Regions in Brief

Great Harbour Cay

An estimated 700 residents live on Great Harbour Cay, making it the most populated island of the Berry chain. Its main settlement is Bullock's Harbour, which might be called the "capital of the Berry Islands." The cay is about 2.5km (1 1/2 miles) wide and some 13km (8 miles) long. A grocery store and some restaurants are about all you'll find in town. Most visitors arrive to stay at the Great Harbour Cay Yacht Club & Marina, which for 2006 is being turned into a posh and much bigger resort. Check its status before coming here.

Great Harbour Cay lies between Grand Bahama Island and New Providence (Nassau). It's 97km (60 miles) northwest of Nassau and 242km (150 miles) east of Miami, about an hour away from Miami by plane or half a day by powerboat. Unlike most islands in The Bahamas, the island isn't flat, but contains rolling hills.

Deep-sea fishing possibilities abound here, including billfish, dolphinfish, king mackerel, and wahoo. Light-tackle bottom-fishing is also good. You can net yellowtail, snapper, barracuda, triggerfish, and plenty of grouper. Bonefishing here is among the best in the world. The Great Harbour Cay marina is an excellent facility, with some 80 slips and all the amenities. Some of Florida's fanciest yachts pull in here.

When you tire of fishing, you can relax on 13km (8 miles) of gorgeous beaches, play the 9-hole golf course designed by Joe Lee, or try your backhand on one of the four clay tennis courts.

Chub Cay

Named after a species of fish that thrives in nearby waters, Chub Cay is well known to sportfishing enthusiasts. A self-contained hideaway with a devoted clientele, it's the southernmost of the Berry Islands, separating the mainland of South Florida from the commercial frenzy of Nassau.

Chub Cay's development began in the late 1950s as the strictly private (and rather spartan) enclave of a group of Texas-based anglers and investors. It was originally uninhabited, but over the years a staff was imported, dormitory-style housing was built, and the island's most famous man-made feature (its state-of-the-art 90-slip marina) was constructed in the 392-hectare (968-acre) island's sheltered lagoon.

Chub Cay is today a tranquil, scrub-covered sand spit with awesome amounts of marine hardware, a dozen posh private homes, the marina, and a complex of buildings devoted to the Chub Cay Resort & Marina . Today membership in the club begins at around $2,500 (£1,325) per year and grants reduced rates for marina slip rental, boat repairs, and hotel-room and villa rental. Nonmembers, however, are welcome to use the facilities and rent rooms at the rates listed.

A liquor store and a yachties' commissary are on the island, as well as an outlet for the sale of marine supplies and a concrete runway for landing anything up to and including a 737. Most visitors reach Chub Cay by private yacht from the Florida mainland, but if you prefer to charter your fishing craft on Chub Cay, you'll find a miniarmada of suitable craft at your disposal. Island Express Airlines (tel. 954/359-0380) flies charter flights to Chub Cay from Fort Lauderdale. Charter flights can be arranged with the help of the Chub Cay Resort & Marina's desk staff. If you opt to fly here, travel light; no more than 40 pounds of baggage is allowed per passenger.

The water temperature around Chub Cay averages a warm 80°F to 85°F (27°C-29°C) year-round, even at relatively deep depths. There's only a small tidal change and, under normal conditions, no swell or noticeable current in offshore waters. The waters are incredibly clear, making for great snorkeling.