The Islands of the Bahamas, a scattering of over 700 islands including uninhabited cays and large rocky isles, boasts the clearest blue water in the world. The third-longest barrier reef in the world is submerged here.
Off the coast of Florida and Cuba, this English-speaking paradise was christened baja mar or “shallow sea” by Christopher Columbus in 1492. Since that time, explorers, traders, settlers, and pirates have landed here, evolving into a unique culture blended from African slaves, English Puritans, and a little bit of nearly everything else. Seventy percent of the population resides in New Providence Island, home of Nassau.
Visitors arrive for the sun, the crystal beaches and clear seas, birdwatching, rum-sipping, and water sports of every kind. The capital city of Nassau has had a reputation as a trendy winter resort since the 1800s. The island of Eleuthera is known as a romantic getaway, while Bimini is the gamefishing capital. Once used as a rumrunners’ base during America’s prohibition and a flight training base during World War II, the Bahamas has since evolved into a major tourist and financial center, attracting free-market enterprises from around the globe.