About

About ULTIMATE Bahamas Guide

ULTIMATE Bahamas Guide is an independent guide for visitors to The Bahamas. We publish 15 curated lists: restaurants, cafés, bars, nightlife & beach clubs, hotels & resorts, attractions, beaches, museums & heritage, spas & wellness, hospitals & clinics, shopping, luxury lifestyle, marinas, property and getting there & around. Together they cover Nassau & Paradise Island, the Exumas, Eleuthera & Harbour Island, Grand Bahama, Bimini, the Abacos, Andros, Long Island, the Berry Islands, Cat Island, San Salvador, Inagua and Acklins & Crooked Island, with in-depth guides to island hopping, Junkanoo, the pirate years, blue holes, wildlife, Bahamian food and property.

Our editor

ULTIMATE Bahamas Guide is edited by Tara de la Motte, who oversees the guide’s articles and magazine features.

How we choose

Every place in our lists has been checked against its own website or an official source such as bahamas.com, the Government of The Bahamas or the Bahamas National Trust. We don’t use review scores, and we leave out anything we can’t confirm.

Before you go

Flight days, ferry sailings and opening hours change, so please check directly with each place before you travel.

For venues

Run a venue in The Bahamas and spotted something to update? We review our lists regularly and welcome corrections.

Photo credits

• Hope Town and its harbour on Elbow Cay, Abaco, by Susiewrites, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• American flamingos at Long Cay, Crooked Island, by stevestevens, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Conch Sound and the coast of Andros from the air, by Jstuby, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Flamingos at Ardastra Gardens in Nassau, by Charles Pluta from Augusta, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas in Villa Doyle, by Bluerasberry, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Swimming pigs on the beach in the Exumas, by cdorobek, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baha Mar resort on Cable Beach, by Adog104, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The bar at John Watling’s Distillery in Nassau, by Kiran891, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand and turquoise water of Harbour Island, by Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands from the air, by Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bimini and its shallow turquoise banks seen from space, by Original picture by NASA, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cable Beach on New Providence, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance to Graycliff in old Nassau, by Bluerasberry, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Cat Island seen from the International Space Station, by ISS Expedition 26 crew, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Versailles Gardens and the French cloister on Paradise Island, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Bowls of fresh Bahamian conch salad, by Hannah On The Go, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fresh Bahamian conch salad, by Hannah On The Go, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island, ringed by limestone cliffs and white sand, by Ton Engwirda, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dean’s Blue Hole from the cliffs above the cove, by Oceanwave77, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A quiet beach at Current, Eleuthera, by Trish Hartmann from Tampa, Florida, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Coastal scrub and sea in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, by Craig Stanfill, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the Exumas, by DrGvago, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Bahamas Fast Ferries boat in Nassau harbour, by Bohao Zhao, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fort Fincastle on Bennet’s Hill, Nassau, by JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The colourful Fish Fry restaurants at Arawak Cay, Nassau, by LittleT889, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Homotrema rubrum, the red foraminifera that tints Bahamian sand pink, by James St. John, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Gold Rock Beach in Lucayan National Park, by EgorovaSvetlana, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Government House above downtown Nassau, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Port Lucaya, Grand Bahama, by Pietro Valocchi, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The entrance to Graycliff in old Nassau, by Bluerasberry, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, by Bluerasberry, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hermitage, Father Jerome’s stone monastery on Mount Alvernia, Cat Island, by Shane.torgerson, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island, a deep blue circle in a white-sand cove, by Ton Engwirda, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The towers of Atlantis on Paradise Island above the harbour, by Larry D. Moore, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A satellite image of Hurricane Frances approaching The Bahamas in 2004, by NOAA, licensed Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Flamingos foraging in the shallows of Inagua, by Dr Mary Gillham Archive Project, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The lighthouse at Matthew Town, Great Inagua, by Oscar Flowers, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Junkanoo dancers in costume at the parade in Nassau, by Jon Worth, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Junkanoo parade on New Providence, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hope Town harbour on Elbow Cay, Abaco, by Susiewrites, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A church in Clarence Town, Long Island, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lynden Pindling International Airport, Nassau, by Bohao Zhao, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Palms in Lucayan National Park, Grand Bahama, by Connie Ma, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A motor yacht moored in Ocean Reef Bay, Grand Bahama, by EgorovaSvetlana, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Boats in Hope Town harbour, Abaco, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, by Bluerasberry, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Colourful buildings on Bay Street, downtown Nassau, by Bluerasberry, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Acropolis of Athens by day, seen from Philopappos Hill, by A.Savin, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Goat Cay and the turquoise shallows of the Exumas, by DrGvago, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The old town of Belgrade above the Sava, with the spire of the Cathedral Church of St Michael, by Tatil Dükkanı, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Romanian Athenaeum in its garden, by Jorge Franganillo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Hungarian Parliament lit up at night on the Danube, by Tom Ek, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Oia’s white houses and blue domes on the rim of the Santorini caldera, by Norbert Nagel, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Blue Mosque at night, by Nan Palmero from San Antonio, TX, USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Triple Bridge over the Ljubljanica, by Fred Romero from Paris, France, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Palace of Westminster and the Elizabeth Tower, by Domob, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the Maldives, by Luka Peternel, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Yachts in Puerto Banús, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach, by Robbschultz69, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Monaco from above, Port Hercule and Monte-Carlo below the mountains, by Spike, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset at the Naples Pier, by pmarkham, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Millennium Bridge over the Morača, by Desemeus, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Sebilj fountain and the square of Baščaršija, by Yukof, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Stone Bridge over the Vardar, by kallerna, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, by Julian Lupyan, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The ramparts of Galle Fort, by Daibo Taku, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Skanderbeg Square with the Et’hem Bey Mosque, by Andrew Milligan sumo, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The spires of Zagreb Cathedral above the rooftops, by Alex Sirac, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Baha Mar resort towers on Cable Beach, Nassau, by Adog104, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A nurse shark in Bahamian waters, by Kim, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A courtyard at The Ocean Club on Paradise Island, by User: (WT-shared) Jpatokal at wts wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Parliament Square in downtown Nassau, by Larry Syverson from Richmond, VA, USA, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The swimming pigs on the beach at Big Major Cay, by cdorobek, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Pink Sand Beach on Harbour Island, by Mike's Birds from Riverside, CA, US, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The pink sand of Harbour Island, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Pirates of Nassau Museum downtown, by JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A queen conch shell from San Salvador, The Bahamas, by James St. John, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Queen’s Staircase, cut into the limestone in Nassau, by Oscar Flowers, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Lyford Cay and the west of New Providence from the air, by Oscar Flowers, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Caribbean reef shark over the sand at Tiger Beach, The Bahamas, by Dennis Hipp (Zepto), licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Nassau harbour and Paradise Island from the air, by Jcofilms, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Fresh conch salad made to order in The Bahamas, by Hannah On The Go, licensed CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Buena Vista Estate, home of John Watling’s Distillery, by P. Hughes, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Columbus landfall monument on San Salvador, by Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The Straw Market on Bay Street, Nassau, by Bluerasberry, licensed CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The beach at Shroud Cay in the Exuma Cays, by cogdogblog, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A quiet courtyard garden at The Ocean Club, by User: (WT-shared) Jpatokal at wts wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• Sunset over the water at Staniel Cay, by cogdogblog, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Bahamasair turboprop on the apron, by Moto "Club4AG" Miwa from USA, licensed CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A Tropic Ocean Airways seaplane at Fort Lauderdale, by Matt Kieffer, licensed CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• A dock and turquoise shallows at Warderick Wells, Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, by cogdogblog, licensed CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
• The statue of Woodes Rogers outside the British Colonial in Nassau, by WillEmmett-NOCS, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.