Cruises to the Bahamas

Cruises to the Bahamas

The Bahamas attracts millions of visitors each year from around the world.

Cruise ship companies consistently list the Bahamas as one of the premier tourist destinations. The Bahamas have some of the most idyllic beaches in the world. The sand is fine and white and visible beneath shallow, crystal clear water several yards out to sea.

With more than 2,000 islands and cays, there are countless beaches to choose from. Among the most populated beaches are Old Fort Beach and Cable Beach in New Providence, Vabbage Beach in Paradise Island , Xanadu Beach in Grand Bahama, Tahiti Beach in the Abacos, Pink Sands Beach in Harbour Island , Ten Bay Beach in Eleuthera, and Saddle Cay in the Exumas.

They are filled with opportunities for leisure sports and entertainment: water-skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling, beach bars, and restaurants. About 80% of the Bahamian beaches are practically deserted, making them ideal for those who enjoy nature untouched by human activity and sounds.

The Bahamas is also a year-round diver´s dream. There are dive sites for those who like exploring wrecks, but the main attraction is the marine life.

Most of the islands are ringed with coral reefs. The reef off Andros is the third largest in the world.

Bahamas, The Geography

The Bahamas is an archipelago lying in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida in the United States .

Exactly how many islands there are in the Bahamas depends on whether one counts every cay, even the ones that are no more than lumps of rock sticking out of the sea. Most references, however, agree that there are 700 significant islands and cays. As for the total number, some sources say there are 2,000 while other estimates are as high as 3,000.

The capital of the Bahamas , Nassau , is on the island of New Providence .

Hotels in The Bahamas

Tourism in the Bahamas has been a major thrust for the government since the Royal Victoria Hotel was built in Nassau to attract American tourists in the mid-19 th century, but it was only after World War II ended that government efforts to promote tourism increased significantly.

New Providence is the main tourist destination and has seen many hotel and casino developments, particularly in the last decade.

One of the biggest resorts, the Atlantis on Paradise Island , which is linked to Nassau by twin bridges, is expected to turn Nassau into the Monte Carlo of the Caribbean .

The hotel beaches are beautifully maintained and many of them offer access to inshore coral reefs, enabling the more timid to enjoy the experience of snorkeling without having to venture too far into the water.

Climate of the Bahamas

The Bahamas enjoys a tropical maritime climate moderated by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream .

From December to April (winter in the Bahamas ), the average temperature throughout the islands is 70 ° F (21 ° C). Evenings are slightly cooler.

The temperature on an average Bahamian summer day is 80 ° F (27 ° C).

The rainy season in the Bahamas lasts from May to November. The islands to the north receive a larger amount of this rainfall than do the islands in the south.

February and March are the nation´s driest months.

Hurricane season in the Bahamas officially runs from June to November, but most hurricanes occur between the months of August and September. On average, five hurricanes churn through the Bahamas per year. However, this number can vary greatly from year to year.