A General Overview of the Bahamas follows. For photos and international Realtors links, click the appropriate tab above.
Sick of the senseless, violent crime in Florida, the UK and the rest of the US?
Are you looking to buy property abroad? Love strolling along quiet beaches? Thinking about moving to The Caribbean?
How about the Bahamas? Buying a holiday home? Or fancy a building lot near the beach? Maybe a piece of investment property?
Fancy a swim in the ocean with the Dolphins? Or just taking in the ocean view and relaxing on the beach.
If you like a round or two of golf, a new championship golf course is planned for Long Island.
Come on down, tie your boat in the marina and relax on one of our lovely beaches, life really is better on these tropical islands.
General info
Real estate here in the Bahamas is booming, this is nation of islands and cays blessed with sunny skies, snow white and pink sand beaches and incredibly clear aqua blue waters. These constitute The Islands of The Bahamas which lie scattered across 100,000 square miles of the southwest Atlantic Ocean, from the tip of Florida to the edge of the Caribbean near Haiti. Some, such as Eleuthera and Andros, are quite large, while others are small enough for two people to reach by boat and find themselves delightfully alone on an uninhabited island in paradise.
The Bahamian people invite you to share in these riches, guaranteed to soothe your body and restore your soul. We offer you the calm and excitement of water sports, whether beneath the surface or at water's edge. And when you've had your fill of swimming, boating, fishing, diving and more, we have championship golf and tennis, and many other ways to entice you on land.
We have the dazzle and glitter of cabarets and casinos. We have the peace and quiet of a tiny cay rarely visited by man. And whether you spend the days para-sailing and snorkeling or just working on your suntan, our star studded Bahamian nights are undeniably romantic, no matter how you decide to spend them.
While all our sunny islands share sun swept beaches and magnificent waters, some are action oriented, others are informal and relaxed, each offering a unique combination of features all its own. Vacation on the one that suits you best, but remember, that whichever golden island you choose, you'll be only a short hop from another of our captivating islands.
Geography
Located in the lower left hand corner of the Atlantic Ocean is a 70,000 square mile area of shoals and banks, where the waters are warm and clear. These are the Bahama Banks... and out of them rise more than 700 islands and islets covered with greenery and blossoms fringed with inviting beaches. This is The Bahamas.
The islands are strewn in a generally northwest/southeast array, along a 750 mile stretch from just off Florida, to just off Haiti. Some of the islands are relatively large. Abaco, Andros, Cat Island, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama and Long Island for example. Many are tiny enough to provide a romantic hideaway for two people, with a picnic lunch tucked into their small sail boat for an all day rendezvous away from the world.
The Islands of The Bahamas are low lying. Cat Island's Mount Alvernia, just over 200-feet above sea level, is the highest point in the nation. Sometimes the water is so shallow you can wade from one island to its neighbor. But there are also passes and cuts that range much deeper. Between Andros and the Exumas, the Tongue of the Ocean suddenly plunges down more than five miles.
Climate
The Islands of The Bahamas enjoy the idyllic climate most people associated with tropical seas. The temperatures seldom drop below 60 degrees (F), or rise above 90 degrees (F). Most of the rain comes in brief summer showers. The surrounding sea normally ranges from the low 80's in the summer, to about 74 degrees (F) in midwinter.
Swim with Dolphins? Snorkeling and diving
World class diving has built a reputation for The Islands Of The Bahamas. Few places in the world offer a wider variety of diving opportunities, including wrecks and reefs, blue holes and drop-offs, sea gardens, caves, walls, shallow shoals and encounters with dolphins and sharks.
With hundreds of islands, The Bahamas has literally thousands of dive sites within its crystal clear waters. The Islands offer a year long diving season, with water temperatures ranging from 76F in the winter in the Northern Bahamas to 84'F throughout The Islands in the summer.
For the most stunning peek at the watery underworld, head to the Out Islands. From the tip of Bimini to the utmost region of Great Inagua, divers can experience all the Islands Of The Bahamas have to offer. The Abacos, Bimini, Andros, Eleuthera, Cat Island, San Salvador, Long Island and Exuma almost ensure a never ending parade of marine life. Top dive sites include huge coral pinnacles, 60 feet tall, pierced with tunnels and caverns. There is an abundance of great dives, including wrecks, blue holes, caves, walls, dolphins and sharks.
Sailing
The Bahama Islands are the most popular winter time cruising area for North American sailors. Starting a mere 50 miles from the coast of Florida, they stretch close to 700 miles, almost to Haiti. They encompass nearly 700 coral islands, with only about 30 inhabited.
The waters are warm, transparent, with an unbelievable range of colors from the palest translucent green to a deep indigo.
Hundreds of square miles are shallow waters, but off the east coasts of the island chains depths quickly reach hundreds and even thousands of feet.
Tides do not exceed three feet, but yachts drawing more than 5 feet may only be able to traverse some of the shallowest channels close to high tide. The prevailing winds are the easterly Trades, interrupted only by occasional northers reaching down from the United States in the winter months and tropical depressions in the summer months.
Recommended reading for anyone sailing here is the "Yachtsman's Guide To The Bahamas" available in most book-shops, Ebay.com or Amazon.com, buy a copy you won't regret it.
Try to avoid the crowded and noisy tourist centers of Nassau on New Providence Island, and West End and Freeport on Grand Bahama Island, although if approaching from Miami or Fort Lauderdale they are difficult to avoid being the ports of entry.
Beyond lie the Out Islands, there are so many beautiful anchorages that it's difficult to list them, favored areas are the Southern Out Islands, which are considered the best cruising grounds on Earth.
Private flying
The Islands Of The Bahamas invite exploration from the air as well as the sea. Skies are gorgeous and clear with the weather being severe clear, nearly every day of the year. Puffy cumulus clouds generally dot the island skies at around 2,500 feet in the morning, if at all, rising to 7.500 feet in the afternoon. High ceilings and excellent visibility are the norm.
Landing fees are usually waived for single engine planes and range between $6 and $15 for twins. Fuel Is available at the airports in Nassau, Grand Bahama, Marsh Harbour International, Abaco; San Andros, Andros, Governor's Harbour and North Eleuthera, Eleuthera, Exuma International, Exuma, Great Inagua and Long Island.
It is advisable to check with the airports for availability and prices.
