Active Pursuits

Beaches

The beaches on Bimini are all clearly marked and signposted from the highways.

The beach that's closest to Alice Town is Radio Beach, the only one on Bimini with toilets, vendors, and snack bars. It's set adjacent to the piers and wharves of Alice Town, and, consequently, it's the most popular and crowded beach on the island.

About 3km (2 miles) north of Alice Town, facing west, is Spook Hill Beach. Both it and its cousin, Bimini Bay Beach, about 4km (2 1/2 miles) north of Alice Town, offer fewer crowds, good snorkeling, and lots of sunshine. Both are sandy bottomed and comfortable on your feet. Above all, many local residents prefer Bimini Bay Beach, which is wider than any other on the island.

On South Bimini, the two favorites are the west-facing Bimini Sands Beach, a sandy-bottomed stretch that's immediately south of the channel separating North from South Bimini; and the Bimini Reef Club Beach, south of the airport, where offshore snorkeling is especially worthwhile, thanks to very clear waters.

Fishing

Ernest Hemingway made fishing here famous. But Zane Grey came this way, too, as did Howard Hughes. Richard Nixon used to fish here aboard the posh cruiser of his friend Bebe Rebozo. In the trail of Hemingway, fishermen still flock to cast lines in the Gulf Stream and the Bahama Banks.

Of course, everyone's still after the big one, and a lot of world records have been set in this area for marlin, sailfish, swordfish, wahoo, grouper, and tuna. But these fish are becoming evasive, and their dwindling numbers are edging them close to extinction. Fishing folk can spin cast for panfish and boat snapper, yellowtail, and kingfish. Many experts consider stalking bonefish, long a pursuit of baseball great Ted Williams, to be the toughest challenge in the sport.

Five charter boats are available in Bimini for big-game and little-game fishing, with some center-console boats rented for both bottom and reef angling. At least eight bonefishing guides are available, and experienced anglers who have made repeated visits to Bimini know the particular skills of each of these men who will take you for a half- or full day of "fishing in the flats." Most skiffs hold two anglers, and part of the fun in hiring a local guide is to hear his fish tales and other island lore. If a guide tells you that 16-pound bonefish have turned up, he may not be exaggerating -- catches that large have really been documented.

Reef and bottom-fishing on Bimini are easier than bonefishing and can be more productive. Numerous species of snapper and grouper can be found, as well as amberjack. This is the simplest and least expensive boat fishing because you need only a local guide, a little boat, tackle, and a lot of bait. Sometimes you can negotiate to go out bottom-fishing with a Bahamian, but chances are, he'll ask you to pay for the boat fuel for his trouble. That night, back at your Bimini inn, the cook will serve you the red snapper or grouper you caught that day.

Most hotel owners will tell you to bring your own fishing gear to Bimini. A couple of small shops sell some items, but you'd better bring major equipment with you if you're really serious. Bait, of course, can be purchased locally.

At the Bimini Big Game Resort & Marina, King's Highway, Alice Town (tel. 242/347-3391), you can charter a 10m (34-ft.) Hatteras at $1,100 (£583) for a full day of fishing, or $600 (£318) for a half-day. Although this outfitter is your best bet, you can also pick up a list of locals whose boats are available for charter at Bimini Blue Water Marina, King's Highway, Alice Town (tel. 242/347-3166). Rates for bonefishing are $300 (£159) per half-day. For deep-sea fishing, charges range from $500 to $600 (£265-£318) for a half-day.

Scuba Diving & Snorkeling

Explore the black coral gardens and reefs here, plus wrecks, blue holes, and a mysterious stone formation on the bottom of the sea that some people claim is part of the lost continent of Atlantis (it's 457m/1,499 ft. offshore at Bimini Bay, under about 6m/20 ft. of water). Bimini waters are known for a breathtaking drop-off at the rim of the continental shelf, an underwater mountain that plunges 600m (1,968 ft.) down.

The finest and most experienced outfitter is Bimini Undersea, King's Highway, Alice Town (tel. 242/347-3089; www.biminiundersea.com). The people to see here are Bill and Nowdla Keefe. Scuba divers pay $59 (£31) for a one-tank dive or $99 (£52) for a two-tank dive. Snorkelers are charged $39 (£21) for a single trip, including complimentary use of mask and fins. All-inclusive dive packages are also available. For further information or reservations, the Keefes can be reached at tel. 800/348-4644 or 305/653-5572.

You can also swim with dolphins in the wild two or three times a week, depending on demand. Most excursions take from 3 to 4 hours and cost $119 (£63) for ages 13 and up or $99 (£52) for ages 8 to 12. Swimming with dolphins has its critics and supporters. You may want to visit the Whale and Dolphins Conservation Society's website at www.wdcs.org. For more information about responsible travel in general, check out these websites: Tread Lightly (www.treadlightly.org) and the International Ecotourism Society (www.ecotourism.org).

Ruins of the Roaring Twenties -- A major attraction for both snorkelers and divers, not to mention rainbow-hued fish, is the Sapona, lying hard aground in 4.5m (15 ft.) of water between South Bimini and Cat Cay ever since it was blown here by a hurricane in 1929. In the heyday of the Roaring Twenties, the ship, which was built by Henry Ford, served as a private club and speakeasy. You'll have to take a boat to reach the wreck site. Spearfishermen are attracted to the ruins, looking for the giant grouper, and dive operators on Bimini include the site in their repertoire. It's shallow enough that even snorkelers can see it.