Beaches

Grand Bahama Island has enough beaches for everyone. The best ones open onto Northwest Providence Channel at Freeport and sweep east for some 97km (60 miles) to encompass Xanadu Beach, Lucaya Beach, Taíno Beach, and others, eventually ending at such remote eastern outposts as Rocky Creek and McLean's Town. Once you leave the Freeport/Lucaya area, you can virtually have your pick of white sandy beaches all the way east. Once you're past the resort hotels, you'll see a series of secluded beaches used mainly by locals. If you like people, a lot of organized watersports, and easy access to hotel bars and rest rooms, stick to Xanadu, Taíno, and Lucayan beaches.

Though there's fine snorkeling offshore, you should book a snorkeling cruise aboard one of the catamarans to see the most stunning reefs.

Xanadu Beach is one of our favorites, immediately east of Freeport and the site of the famed Xanadu Beach Resort. The 1.6km-long (1-mile) beach may be crowded at times in winter, but that's because of those gorgeous, soft, powdery white sands, which open onto tranquil waters. The beach is set against a backdrop of coconut palms and Australian pines. In theory, at least, you can hook up here with an assortment of watersports, including snorkeling, boating, jet-skiing, and parasailing. But many of the beachfront concessions were damaged by hurricanes during the autumn of 2005, so it's a good idea to phone the Xanadu Resort in advance of your arrival to find out which purveyors have returned after the storm devastation.

Immediately east of Xanadu is Silver Point Beach, a little beach, site of a timeshare complex where guests are out riding the waves on water bikes or playing volleyball on the beach. You'll see horseback riders from Pinetree Stables taking beach rides along the sands.

Despite the allure of other beaches on Grand Bahama Island, most visitors will be found at Lucaya Beach, right off Royal Palm Way and immediately east of Silver Point Beach. This is one of the best strands in The Bahamas, with long stretches of white sand. In the vicinity of the Westin and Sheraton hotels, you'll also encounter a worthy scattering of beach bars. At any of the hotel resorts along this beach, you can hook up with an array of watersports or get a frosty drink from a hotel bar. It's not for those seeking seclusion, but it's a fun beach-party scene.

Immediately to the east of Lucaya Beach, and separated from it with a saltwater canal, Taíno Beach is a family favorite and a good place for watersports. This, too, is a fine wide beach of white sands, opening onto generally tranquil waters.

Another choice not too far east is Gold Rock Beach, a favorite picnic spot with locals on weekends, although you'll usually have this beach to yourself on weekdays. Gold Rock Beach is a 19km (12-mile) drive from Lucaya. At Gold Rock you are at the doorstep to the Lucayan National Park , a 16-hectare (40-acre) park filled with some of the longest, widest, and most fabulous secluded beaches on the island.

Private White Sands for You Alone -- Once you head east from Port Lucaya and Taíno, you'll discover so many splendid beaches that you'll lose count. Although these beaches have names, you'll never really know what beach you're on, unless you ask a local, because they are unmarked. If you like seclusion and don't mind the lack of any facilities, you'll find a string of local favorites. Directly east of Taíno is Churchill's Beach, followed by Smith's Point, Fortune Beach, and Barbary Beach. Fortune Beach is a special gem because of its beautiful waters and white sands.