Active Pursuits

The more than 700 islands in the Bahamian archipelago (fewer than 30 of which are inhabited) are surrounded by warm, clear waters -- ideal for fishing, sailing, and scuba diving. The country's perfect weather and its many cooperative local entrepreneurs allow easy access to more than 30 sports throughout the islands.

Fishing

The shallow waters between the hundreds of cays and islands of The Bahamas are some of the most fertile fishing grounds in the world. Even waters where marine traffic is relatively congested have yielded impressive catches in the past, although overfishing has depleted schools of fish, especially big-game fish. Grouper, billfish, wahoo, tuna, and dozens of other species thrive in Bahamian waters, and dozens of charter boats are available for deep-sea fishing.

Frontiers International (tel. 800/245-1950 or 724/935-1577; www.frontierstravel.com) features fly- and spin-fishing tours of The Bahamas and is a specialist in saltwater-fishing destinations.

In addition, reef fishing, either from small boats or from shorelines, is popular everywhere, with grouper, snapper, and barracuda being the most commonly caught species.

Specialists and serious amateurs of the sport often head for any of the following destinations:

The island of Bimini is known as the "Big-Game Fishing Capital of the World." Here anglers can hunt for the increasingly elusive swordfish, sailfish, and marlin. Bimini maintains its own Hall of Fame, where proud anglers have their catches honored. World records for the size of catches don't seem to last long here; they are usually quickly surpassed.

Walker's Cay in the Abacos and Chub Cay in the Berry Islands are famous for both deep-sea and shore fishing. Some anglers return to these cays year after year. Grouper, jacks, and snapper are plentiful. Even spearfishing without scuba gear is common and popular.

Andros boasts the world's best bonefishing. Bonefish (also known as "gray fox") are medium-size fish that feed in shallow, well-lit waters. Known as some of the most tenacious fish in the world, they struggle ferociously against anglers who pride themselves on using light lines from shallow-draft boats. Andros Island Bonefish Club, in North Andros (tel. 242/368-5167; www.androsbonefishing.com), specializes in fishing adventures off some of the most remote and sparsely populated coastlines in the country.

Sailing

The Bahamas is one of the top yachting destinations in the Atlantic. Its more than 700 islands and well-developed marinas provide a spectacular and practical backdrop for sailing enthusiasts.

The mini archipelago of the Abacos is called the "Sailing Capital of the World." You might think it deserves the title until you've sailed the Exumas, which we think are even better.

Don't be dismayed if you don't own a yacht. All sizes and types of crafts, from dinghies to blue-water cruisers, are available for charter, and crew and captain are optional for experienced sailors. If your dreams involve experiencing the seagoing life for an afternoon or less, many hotels offer sightseeing cruises aboard catamarans or glass-bottom boats, often with the opportunity to snorkel or swim in the wide-open sea.

The Abacos have many marinas. The best boat rentals are at the Moorings (tel. 888/952-8420 or 727/535-1446; www.moorings.com). In the Exumas, it's sometimes difficult to rent boats because most yachters arrive with their own.

Scuba Diving

The unusual marine topography of The Bahamas offers an astonishing variety of options for divers. Throughout the more than 700 islands are innumerable reefs, drop-offs, coral gardens, caves, and shipwrecks. In many locations, you might feel like you are the first human ever to explore the site. Since fewer than 30 of the Bahamian islands are inhabited, you can usually dive in pristine and uncrowded splendor.

Andros boasts the third-largest barrier reef in the world. Chub Cay, in the Berry Islands, and Riding Rock, San Salvador, also offer premium spots to take a plunge in an underwater world teeming with aquatic life. The intricate layout of the Exumas includes virtually every type of underwater dive site, very few of which have ever been explored. The Abacos, famous for yachting, and the extensive reefs off the coast of Freeport (Grand Bahama) are also fabulous dive sites.

Freeport, incidentally, is home to the country's most famous and complete diving operation, UNEXSO (tel. 800/992-DIVE or 242/373-1244; www.unexso.com). It offers a 5m-deep (17-ft.) swimming pool where divers can work toward certification, as well as the popular Dolphin Experience, in which visitors are allowed to pet, swim, snorkel, and dive with these remarkable animals.

If you're a beginner, you can easily learn to dive for the first time in The Bahamas. Lots of Bahamian hotels offer resort courses for novices, usually enabling a beginner to dive with a guide after several hours of instruction. You'll probably start out in the swimming pool for your initial instruction and then go out from the beach with a guide. A license (called a certification card, or "C" card) proving the successful completion of a designated program of scuba study is legally required for solo divers. Many resort hotels and dive shops offer the necessary 5-day training course. Participants who successfully complete the courses are awarded certifications by diving organizations such as PADI or NAUI.

For useful information, check out the website of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) at www.padi.com. You'll find a description of the best dive sites and a list of PADI-certified dive operators. Rodale's Scuba Diving Magazine also has a helpful website at www.scubadiving.com. Both sites list dive-package specials and display gorgeous color photos of some of the most beautiful dive spots in the world.

Sea Kayaking

The pristine Exumas Cays Land and Sea Park, a spectacular protected area consisting of 365 mostly uninhabited cays, might be more impressive than anything in the Caribbean. To explore it by sea kayak, Ibis Tours (tel. 914/409-5961; www.ibistours.com) is your best bet. It will take you on kayaking itineraries that allow lots of time to enjoy the area's white-sand beaches and numerous reefs. You can also snorkel along the way. An 8-day trip leaving from Nassau costs US$1,895.

Bike & Scooter Rentals

Most biking or scooter riding is done either on New Providence Island (Nassau/Cable Beach) or on Grand Bahama Island; both have relatively flat terrain. Biking is best on Grand Bahama because it's bigger, with better roads and more places to go. Getting around New Providence Island is relatively easy once you're out of the congestion of Nassau and Cable Beach.

In both places, many hotels will rent you a bike or motor scooter; the latter starts at about US$60 per day. The tourist office at Freeport/Lucaya will outline on a map the best biking routes.

In the Out Islands, roads are usually too bumpy and potholed for much serious biking or scooter riding. Bike-rental places are almost nonexistent unless your hotel has some vehicles to loan or rent guests.

Golf

The richest pickings are on Grand Bahama Island. The Reef Golf Course is the first new course to open in The Bahamas since 1969. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., it features water along 13 of its 18 holes. The oldest course on Grand Bahama Island is the Lucayan Golf Course, a wooded course with elevated greens and numerous water hazards designed for precision golf.

Quality golf in The Bahamas is not restricted to Grand Bahama Island. On New Providence Island, Cable Beach Golf Club is the oldest golf course in the country. Paradise Island's widely publicized Ocean Club Golf Course has unusual obstacles -- a lion's den and a windmill -- which have challenged the skills of both Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. It also boasts the world's largest sand trap.

On Great Exuma Island, a spectacular Greg Norman-designed course has opened as part of the new Four Seasons Resort Emerald Bay Golf Club.

Golf is also available at a course in the Abacos at the Treasure Cay Golf Club. The design is challenging, with many panoramic water views and water obstacles.

Hiking

The Bahamas isn't the greatest destination for serious hikers. The best hiking is on Grand Bahama Island, especially in Lucayan National Park, which spreads across 16 hectares (40 acres) and is some 32km (20 miles) from Lucaya. The park is laced with trails and elevated walkways, outlined on a large map at the entrance. The highlight of the park is what may be the largest underground cave system in the world, some 11km (6 3/4 miles) long. Spiral steps let you descend into an eerie underground world.

Also on Grand Bahama Island, the Rand Nature Centre is the second-best place for hiking. It offers some 40 wooded hectares (99 acres) that you can explore on your own or with a tour guide. A .8km (.5 mile) stretch of winding trails acquaints you with the flora and fauna that call Grand Bahama home -- everything from a native boa constrictor to the Cuban emerald hummingbird, whose favorite food is the nectar of the hibiscus.

Horseback Riding

The best riding possibilities are on Grand Bahama Island at Pinetree Stables, North Beachway Drive, Freeport (tel. 242/373-3600 or 305/433-4809; www.pinetree-stables.com). Its escorted eco-tour trail rides are especially interesting. Rides are offered two times a day Tuesday through Sunday; be sure to book a few days in advance.

Virtually the only place on New Providence Island that offers horseback riding is Windsor Equestrian Centre & Happy Trails Stables, Coral Harbour, Nassau (tel. 242/362-1820; www.bahamahorse.com or www.windsorequestriancentre.com), which requires reservations for its morning and afternoon trail rides. These tours include transportation to and from your hotel. The trail rides are guided through the woods and along the beach.

Horseback riding is hardly a passion on the other islands.

Tennis

Most tennis courts are part of large resorts and are usually free for the use of registered guests during the day. Charges are imposed to light the courts at night. Nonguests are often welcome but are charged a player's fee; they should call in advance to reserve. Larger resorts usually offer on-site pro shops and professional instructors. Court surfaces range from clay or asphalt to such technologically advanced substances as Flexipave and Har-Tru.

New Providence and Paradise Island, with more than 80 tennis courts, win points for offering the greatest number of choices. At least 21 of these lie on Paradise Island, where there's a special emphasis on tennis at the One&Only Ocean Club (tel. 242/363-2501; www.oneandonlyresorts.com).

Grand Bahama Island has the next largest number of courts available for play -- almost 40 in all. The best facilities are at the Ace Tennis Center, at Our Lucaya.

Within the Out Islands, tennis courts are available on the Berry Islands, the Abacos, Eleuthera, and the Exumas. See the respective island chapters for more information.