If you crave a refreshing escape from the plush hotels and casinos of Freeport/Lucaya, head to West End, 45km (28 miles) from Freeport. At this old fishing village, and along the scrub-flanked coastal road that leads to it, you'll get glimpses of how things used to be before package-tour groups began descending on Grand Bahama.
To reach West End, you head north along Queen's Highway, going through Eight Mile Rock, to the northernmost point of the island.
A lot of the old village buildings had become seriously dilapidated even before the destructive hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, but those that remain hint at long-ago legends and charm. Old-timers remember when rum boats were busy and the docks buzzed with activity day and night. This was from about 1920 to 1933, when Prohibition rather unsuccessfully held the United States in its grip. West End was (and is) so close to the U.S. mainland that rumrunning became a lucrative business, with booze flowing out of West End into Florida at night. Al Capone was reputed to have been a frequent visitor.
Villages along the way to West End have colorful names, such as Hawksbill Creek. For a glimpse of local life, try to visit the fish market along the harbor here. You'll pass some thriving harbor areas, too, but the vessels you'll see will be oil tankers, not rumrunners. Don't expect too much in terms of historic buildings en route.
Eight Mile Rock is a hamlet of mostly ramshackle houses that stretches along both sides of the road. At West End, you come to an abrupt stop. By far the most compelling developments here are associated with Old Bahama Bay, a good spot for a meal, a drink, and a look at what might one day become one of the most important real estate developments in The Bahamas.
