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Grand Bahama: An Island Gem in the Atlantic!

Grand Bahama, the fourth largest of the Bahama Islands, was once the home of the Lucaya Indians. Although the island was uninhabited for hundreds of years, today Grand Bahama is a thriving paradise of sandy beaches, underwater coves, pulsating nightlife, and historical attractions. A day's itinerary on Grand Bahama can include snorkeling, scuba diving, parasailing, kayaking, hiking, or lounging on a beautiful white sand beach. The night brings moonlight cruises, musical reviews, gaming venues, and just about every other activity imaginable.

The hub of Grand Bahama is the hopping city of Freeport. Modern day Freeport was founded as recently as 1955 by American developer Wallace Groves, who envisioned a duty-free city on Grand Bahama that could support both tourism and commercial endeavors. The center of activity ranges between Ranfurly Circus and Churchill Square. On The Mall there is great shopping around the International Bazaar. Neat little shops, boutiques, and kiosks hawk items from around the world. More shopping is available at the nearby Straw Market, an area selling mainly local handicrafts, included the hand woven straw hats and garments that are legendary in the Bahamas.

For a look at the local plant life, pay a visit to The Gardens of the Groves, named after the founder of the town. This sprawling tropical park has walking paths, and has a small museum, The Freeport/Lucaya Development Museum, which displays exhibits commemorating Freeport's history. If you are feeling lucky, you may want to venture to El Casino, a Moorish style casino that is one of the largest in the western hemisphere.

Being completely surrounded by water, Grand Bahama is a beach lover's dream-come-true. The white sand couples with crystal clear water, making the beaches ideal for swimming or donning your snorkeling gear. The most popular beach on the island is Gold Rock Beach, which is a must-see at low tide when it unfolds its signature wave formation locals call the "welcome mat." If you are looking for a more secluded beach, travel down to the Barbary Beach. This beach is great for hunting seashells, and in May and June there's a spectacular display of white spider lilies. Another great beach, as well as plenty of hiking opportunities can be found in the Lucayan National Park. This 40-acre park has a series of nature trails that twist and turn throughout the park, none of which is more than a mile long. The beach is a great snorkeling spot and is close to a six-mile-long series of underwater caves, one of the longest in the world.

Grand Bahama, like the rest of the Bahama Islands, is a scuba diving heaven. Intricate coral reefs, steep drop offs, famous wrecks, and underwater caves offer dive experiences for every skill level. The most famous dive around Grand Bahama is Theo's Wreck. This 230-foot Norwegian freighter was sunk intentionally in 1982. She rests in 100 feet of water, and is a popular habitat for all sorts of sea life. Novice divers and snorkelers alike will love Pillar Castle. This dive site has coral formations that are shaped like castles, and rays, eels, and small nurse sharks are frequent visitors. For a heart-pumping dive experience, let one of the knowledgeable dive operators take you on a Shark Dive. This is a well orchestrated and professionally staffed dive that involves a minimum number of guests, a shark feeder, safety divers and videographer. The professionals feed the sharks while the guest divers watch!

Grand Bahama is also considered a sport fishing mecca. Whether your particular style is reef fishing, deep-sea fishing, bone fishing, or bottom fishing, the waters off of Grand Bahama are teeming with enough fish to satisfy any appetite.

Lying only 55 miles due east of Palm Beach, Florida, Grand Bahama is an excellent choice for a Bahama Island vacation. Your days can be filled with tanning on a local beach, heading out to sea, either in snorkeling or diving gear, and checking out the local sea life. Your nights can be filled with restaurants, clubs, shows, or moonlight cruises that bring everlasting memories. The Bahamas are calling with an island song. Care to sample the music?