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Tag Archives: Christopher Columbus

Destination Caribbean: Where is Grand Bahama?

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Photograph of underwater reef with colorful orange and black fish swimming over it
GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND

Recently, a customer asked, “Where is St Thomas?”  We answered the question in our blog, entitled, “Destination Caribbean:  Where is St. Thomas?.”  Here, we identify the location of another popular destination.  We introduce one of the most family-friendly islands in the Bahamas, GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND.  

 

WHERE IS IT LOCATED?

Grand Bahama Island is located in the Caribbean, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is about 190 miles west of Nassau and 55 miles from South Florida. It is also due east of Fort Lauderdale and northeast of Cuba. Atlas and map users users will find the island at coordinates 26°39?N 78°19?W. 

 

map of florida and the bahamas and cuba. Satellite image with labels.

EST AND DST

Grand Bahama is the fifth largest island in the Bahamas island chain. The chain has approximately 700 islands and more than 2,000 cays.  It is in the Eastern Standard Time zone (EST). Daylight Savings Time (DST) is observed in the summer months from March to November.  This is when the time is pushed forward by 1 hour to Eastern Daylight-savings Time (EDT). It shifts back by 1 hour after the summer, and returns to EST.

 

WHICH AIRPORT TO FLY INTO?

By air, the island’s international airport, Grand Bahama International Airport (GBIA), is 35 minutes from Miami.  It is 3 hours from New York.  It is also 7 hours from Los Angeles.  Finally, it is 9 hours across the pond, from London.

 

LURE OF THE ISLAND

The charms of the island attract visitors from around the world. Many of these visitors arrive on the largest yacht charter vessels. Deep surrounding waters and bordering shallow reefs teeming with tropical fish are an irresistible magnet. It keeps boaters coming back year after year. The islands premier marina is the full-service 115-slip Port Lucaya Marina

 

WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO OFFER?

Grand Bahama features lots of excitement.  For instance, miles of beautiful beaches, nature preserves, resort hotels, a major casino, nighttime entertainment, an animal shelter full of the Bahamas’ own breed of dog available for adoption (the potcake).  It also features warm, tropical, emerald-green seas, and tons of watersports activities. 

 

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS

A NEAT FACT:  When Christopher Columbus visited the island in 1492, he called it Gran Bajamar – ‘Great Shallows,‘ from which the name Grand Bahama was derived;  however, the name of the island’s capital city, Freeport / Lucaya, is probably better known to the world today than the name of the island, itself.  

 

HOW TO BOOK A YACHT CHARTER

Come explore the Bahamas on some of the newest yachts available for charter HERE

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