Cat Island Bahamas
Cat Island Bahamas is an adventure lover’s paradise. Wild and untamed, this remote outpost of the Bahamas has always called to me. I always thought it sounded so romantically mysterious. This boot shaped island is the childhood home of actor, Sidney Portier and musician, Tony McKay (also known as Exuma the Obeah Man). The main settlements are Arthur’s Town, Orange Creek, and Port Howe. The highest point in the Bahamas is only 206 feet, and it’s on top of Mount Alvernia in Cat Island Bahamas. Father Jerome, an architect and Roman Catholic priest, built a medieval style monastery on top of Mount Alvernia. He lived in The Hermitage until his death in 1956. His body now lies in a cave on Mount Alvernia.
Father Jerome the architect also designed and built the beautiful St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church that still stands on Cat Island Bahamas today. Amidst all of this religious architecture, the ancient practice of Obeah survives among the island’s local population. Obeah is an African religion combining bush medicine and sorcery. The people of Cat Island are friendly and welcoming. There are many fun, local guides who will be happy to show you around the island, take you diving, or show you the island’s infamous blue holes. Cat Island’s blue holes are beautiful natural pools that connect with the ocean through underground, limestone tunnels. Some of the locals think that there are sea monsters living in the blue holes. Boiling Hole is named for the bubbles and whirlpools caused by the ocean tides ebbing and flowing into it. Then, there’s Mermaid Hole, which is supposedly the home to you guessed it... a mermaid!Big Blue Hole is perhaps the most ominous of all, because it’s other name is “Horse Eating Hole!” The locals are right to fear venturing too deep into any of the blue holes because the tides can actually produce quite a suction through the tunnels that lead into the ocean. Horse Eating Hole got it’s name because island farmers used to throw their dead animals into it and they would promptly disappear, apparently sucked down into the depths of the hole by the monster. While a monster may not exist in any of the blue hole, strong currents and tides could pose a danger to an inexperienced swimmer. Just for the record, Randy Wayne White, novelist and very brave journalist for Outside Magazine, dove in and explored the blue holes. However, he was unable to find any trace of a monster.
Cat’s lovely untouched beaches, forests, and coral reefs promise an unequaled experience in natural beauty. Prolific sealife ensures amazing diving and snorkeling. And how does a ten mile stretch of blissfully, pink sand appropriately called, “Fine Beach,” sound to you? Ahhh, paradise.
Find Flights To Cat Island Find Places To Stay On Cat Island Return From Cat Island to Bahamas Islands Return From Cat Island Bahamas to Bahamatopia Travel Guide Home |
Five Ways To Save BIG Money On Your Next Bahamas Vacation!
Best Of The Bahamas
Site Sponsors
Bahamas Time