Graced with beautiful beaches of
pink sand, evocative windswept
panoramas and countless
opportunities for diving,
snorkelling and fishing, the islands
of
the Bahamas are well
established as one of the world's
top draws for both intrepid
explorers and casual vacationers. An
island chain beginning a mere 55
miles east of Miami, Florida, the
Bahamas offer an array of tourist
hotels, all-inclusive resorts, and
even rustic lodges, making staying
there a relatively simple endeavour.
Indeed, more than three million
travellers each year choose the
islands as their prime destination
for outdoor sports, sun worship,
casino gambling and, on some of the
slightly more remote spots,
eco-tourism.
In total, the Bahamas include
around seven hundred islands, no
more than thirty of which are
inhabited, as well as smaller cays
(pronounced "keys") and
rocks - an impressive arc
stretching from just beyond the
Atlantic coast of Florida to the
outlying waters of Cuba, where Great
Inagua lies only sixty miles
offshore. Although deeper oceanic
troughs surround some of the
islands, most are encircled by shallow,
crystalline water that reflects
a light turquoise hue during the day
and glows with purple luminescence
at night. This combination of
shallow and deep water makes diving
and snorkelling both
challenging and intriguing, with
numerous reefs waiting to be
explored just beyond the shores of
the gorgeous, uncrowded beaches.
