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Grand Bahama Island is fifty-two miles off the coast of Florida lies an island that is as rich and diverse as it is beautiful. Where pine trees coexist with silver palms. Where rippling creeks wind their way through mangrove colonies. Where endless beaches are surrounded by emerald green water filled with coral formations, teeming with marine life. Grand Bahama Island is only 6 miles long and 17 miles across at its widest point, yet the delightful attractions are splendidly varied. The modern resorts, golf courses, entertainment, and casinos are one side of Grand Bahama Island, a side that brings in the vast majority ofthemore than onemillion visitors a year to an island that received hardly more than pssing sail boats forty years ago. The main city, Freeport, was built inland, about a half mile from the coastal beaches. Port Lucaya is right next to Feeport on the sourthern coast. The two combine today to create one overall destination. Grand Bahama has its Out Island side also. A few miles away from the pulsating atmostphere of Feeport/Lucaya is a relaxed ambience and natural setting similar to the rest of the Out Islands of the Bahama. It is about 28 miles by road from Freeport to the West End of the island and 60 miles to the East End of the island. Further cays to the east are reachable by boat. All of the Islands of the Bahamas have cultures that most visitors can easily feel comfortable with, but none is as familiar to them as Grand Bahama. The experiences that currently bring the vast majority of over 1.1 million visitors to Grand Bahama Island revolve around the shopping, casino and enterainment facilities of Freeport/Lucaya. There is also the opportunity to drive a few miles out of town for a totally different experience. Outside of Freeport/Lucaya, Grand Bahama Island's mood is relaexed though it is not officially listed as an Out Island. For these reasons, coupled with the lengedary clarity Bahamian waters and year round spring-summer climate, this is an ideal destination for the vacationer who wants vareity in a familiar yet foreign setting close to home. Those of you who like to try it all and want a variety of experiences on the same trip are in heaven. An all-day advetnrue trip to East End, followed by a night out in Freeport, will keep most energetic visitors occupied. Many diving or eco-tourism enthusiasts will be quite pleased to find a casino, live music shows, and discos after their day in the outdoors. Golfers will be gratified not only by the four excellent courses but by the country-club atmosphere that permeates the entire location.
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Gambling and Nightlife Nightlife in Grand Bahama rivals its much bigger brother, Nassau/Paradise Island. The casino in Bahamas' Princess Country Club and Resourt offers gambling and nightclub shows. Casino options include numerous slot and super slot machines, craps, rouletter, blackjack, mini baccarat, Caribbean stud poker, sports betting, and much more. Visitores who whant a show with an even more local Island theme (steel drums, limbot, junkanoo music/mini-parade, and more) can head for the Yellow Bird Nightclub in the International Bazaar. Shopping The International Bazaar, a shopping complex of stores from around the world, is located in Freeport, It contains duty-free goods from all over the world. Perfumes, emeralds, silks, and cina are particularly good values. Port Lucaya Marketplace, a waterfront shopping complex, rivals it with almost as many excellent shops and more of an open, outdoor atmosphere. Golf & Tennis Four designer golf courses, all within a few miles of each other, are gems that bring many to this golfing capital of the Caribbean. A stay at Freeport/Lucaya hotel leaves you only a few minutes away from any of them. Over 30 tennis courts are available, divided among a number of the resorts. Beaches Miles of beautiful beaches range along the island's southern coast. Some are secluded and seldom visited; others, such as those in Lucaya, are populst year round. International Bazaar Freeport's number one attraction for many visitors is its shopping mecca, the International Bazaar, opened in 1967. Secitons of this 10-acre mall are patterned on themes from around the world, in keeping with the concept of the city's designation as a 'free port' where merchandise can come in from all over the globe tax free. A Japanese Gate of Welcome greets visitors to the Oriental sector of the Bazaar. It features various Japanese and Chinese boutiques and restaurants. Spain, Latin America, and the Caribbean share another area that includes goods from Mexico, Guatermala, and Columbia. A northern-European area features the modern designs of Scandinavia as well a British and German wares. The outdoor cafes of France are close by, as are French perfumes and fashions. The Port Lucaya Marketplace, set on a hug plaza overlookin the marina, is a collection of twelve island-style buildings with over eighty hops, ranging from the local drug store to Bahamian straw goods to the finest jewellery and fashinons. Bahamian crafts-people create manyh of the wares on the premises. Outdoor cafes, bars and restaurants, along with strolling musicians add to the fun spirit of the place. A free outdoor concert is staged at Count Basie Square (the famous musician live on Grand Bahama Island for many years) most evenings. Garden of the Groves Covering over 12 acres, this is perhaps the finest gotanical garden in the Caribbean with more thatn 10,000 species of flowers, shrubs, trees and exotic plant life. Over the years, the Garden of the Groves has become a microcosm of exotic vegetation and flowering plants brought from around the world. |
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