What Are The 7 Essential Bahama Facts?
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Welcome! Let's get straight to the point...
The best in-depth Bahama facts that you will find are all in the Bahamas Handbook. It is re-issued and updated every year. And it is a professionally presented facts book with a number of high quality photos. Click here to see The Bahamas Handbook. (This will open a new window. You'll be right back here after you close it.)
Find out whether this Bahama facts book is for you and if it is, you can order it instantly online.
The Seven Most Valuable Bahama Facts
Are you intending to visit the Bahamas as a tourist, are you planning on building a second home or would you like to do business in the Bahamas?In either case, the 7 Bahama facts below will prepare you well.
The Bahamas.
The Bahamas - a politically stable and independent country since 1973 - consist of a group of islands off the coast of eastern Florida, USA.
The official language is English and the currency, the Bahamas-Dollar is at par with the US-Dollar.
The main island is New Providence where the capital Nassau is located. It is very touristic. Hotels, casinos and cruise ships. Here are the Nassau Pros & Cons.
The second highly touristic island in the Bahamas is Grand Bahama, where Freeport is the main center of attraction. This is the place for sun-and-fun and casinos of course. It is also the country’s centre of eco-tourism, offering nature tours, national parks and botanical gardens.
The Bahamas have a sub-tropical climate, about 340 sunny days per year and - according to astronauts - the clearest waters in the Caribbean region.
It's no surprise that the Bahamas are such an important tourist destination, when you look at the temperatures across a full year.
Average daily air temperatures are:
- In the Winter:
Maximum: 77°F/25°C.; Minimum 65°F/18°C. - In the Summer:
Maximum: 91°F/33°C.; Minimum: 75°F/24°C.
And did you know that the water temperature in the Bahamas hardly ever drops below 72° F (equivalent to 22° Celsius) near the shorelines?
We keep measuring water temperatures on the shoreline of the Atlantic side of Central Eleuthera. Here is what we're usually finding...
- 24° C = 75° F Winter
- 27° C = 80° F Spring
- 31° C = 88° F Summer
For some of the best Bahamas weather links click here.
We know Judy who is very familiar with Eleuthera.
Judy in Florida knows Bahamas Beach House Rentals inside out. Click here to view good photos and contact Judy directly.
She will find your ideal rental on any Bahamian island, i.e. Grand Bahama, Abaco, New Providence, Eleuthera, Exumas, Cat Island, Long Island etc.
All but two islands in The Bahamas are called Out Islands. The two "Non-Out-Islands" are Nassau on New Providence Island and Freeport on Grand Bahama Island.
Most Bahamians (85% Black, 15% White and mixed) live in Nassau and Freeport.
Out-Islands are called *Family Islands* because everybody knows everybody. Well, almost... hence the term.
Out-Islands are quiet, peaceful, relaxed, uncrowded and unspoiled. Here are a few of them...
Eleuthera island, 20 minutes by air from Nassau, is famous for many of the best Bahamas beaches.
Eleuthera has been a romantic hideaway for the British Royals for many years. Prince Charles and Diana used to stay at Windermere Island adjacent to Eleuthera.
Abaco a quite well developed island with several small and picturesque islands in the vicinity of the main town Marsh Harbour, is a boaters paradise.
Abaco is only a half hour flight from Nassau and has Anglo-American culture, especially in the small offshore islands near Marsh Harbour.
The sport fishing capital is Bimini, just 50 miles off the coast of South Florida. Yes, the famous American writer Hemingway lived there for over two years. Another excellent island for fishing is Andros.
But by far the most alluring features of The Bahamas are its sparkling turquoise waters and powdery pink sand beaches, stretching for miles. If you clicked the Bahamas beaches link above, you know what I'm talking about...
There is no income or corporate tax and no capital gains or inheritance tax in The Bahamas. You will find all the details about annual property tax etc. in The Bahamas Handbook. A link to it can be found in the first paragraph above.
Read this interesting interview with an American developer about buying and selling real estate in the Bahamas. Clicking the link will open a new window. You'll be right back here when you close it.
- Camera
- Sunscreen. No one is suggesting that you fry on a beach. But many scientists believe that "safe sun" — 15 minutes a few times a week without sunscreen — is not only possible but helpful to health. Read the revealing USA TODAY article "Vitamin D Reserach May Have Doctors Prescribing Sunshine"
- Sunglasses
- Sun hat
- Beach Towel
- Bathing Suit
- Insect repellent. Here is a good one.
- Sandals
- Personal Water Sport Equipment i.e. Snorkeling, Scuba Diving
- Maps
- A Bahamas travel guide. Browse the Frommer's Guide BAHAMAS 2008 below by clicking on the black triangles and blue links. Then decide whether you want to buy it.
- Money. The official currency is the Bahamian Dollar. It is at par with the U.S. Dollar. You can use either one throughout the islands.
Special Note: Each person leaving The Bahamas must pay a $15.00 departure tax. Children under 6 years old are exempt.
The cheapest and fastest version of island hopping is by BahamasAir the national air carrier and not by the Fast Ferries.
Click here to find the *Round Trip Search* of BahamasAir. Click on the little down arrows in the FROM & TO windows to see all the BahamasAir destinations within the Bahamas. (After you're done, close that window and you'll be right back here.)
The best way to find hotels in the Out Islands is to search the Web. Type the following words into the Google window: bahamas out islands hotels
For good hotel deals in Nassau and Freeport, check out package offers that include your flight, meals and hotel accommodation.
You can also charter private planes from Nassau or Freeport.
The island chain - south-east of Nassau - called Exumas, makes for a great island hopping experience.
Click here to see a spectacular aerial photo of one of the Exuma islands.
The most famous islands for excellent fishing are, Bimini, Andros, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama, and Walker's Cay. For more detailed information on fishing click here.
The shallow waters of the Bahamas are a true divers paradise.
The country has the clearest waters in the world with visibility of over 200 feet (60 meters).
Andros is a bug-ridden island in the summer but it has the largest number of dive sites in the Bahamas. With the third-longest barrier reef in the world (behind those of Australia and Belize), Andros offers about 100 miles of drop-off diving into the *Tongue of the Ocean*. You can see this interesting tongue shape of the sea bottom on almost any map of the Bahamas.
For more in-depth diving info click here.
Oops, no number. Why?
If you are interested in buying property to build a home in the Bahamas or if you are intending to do business, I strongly recommend you go back to the top of this page and click on the Bahamas Handbook link.
I'm saying this because my wife and I have owned a house on Eleuthera island for several year now. In the Bahamas Handbook we found all the latest updated information which are essential to you, too. Trust us, studying this book ensures your project will be a success.
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