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ABOUT THE BAHAMAS
It is not unusual to find hotel accommodation per person per night in the Bahamas is around £180.00 in the hotels on the islands.
The Bahamas are made up from 700 islands that cover 150,000 square miles of tropical sea and approximately 5,000 square miles of land. The islands have flat coral formations with some low rounded hills.
Each island in The Bahamas has its own unique character and something different to offer. You are able to enjoy a holiday full of variety by visiting as many islands as time allows. Spend a few fun days in cosmopolitan Nassau with its duty free shops, golf, museums and restaurants. Lie back and relax on the bright white sand of Long Island's deserted beaches. Experience the dive of a lifetime in challenging wreck sites off the coast of San Salvador. Witness the spectacle of nesting flamingos and other exotic wildlife in Inagua National Park. Cruise through the Exumas' 100-mile-long string of pristine cays.
ABOUT LONG ISLAND
An uninterrupted 80-mile stretch of contrasting coastline is where Long Island get’s its name, with its distinct landscape soft white sand beaches greet the crystal clear water on the west coast, whilst rocky cliffs rise from the shore on the east. But words alone cannot describe the beauty of Long Island.
Just 80 miles long and 4 miles wide, Long Island is one of the most scenic hideaways in The Islands of the Bahamas, and is famous for its world-class scuba diving and fishing. The island is divided by the Tropic of Cancer and has contrasting coast on each side of the Island - one with a soft white beach, and the other with rocky headlands that descend into the sea, forming boundaries for the crashing waves. The topography of the island varies as well - with sloping hills in the north east, to low hillsides in the south, to stark white flatlands, to swampland, to pristine beaches... all of which combine to create a picturesque landscape and a haven for sailors, sun-worshippers and holidaymakers alike.
Long Island was originally named Yuma by the Lucayan Indians and was renamed Fernandina by Christopher Columbus upon his third landfall in the New World. Then, in 1790, Loyalists from the Carolinas and their slaves settled Fernandina. They built large plantations and produced sea-island cotton.
Many of the Loyalist mansions still stand as a reminder of the island's past. Although the plantations are overgrown and non-productive, agriculture is still a very important part of life on the Island. Pothole farming, a method that uses holes in the limestone where fertile topsoil collects, yields much of the food supply for the other islands, including peas, corn, pineapples and bananas. Breeding sheep, goats and pigs is also popular amongst Long Islanders.
The pace of life has not changed much since Long Island's faraway past. The carriage road, built more than a century ago, is lined by the island's major settlements - Burnt Ground, Simms, Wood Hill, Clarence Town, Roses and South Point - which are all situated around the island's harbours and anchorages.
LOCATION:
160 miles southeast of Nassau.
ATTRACTIONS:
Beaches, The Long Island Regatta, Cartwright's Cave, Shark Reef to watch a scuba master feed sharks, glass-bottom boat cruises, Columbus Point, Dean's Blue Hole, historic churches, Turtle Cove, plantation ruins.
ACTIVITIES:
Swimming, diving/snorkelling, fishing, boating, windsurfing, sailing, water skiing, hiking, biking, tennis, sightseeing by airplane, kayaking.
SHOPPING:
Straw markets, a few shops and a pottery studio in Deadman's Cay.
The conical white limestone turrets of St. Peter's Catholic Church may rise like the spires of a Greek chapel in the Dodecanese islands. The inland salt ponds resting loch-like, reflecting the hills of natural brush may remind you of the Scottish moors. But the balmy breezes that beckon you from your bed in the morning, the turquoise waters gleaming and ruffled like the gem-crusted skirts of a genteel lady, the contrasting deep sapphire and plum shades streaking the Atlantic all the way to the horizon, are uniquely the Bahamas.
Add to these the graceful hills, home of many happily wobbling birds, and the well-protected natural harbour, providing the comfortable anchorage for the ever present yachts wending their way down the Bahamas chain, and you have the quiet natural ingredients of Clarence Town, Long Island.
Deep sea fishing, Bone fishing, Diving, Boating, Water sports
Sea lovers are amply provided for. Bone fishing rates are typically $250/day/couple; $160/half day (pickup $15). Deep sea fishing rates are Bertram (4-5 rods, out & down rigger, captain & mate) $475/half day; $650/full day; Formula (by late 2006)-2 rods $325/day; $250/half day.
Kayaks can be hired for around ($40/day) to explore the area, picnic on the beaches of nearby cays or coves, or fish in the vicinity of the blue hole which is teaming with marine life.
Diving/Snorkelling equipment is also available nearby at Reel Divers for those wishing to explore or become PADI certified. Beach combers and landlubbers will find that there is plenty of fish to be caught right off the rocks or they may want to try their hand at an old Long Island tradition - crabbing.
Night Life
For those who wish to venture out at night, weekend entertainment is available at several clubs. Two local bands play traditional Bahamian music - soca and rake-n'-scrape. "By comparison with many bands in Nassau who cater for both the Bahamian and international markets, the Family Islands are a stronghold of ethnic music,” claims Shavonne. The Forest, a restaurant & bar regularly hosts these local bands. Another popular venue for local dances is Earlies Hillside tavern located a few miles North of GAP.
Hiking and biking
Long Island is a perfect place to hike. Places of interest are often off the beaten track. Because there is always so much to see, you can easily miss things when you're driving, especially turn-offs to isolated beach coves where you can "hideaway" for the afternoon.
Sight seeing
Sight seeing is also highly recommended all over the island. There are century old churches, which, without a doubt, are some of the best preserved and beautiful of The Bahamas' historical buildings. Historical evidence of a time when inhabitants lived solely by the yield of the land can be seen in ruins of plantations and colonial buildings, most notably an old plantation in Grays, the dungeon of which was once used by wreckers hiding their loot from ships lured upon the reefs. Another castle-like ruin, thought to be the summer home of one of the Bahamas' early governors, is located on a high bluff in Dunmore seven miles south of Clarence Town.
Exploring
For the explorer, there are caves where evidence of the Lucyan Indians, first inhabitants of The Bahamas, has been found, and blue holes teeming with marine life - all within biking distance. Water lovers can jet ski over to neighbouring cays, spend all afternoon on a snorkelling trip or pleasure excursion by boat, dingy or canoe to the beautiful, long sandy beaches of the uninhabited neighbouring cays just opposite the hotel. Those who wish to further a field may book a bone-fishing or deep-sea fishing trip or even an overnight trip to the neighbouring Exumas.
Nothing
If all of this sounds far too energetic, then you may simply decide to plant yourself on one of the many beaches doing nothing more exertive than rocking your hammock or contemplating the multiple shades of the brilliantly coloured sea.
Though there is plenty to do and see, what is most refreshing about Long Island and its people is the peace, the welcoming sense that if you would like to simply be - walking the beach while marvelling silently at your footprint pools of slippery pink, lying in a hammock relishing the southern tropical winds as it gently plucks at the leaves of your novel - that is expected. Or perhaps you would want to take up a relaxing message. That seems to do the trick!
One of the most pleasant memories of your stay may be simply this: The leisurely stroll into charming Clarence Town destined for the Harbour rest for a freshly made plate of cracked conch or grouper fingers, and a wander up the hill to St. Peter's Catholic Church to gaze at the inspiring vista of Clarence Town Harbour, and the brilliantly hued Bahamian shallows melting into the indigo depths of the Atlantic.
Whatever it is you choose to do its up to you but be assured you will be doing it as close to paradise as you can get on Long Island.
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