Grand Bahama: Fun-filled activities for all the family
The Bahamas is not just about shark diving! Honestly! There is plenty to explore both above and below the water. We had some time to spare whilst waiting to fly to our next destination, after our diving trips, and decided to make the most of it. The Bahamas has more palm tree-lined golden beaches than anywhere we can think of, so you could just chill out, catch some sun and enjoy a Bahama Mama cocktail, but we wanted to do a couple of water-based activities that also allowed us to explore more of this island.
The tour, with Calabash Eco Adventures, combined both snorkelling and kayaking, but the wind had picked-up a little, and so our guides chose the sites best suited to the wind direction to ensure we were safe and comfortable in the water. They picked our group up from our hotel in the morning in a minibus, towing our kayaks behind. Whilst they do provide all the equipment you might need, we threw our mask, fins, snorkels, rash vests and action cameras into our bag.
Our first stop was Paradise Cove, where we were going to snorkel, and our tour bus pulled up to reveal a nice setup, with great facilities and a place to grab lunch after our time in the water. We donned our snorkelling gear and set off down the golden sand to the Caribbean Sea. Our guide told us that there were artificial reef structures, plenty of turtles and, further out, a nice reef to explore. We were not disappointed with our first turtle appearing in just a couple of minutes. It is amazing the marine life you can see in such shallow water, without needing any scuba kit. After over an hour in the water, we were ready for a spot of lunch and so grabbed a veggie burger on the deck before jumping back in the bus to take us to our next adventure.
Our afternoon was spent kayaking amongst the island’s mangrove system. This ecosystem is hugely important for the island; the mangroves act both as a barrier to the adverse weather during hurricane season and also as a nursery for young reef fish. Kayaking is a great way to explore the mangroves, gliding quietly on the still water as our guide led us on a relaxing tour through the maze of mangrove roots. Braver souls than us tried standing up and paddling, but one wobble and they were in!
To finish off our day of non-diving in Grand Bahama, we headed to Port Lucaya Marketplace. If you want to pick up some duty-free shopping, stop for a drink and watch the world go by, or fancy eating out, then this is where most people head to. It is really vibrant and we particularly liked the Rum Runner as a place to grab a cocktail of the same name and toast what was an exceptional day out of the water.
For more information about these activities:
Images and text by Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown
