Bahamas Holidays

Grand Bahama is also a magnet for cruise ships, and is home to the Bahamas' second biggest city, Freeport. The real tourist hub, though, is Port Lucaya and the famous Port Lucaya marketplace, a shopping complex containing not only shops and restaurants in island-style buildings, but market stalls, artists, and vendors of island hand-crafted goods. Despite the bustle, it is quite possible to escape the crowds on Grand Bahama -- it has three national parks, including the Lucayan National Park, home to the world's largest under-water limestone cave system, and the Garden of the Groves, full of alligators, exotic birds, 100,000 species of plants, waterfalls and lakes.

Get Away from it All

For those who really want to get away from it all, there is plenty of scope in the Bahamas, as only 23 of the 700 islands are inhabited, and the biggest island, Andros, is the least densely populated. It's a huge 2,300-square-mile expanse of palm savannahs, mangrove swamps, and mysterious primal forests full of wild boar. The eastern shores are dotted with the tiniest of hamlets, while the whole western side consists of uninhabited wetlands, creating channels for boating and fishing.

The big draw on Andros is the world's third largest coral reef, making the island a prime destination for diving and snorkelling. A unique feature is the Blue Holes, water-filled vertical caverns occurring both inland and offshore. Andros also has no fewer than five national parks, and its wetlands, forests and mangrove swamps provide a rich haven for exotic bird life.

Pink Sands

To experience the fabled pink sands of the Bahamas, head for Eleuthera, Harbour Island and Cat Island. The most famous pink beach is along the northern coast of Harbour Island, the island with the most chic resorts, just off the tip of Eleuthera. Harbour Island's main town, Dunmore, is one of the oldest settlements in the Bahamas and its former capital -- its palm-lined, flower-filled streets are full of pastel-coloured colonial-style buildings, pretty shops, cafes and art galleries.

Eleuthera, with its miles of beautiful secluded beaches, is definitely a place to escape the mass tourism of Nassau and Freeport. As you drive to the pretty seaside capital Governors Town, you can stop off at the amazing Glass Window Bridge, where you can look down at the Caribbean on one side and the Atlantic on the other. Cat Island is one of the Bahamas' most pristine and unspoilt islands, and is home to the stunning Hermitage Monastery on Mount Alvernia, the highest point on the Bahamas.

Beautiful Seascapes

One of the most idyllic areas is the Exumas, a long chain of islands and cays at the remote eastern edge of the Bahamas. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park has some of the Bahamas' most striking seascapes, where you can hire a kayak and let a guide steer you over the coral reefs to gaze at the astonishing marine life. Stocking Island, a short boat ride from Great Exuma, has a high bluff with spectacular views, and a series of glorious beaches separated by limestone promontories.

There is such a wealth of experiences to enrich you in the Bahamas -- the world's most superb seafood cuisine; the Junkanoo festival of parades and parties, with its throbbing drums and kaleidoscopic costumes; Paradise Island, one of the world's great entertainment islands; the tranquil, undisturbed outer cays; the big game fishing and regattas. What is really astonishing about the Bahamas is that it really does have something to offer everyone. There are few places in the world with such potential for limitless relaxation, taking holidays to a whole new level, never known before.