Introduction to Bimini

Bimini, the Berry Islands, and Andros are each unique. Bimini is famous and overrun with tourists, particularly in summer, but visitors will have the Berry Islands practically to themselves. These two island chains to the north and west of Nassau could be called the "westerly islands" because they, along with Grand Bahama, lie at the northwestern fringe of The Bahamas. They are the closest islands to the Florida coastline.

Each of the three island chains attracts a different type of visitor. Bimini, just 81km (50 miles) off the east coast of Florida (and the setting for Hemingway's Islands in the Stream), lures the big-game fisher, the yachter from Miami, and even the drug dealer from south Florida. (The proximity to the Florida mainland helps make drug smuggling big business here.) Bimini is home to world-famous sportfishing, excellent yachting and cruising, and some good scuba diving. Anglers will find seas swarming with tuna, dolphinfish, amberjack, white and blue marlin, swordfish, barracuda, and shark, along with many other varieties. Bonefish are also plentiful around the flats off the coast of Alice Town, the capital, but the blue marlin is the prize. (Bahamians think so highly of this fish that they even put it on their $100 bill.) Scuba divers can see black coral trees over the Bimini Wall and reefs off Victory Cay.

Bimini is still known as the big-game fishing capital of the world, and fishermen come here throughout the year to fish in flats, on the reefs, and in the streams. Ernest Hemingway came to write and fish. Here he wrote much of To Have and Have Not, and his novel Islands in the Stream put Bimini on the map. Regrettably, fishing isn't what it used to be in Papa's day, and such species as marlin, swordfish, and tuna have been dangerously overfished by commercial longline boats.

Located 81km (50 miles) east of Miami, Bimini consists of a number of islands, islets, and cays, including North and South Bimini, the main tourist areas. You'll most often encounter the word "Bimini," but it might be more proper to say "The Biminis," since North Bimini and South Bimini are two distinct islands, separated by a narrow ocean passage. Ferry-service shuttles between the two. The major development is on North Bimini, mostly in Alice Town. The western side of North Bimini is a long stretch of lovely beachfront.

Off North Bimini, in 9m (30 ft.) of water, are some large hewn-stone formations that some people say came from the lost continent of Atlantis. Divers find the reefs laced with conch, lobster, coral, and many tropical fish.

Bimini's location off the Florida coastline is at a point where the Gulf Stream meets the Bahama Banks. This fact has made Bimini a favorite cruising ground for America's yachting set, who follow the channel between North and South Bimini into a spacious, sheltered harbor, where they can stock up on food, drink, fuel, and supplies at well-equipped marinas. From here they can set off to cruise the cays that begin south of South Bimini. Each has its own special appeal, beginning with Turtle Rocks and stretching to South Cat Cay (the latter of which is uninhabited). Along the way, you'll pass Holm Cay, Gun Cay, and North Cat Cay.

Hook-shaped North Bimini is 12km (7 1/2 miles) long, and combined with South Bimini, it makes up a landmass of only 23 sq. km (9 sq. miles). That's why Alice Town looks so crowded. Another reason is that a large part of Bimini is privately owned; despite pressure from the Bahamian government, the landholders have not sold their acreage, and Bimini can't "spread out" until they do. At Alice Town, the land is so narrow that you can walk "from sea to shining sea" in just a short time. Most of Bimini's population of some 1,600 people lives in Alice Town; other hamlets include Bailey Town and Porgy Bay.

Although winter is usually high season in The Bahamas, visitors flock to Bimini's calmer summer waters, which are better for fishing. Winter, especially from mid-December to mid-March, is quieter, and Bimini has never tried to develop a resort structure that would attract more winter visitors. If you go to Bimini, you'll hear a lot of people mention Cat Cay (not to be confused with Cat Island, in the Southern Bahamas). You can stay overnight at Cat Cay's marina, which lies 13km (8 miles) off South Bimini. Transient slips are available to mariners. The island is the domain of Cat Cay Yacht Club (tel. 242/347-3565; www.catcayclub.com), whose initiation fee is a cool $25,000. This privately owned island -- attracting titans of industry and famous families -- is for the exclusive use of Cat Cay Club members and their guests. At their leisure, they can enjoy the golf course, tennis, a large marina, white-sand beaches, and club facilities such as restaurants and bars. Many wealthy Americans have homes on the island, which has a private airstrip.