In September, the best of Grand Bahama was at my fingertips when I spent a few days touring the island and staying at the Grand Lucayan, Bahamas. You can read my review of the resort in our culinary-themed April issue here. (We also have a full listing of Recommend’s onsite review articles, too.)
After all the eating was done—Grand Lucayan offers its guests savory cuisine at its onsite restaurants serving local seafood, Asian dishes and Caribbean fare—we had the wonderful opportunity of touring the island with local tour operator, Grand Bahama Nature Tours Ltd.
The adventure began when we boarded our own 4X4 open-top Jeep in a convoy of about 15 vehicles and traversed the island with experienced local guides. We stopped at a bridge connecting east and west Grand Bahama, and followed the convey on an off-roading adventure into the island’s vast ecosystem to see native trees, palms and wildlife.
The 5.5-hour tour ($89 pp) also included stops at Lucayan National Park, a 40-acre park established in 1977, which features one of the largest underwater cave systems in the world—two of the caves are open to the public. After exploring the caves, the group walked to one of the most beautiful beaches in the Bahamas, Gold Rock Beach (movie buffs my recognize the beach as it was one of the spots where the “Pirates of the Caribbean” sequels were filmed). After about an hour of swimming, and at times simply floating in crystal-clear water, our next stop was a light lunch at The Garden of the Groves, a 12-acre park with lush tropical gardens, native plants and animals, waterfalls, and even a quaint chapel perfect for weddings; local artists and jewelry makers sell their wares at the Garden’s open-air shopping area.
Grand Bahama Nature Tours also offers biking, kayaking and snorkeling tours, ATV tours along the island’s scenic beaches, and guided nature walks. For more information about the Bahamas, visit bahamas.com.
