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Holidayco.co.uk specialises in cheap bahamas holidays, package holidays and late deals to a huge number of destinations. Find out more about the Bahamas in our guide below.

Holidays in the Bahamas

The Bahamas are an island chain located in the Caribbean Sea southeast of Florida and northeast of Cuba. There are fifteen main islands in the chain including Cat Island, Bimini, Eleuthera, Exuma, Grand Bahama and New Providence. Overall there are about 700 islands. Some are very small and uninhabited.

The sea around the Bahamas is very shallow and is home to a vast range of corals. The name of the islands comes form the Spanish 'baja mar' meaning shallow sea. Reefs in these shallow waters have sunk many ships over the years. Between the wrecks and the spectacular corals there are many excellent diving locations among the islands.

The capital of the Bahamas is Nassau. The city is home to about half the population of the entire island chain. Here the island's heritage is very much in evidence. The islands have been strongly influenced by Britain over the centuries. Indeed, the Bahamas is one of the world's oldest parliamentary democracies. A system based on the British one has been in place for over 250 years.

In Nassau, you can see the British influence. Many Georgian buildings are still in use alongside much more modern structures. Nassau has a range of museums and historical attractions on offer plus sports including golf, tennis, squash and diving. There are big stores and street markets to browse through plus an array of restaurants and cafes to relax in.

Nassau also offers the chance to gamble or enjoy live entertainment in one of its casinos if that takes your fancy.

Bahamas Facts At A Glance

Area: 19,940 square km.

Climate: Tropical Marine

Terrain: Long flat islands with some low hills

Population: 301.7 Thousand

Languages: English

Currency: Bahamian Dollar

Time Zone: 5 Hours behind GMT

International Dialling Code: +1 242

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Places to visit

Each of the islands has its own unique attractions.

The Abacos has a sea & land park at Pelican Cays with undersea caves, coral reefs and a variety of land-dwelling wildlife. The Hope Town lighthouse has a rare kerosene-powered system. The Albert Lowe Museum and nearby Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden are also worth a visit.

Andros has an historic lighthouse, a Batik factory with its own factory shop, abandoned ghost towns and historic churches. The reef just off the coast of Andros is the third largest in the world.

Bimini has a museum preserving the history and culture of the islands and another dedicated to the life and works of the author Ernest Hemingway. Just off the coast there is a series of gigantic limestone blocks that some people claim is part of an ancient road to the Lost City of Atlantis.

Cat Island contains the highest point in the Bahamas. At the top is a small monastery and a splendid view of the islands. Cat Island is also the site of a ruined 18 th-Century plantation house.

Eleuthera offers an intriguing glimpse at the power of nature at the Glass Window Bridge. Located at the narrowest part of the island, the bridge allows you to see the contrast between the calm Caribbean Sea and turbulent Atlantic Ocean.

The Exumas has a small but impressive church – impressive when you realise that it was built with stone hand-quarried by a small group of nuns. There are also some scary looking but harmless iguanas. The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is only accessible by boat. It was the first Marine fishery reserve in the Bahamas.

Grand Bahama Island has many attractions including the Lucayan National Park, an area of mangrove creeks and upland forest giving an insight into the natural ecology of the islands. The Garden of the Groves is an excellent botanical garden with thousands of species on display. The Peterson Cay National Park and Rand Nature Centre also offer a chance to see the plant and animal life of the islands in their natural state. There are also museums, excursion operators and a heritage trail.

Long Island has several beautiful historic churches and a museum dedicated to local history and culture.

Nassau has many attractions on offer. If you like nature you can take one of several bird-watching tours. The Ardastra Gardens and Conservation Centre has many species of flora and fauna on display. There are regular ferries to the other islands, or you can take one of several cruises on motor or sail-powered vessels.

If you want to see underwater life close up, you can take a submarine tour or pet stingrays at Stingray City. Diving with sharks is also an option, though perhaps it is not for the faint-hearted.

The Pompey Museum of Slavery and Emancipation is housed in what used to be Nassau’s main slave market. It contains a large collection of art by Amos Ferguson. The Pirates of Nassau museum deals with an equally unpleasant, if more glamorous, subject – piracy. It recreates the days when the Caribbean was haunted by seafaring robbers and brigands, and the islands were their haven. Fort Charlotte and Government House are relics of British rule in the Bahamas. The fort is one of three that defended Nassau.

Things to do

One of the main attractions of the Bahamas is the chance to dive in the clear waters of the Caribbean. There are several dive centres, each with several diving experiences on offer. Tuition is available for novices and the dives are varied enough to accommodate divers of all levels of experience. Among the possibilities are dives on modern and ancient wrecks, some of them in very shallow water.

Alternatively you might take a dive among some of the spectacular corals and wildlife, perhaps feeding groupers or a tame barracuda from your hand.