The island's vast number of pink flamingos outnumbers its human population of 1,200. They're so plentiful on Inagua that some of them even roost on the runway of the island's airport, as well as at thousands of other locations throughout the flat, heat-blasted landscape.
Dedicated bird-watchers who are willing to forgo comforts usually trek inland to the edges of the many brackish lakes in the island's center. About half the island is devoted to a national park; the island's most viable industry involves distilling salt from the local salt flats.
To see the birds at Inagua National Park is reason enough to come here in the first place. Everyone entering the park must be accompanied by a warden, and reservations and a day pass costing $25 (£13) for adults and $10 (£5.30) for students must be obtained in advance. Get the passes either through The Bahamas National Trust in Nassau (tel. 242/393-1317 for information or reservations; www.bahamasnationaltrust.org) or by contacting one of the local wardens on Inagua, Henry Nixon, at tel. 242/339-1616. In addition to the park fee, you're expected to offer the wardens a large tip. Figure on about $50 (£27) a day, which is the usual payment. The best time to see our feathered friends is from November until June.
One of the best panoramas on the island is Southwest Point, lying 2km (1 1/4 miles) south of the "capital." From here you can see Cuba on a clear day because it lies just 81km (50 miles) to the west. The best vista of Cuba comes from the lighthouse here that dates from 1870 -- one of the last of a quartet of hand-operated kerosene lighthouses left in The Bahamas. The reefs off this point are treacherous, as many a captain learned when his ship was wrecked here.
