Long Island Bahamas
Long Island Bahamas holds a very special place in our hearts, because after all of our island travels... this is the island we decided that we just had to own a little piece of . This is the island where we began building our house in January 2010. I want to share with you here why we love it so much. A map of Long Island Bahamas shows the major settlements. We have a home just North of Indian Hole Point. Our favorite view is from the cliffs near Cape Santa Maria. Our favorite grocery store is in Salt Pond. You can go see wild flamingos way down South of Clarence Town. By the way, the Long Islanders say "down North" and "up South" when giving directions. Those sayings are leftover from a time when all island travel was accomplished under sail, and refers to the prevailing winds of the island.
This island is honestly the most beautiful and welcoming island we have ever visited! And we've traveled all over the Caribbean and the Bahamas. The landscape is so diverse. The water here is many different shades of impossibly brilliant blues and greens. The sun cast golden sparkles onto the sea. There are deserted, sandy beaches and white, limestone cliffs.
There are wondrous blue holes to explore and underwater pinnacles, arches, and coral formations that are easily accessible by boat, and even by shore! In fact, the world’s deepest blue hole is here on Long Island Bahamas. It’s called Dean’s Blue Hole and it can be found in a spot called Turtle Cove. Our friend, William Trubridge, a world champion freediver holds an amazing
world class freediving competition
each year at Dean’s Blue Hole because the conditions are so perfect there for diving. The water is clear, deep, and protected.
It is easy to figure out how Long Island got it’s name. It is 80 miles long, but only about four miles across at it’s widest point. There are amazing and contrasting coasts on both sides of the island. On the west coast, the shallow seas stretch toward Cuba. The calm, shallow banks dotted with coral heads and small islets go on and on, as far as the eye can see. This is where we anchor
our sailing home.
There are also flats on the west side that are perfect for bonefishing and aquatic mangrove nurseries. On the east coast, the ocean reaches endlessly toward Africa! You will see crashing surf, boats sailing and fishing offshore, and underneath are awesome coral formations and drop offs that are just perfect for viewing aquatic wildlife. The road that runs almost the entire length of the island provides glimpses occasionally of the lower, flatter western water’s edge. However, in order to see the Eastern shore, you often must drive uphill. The hilltops reward you with glorious views of both coasts. To give you an idea of how far south this island is, the Tropic of Cancer runs right through it’s Northern end.
While the island’s raw and wild beauty was to blame for our initial enchantment, the wonderful people who live there are the real reason why we decided to call this place home. There are roughly 4,000 inhabitants. The local community is a friendly and gifted population of farmers, boat builders, fishermen, sailors, and small business owners. There is also a great community of winter residents.. Interesting people of different nationalities and from all walks of life have come together on Long Island to live the good life. Every single person we met there was helpful and having a good time! Watch the video below to see what we love about Long Island. _________________________________________________________________
The diving around Long Island Bahamas is absolutely phenomenal. We have seen all kinds of sharks, rays, and even dolphin while we were diving there. Caribbean Spiny Lobster, stone crabs, and spider crabs can be seen peeking out from under ledges and coral heads. A wide array of reef fish accompany us on every dive. Trigger fish, blue damsels, parrot fish, butterfly fish, grouper, snapper, and more. They’re all there and you can watch their lovely dance of life as long as you can stay under!
You can go bonefishing on the immense bonefish flats on the South end of the island. Ask your hotel or guest house host about a guide. Find a local to take you deep sea fishing in the deepest blue sea you’ve ever seen right off the East facing beaches of the island. Sport fisherman come here from all over the world to hook up wahoo, mahi mahi, tuna, and marlin. My husband, Brian, loves to fish and spearfish!
Cruise here on your own boat or visit during the annual Long Island Bahamas sailing regatta. Long Island’s regatta is the second largest in The Bahamas. Skippers compete in the A, B and C class races. There is an awards ceremony with cash prizes and trophies. The regatta is held annually on the Bahamas Labor Day weekend, which is usually the first weekend in June. Those in attendance come from all over the Bahamas and all over the world! There is live music, native cooking, kid’s games, and more for the entire family to enjoy! We had a fabulous time at the last regatta we attended and we look forward to doing it again.
Some of the places to stay offer guided island tours, or you can rent a car and explore on your own. There are several historical churches on Long Island Bahamas. One of my favorites is an old crumbling church made of shell and limestone mortar with silvery, weathered, wooden beams. It is said to have been built by the Spanish in the 17th century. There are also two beautiful Catholic churches built by Father Jerome, who later became a hermit on Cat Island. The most popular church is St. Peter’s. Located in Clarence Town, it is built on a hill and overlooks the south end of the island, including the Clarence Town Harbour. Other interesting architecture includes the ruins of several old cotton plantations and many newer island homes. If you are interested in seeing real estate on Long Island, then you should talk to our friend,
Charlie Beede.
In the past, the Lucayan indians used these caves as a shelter. Today, the caves of Long Island Bahamas are home to many different species of bats, so many that biologists have come all the way to Long Island just to study them. We love bats, because they eat mosquitoes, and that's a very good thing on a tropical island. They sit high at the top of the magnificent, white limestone cliffs at the north end of the island. This is the world’s deepest blue hole. Dive off the cliffs into the clearest blue water you've ever seen! World Champion Freediver, William Trubridge will teach you the skills you need to be a world class freediver. Without a doubt, you simply must go to Max's and have some fresh conch salad. Say hi to Gary, the owner. Drink an ice cold Kalik beer or a fresh mango daiquiri!
If you're looking for paradise, your search just might end here! Watch the video below, the whole thing is on Long Island and the filmmaker won a contest for it. If you haven't been to Long Island Bahamas yet, now is the time! If you have, fill out the form below and tell me all about it! Have A Great Story About Long Island, Bahamas?Do you have a great story about Long Island, Bahamas? Share it! What Other Visitors Have SaidClick below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Our Long Island Adventure!
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