and chic.

Snorkeling and Diving

Thousands of visitors flock to The Bahamas each year with the sole intent of diving the crystal clear waters. Dive operations and dive-specific resorts are located throughout the islands. In Nassau Stuart Cove’s will bring you on the exhilarating shark dive. In Grand Bahama UNEXSO specializes in wreck dives. Experience wall diving in Cat Island with Hawk’s Nest or Greenwood Beach Resort. Dive the Great Barrier Reef in Andros with Small Hope Bay. In San Salvador Riding Rock and Club Med offer day trips. Neal Watson in Bimini will take you to Bimini Roads and numerous wrecks.

Hiking

The Bahamas is not known for hills and mountains, but there are hiking trails throughout the islands. You’re not going to be looking at anything too strenuous, but you will have an opportunity to view birds and interesting species of plants and trees. The best places for hiking are in Andros in Blue Holes National Park, the Rand Nature Center and Lucayan National Park in Grand Bahama, the Hermitage at Mt. Alvernia in Cat Island, and trails in the Exuma Land & Sea Park.        

Kiteboarding

Kiteboarding hasn’t quite become mainstream in The Bahamas, making it an uncrowded destination. The winds aren’t as consistent the further north you are in the island chain, but near and below the Tropic of Cancer takes advantage of the tradewinds, and you’ll find some fabulous flatwater riding in Great Exuma and the Exuma Cays, and in Long Island. There are very few kiteboarding outfits, but if you’re interested in making it your destination, check out Exuma Kite and Surf in George Town, Greenwood Beach Resort in Cat Island and San Salvador Kitesurfing in San Salvador. There’s decent kite spots in Nassau and there’s a small crew of die-hards that will be out with the slighest breath of wind. Kiting along the north side of the island is the most common, but when the wind blows from the south, there’s a great spot on the south side. Harbour Island is a nice spot for visitors. Click here to read more

Paddleboarding and Kayaking

Mangroves and protected shallow waters abound and on almost every island you’ll get the chance to glide through nature on a stand up paddleboard or kayak. In Nassau PappaSurf offers paddleboard rentals, tours and full moon paddles. Check into Lucayan Nature Tours in Grand Bahama and tuck into the mangroves by kayak, seeing a variety of birds and sealife.

Surfing

Although reefs run along the edge of most of the islands, there are very few ridable surf breaks in The Bahamas. The only place that has started to capitalize on the surf scene is in Gregory Town, North Eleuthera. Surf camps are offered at a few low budget and low key surf resorts and you can rent surfboards at Rebecca’s Surf Shop.

Yoga

Yoga has recently caught on in The Bahamas for both locals and visitors. The trend on healthy vacationing has spurred yoga retreats hosted at boutique hotels in the Out Islands. The Sivananda Yoga Retreat and Ashram has been operating since the 1960’s on Paradise Island, and Studio Ohana in Nassau has gained momentum since opening its doors in early 2016. Other organizations are working directly with hotels, so inquire with the individual hotels if they offer yoga or retreats.