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The Draw
• More than 700 islands scattered across 100,000 square miles of liquid blue.
• Everything from glitzy, Vegas-style hotel casinos to wooden fishing shacks in the Out Isles.
• Close by and easy to reach—direct air connections to more than a dozen U.S. cities.
The Scene
If the American founding fathers had really been on the ball, the Bahamas would be the 51st star on Old Glory rather than an independent nation floating off the Florida coast. As a refuge for Confederate gunrunners, Prohibition rumrunners and modern-day drug runners, the Bahamas have always been a thorn in America's foot. But that's one of the things that makes them so exciting—a feeling that anything goes. Indeed, the Bahamas are diverse enough to satisfy just about any tropical fantasy—fishing, boating and diving being the big three. Nassau is the bustling capital, a major league cruise port and airline gateway to the islands. But Grand Bahama is catching up fast, especially the rapidly developing Lucaya-Freeport conurbation. The Out Islands lie farther east, on the edge of the fabled Bermuda Triangle. Some of them are so sleepy (Grand Inagua, Acklins, Mayaguana), you feel as if you've arrived on a distant planet. From Count Bassie and the Bahama Boys ("Who Let the Dogs Out?") to junkanoo music, the Bahamas also have a rich musical heritage.
To Be Seen
• The Abacos. This archipelago within an archipelago contains hundreds of sandy cays on either side of a dogleg main island. Considered the best place to boat in all of the Bahamas, the group boasts superb marinas, charming towns and incredible beaches, like the seven-mile strand on Great Guana Cay.
• Eleuthera. Second largest of the Out Islands, the 110-mile-long Eleuthera remains largely undeveloped and unspoiled, a haven for those who enjoy low-key tropical getaways. Bone fishing and diving are excellent in nearby waters, and it's hard to beat the pineapples grown in the island's rust-red soil.
• Loyalist towns. Founded by disgruntled Americans who didn't agree with the Revolution against the British, Loyalist settlements like Dunmore Town on Harbour Island and New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay flaunt 17th-century architecture, cool waterfront bars and cozy bed-and-breakfasts.
For the VIP
• Safari Seaplanes organizes full-day and overnight charters to just about anywhere in the Bahamas for diving, deep-sea fishing or even a romantic fling for two on some deserted island.
• Live out your Miami Vice fantasies with a turbo-charged speedboat charter out of Nassau. Spend the day diving or snorkeling in secluded spots, or try to sneak into U.S. territorial waters without being spotted by the Coast Guard.
• Why not rent your own island? Vladi Private Islands offers weekly or monthly rentals of several Bahamian cays, including Little Whale, Bonefish and Musha.
Overrated
Freeport. Imagine a slice of Palm Springs transported lock, stock and golf cart to a tropical island, and you've got some idea of what Freeport is all about. As Gertrude Stein once quipped, "There's no there there." No heart and soul. Too spread out. Too strip-mallish.
Underrated
Nassau. Often criticized as overbuilt and overcrowded, the Bahamian capital also offers a heck of a lot of things to do, from historic walks around the Old Town and the Bacardi rum distillery to sprawling Crystal Palace Casino and Atlantis water park.
Don't Miss
Junkanoo. The annual Bahamian carnival isn't as high-profile as Trinidad or Rio, but things can get pretty rowdy, especially in downtown Nassau during the wee hours after the major parades (Dec. 26 and New Year's Day).
When to Go
Like so much of the Caribbean and surrounding waters, the February to May period brings lower temperatures and drier skies. But if you want to avoid crowds, come during hurricane season (September to November).
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