The back story
-
Island guide
San Salvador: a small island with big history
Columbus’s landfall on Long Bay, inland salt lakes, Watling’s Blue Hole, the Gerace Research Centre and about 50 dive sites.
Island guide · where Columbus landed
San Salvador: Our Favourites
San Salvador in one page: the Columbus monument on Long Bay, Riding Rock’s diving, Watling’s Blue Hole and the Gerace Research Centre.
What's onThis week in The Bahamas
Show 5 places on a map
What to see and do
-
San Salvador’s favourite
Grotto Beach
A secluded powder-white beach at Sandy Point, a traveller favourite on San Salvador.
-
Where Columbus came ashore
Columbus landfall monument, Long Bay
A stone cross on Long Bay marking the spot of Christopher Columbus’s first landfall.
Long Bay, San Salvador, The BahamasExplore View on map
-
Science on an old navy base
Gerace Research Centre
The University of The Bahamas’ field station on San Salvador, in an old US Navy base, studying archaeology, biology, geology and marine science.
Graham’s Harbour, San Salvador, The BahamasExplore View on map
-
An all-saltwater inland hole
Watling’s Blue Hole
An inland blue hole that is entirely salt water, suggesting an underground link to the sea.
-
Fifty-plus dive sites
Diving San Salvador
More than 50 dive sites on the lee side: reefs, wrecks and walls, from Runway 10 to Vicky’s Reef.
Where to stay
-
Divers welcome since the 1960s
Riding Rock Resort & Marina
A family-owned dive resort and marina in Cockburn Town, welcoming divers since the 1960s.
Queens Highway, Cockburn Town, San Salvador, The BahamasExplore View on map
Bars and nightlife
-
The divers’ bar on San Salvador
Driftwood Bar
The ocean-view bar at Riding Rock, the dive resort that has welcomed divers since the 1960s.
Queens Highway, Cockburn Town, San Salvador, The BahamasExplore View on map
Health
-
The local clinic
Cockburn Town Community Clinic
The government community clinic in Cockburn Town, run by the Ministry of Health’s Department of Public Health.
Cockburn Town, San Salvador, The BahamasExplore View on map
Questions and answers
Where did Columbus land in the Bahamas?
A stone cross on Long Bay, San Salvador, marks the spot of his first landfall, according to the official tourism site.
Share your San Salvador tips
Been there? Share your experience and tips with other visitors.
- Loading the conversation…