The Bahamas lies almost equidistant from Florida to its northwest and Cuba to its south. They are an independent country within the Commonwealth with Queen Elizabeth II as their monarch. Its capital is Nassau.

The Bahamas has more than 700 islands, cays, and islets. The colour of the beaches range from sugar white to the pink of their visiting flamingos. This coupled with its all year round temperatures that lie between 16°C to 32°C from the coolest to the warmest makes it a popular destination for many tourists. One of the most popular of these beaches is Cable Beach on New Providence Island which is ideal for families, parasailing, snorkelling and scuba diving. If you want to be more exclusive all it takes is a short ferry ride to the Blue Lagoon on Paradise Island that has a wonderful stretch of beaches for bathing or you can swim with dolphins - or snorkel through the coral reefs.

Besides dolphins visitors can swim with sharks in Nassau the capital. Or visitors may want to feed their adrenalin with a punt at the Atlantis Resort and Casino which besides gambling also hosts an underwater aquarium called the Dig, which is based on the lost city of Atlantis. There are hundreds of marine animals with information to be discovered about each one. There is also the Ardastra Gardens, Zoo and Conservation Centre, a jungle/garden park which is home to many mammals, birds and reptiles from around the world, including endangered species. Visitors can also soak up the history and culture of the Bahamas by visiting the Pirates Museum, the stronghold of Fort Charlotte and the 18th century government buildings on Parliament Square. There are also wonderful eateries there and the Bay Street and Straw Market where visitors can pick up a souvenir made from coral, stone, wood and even straw – an historical mainstay industry of the Bahamas.

Visitors to Freeport should be sure to visit the Port Lucaya Marketplace which also sells exclusive Bahamas art and craft items. It is also home to the Lucayan National Park that winds through exotic trees to glistening clear water. Snorkelers can discover a natural art display of coral and sea-life and an underwater cave system with stunning scenery. Other magnificent places to snorkel lie in Peterson Cay – a small island barely a mile from Barbary Bay Beach. Other aquatic animals swim around here including the beautiful array of tropical fish, sea fans and the majesty of barracudas and sting rays.

Finally, the Exuma which covers over half of the islands of the Bahamas has the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. This alike the others is loaded with sea gardens, caves and coral reefs and is reputedly known to contain many an ‘x marks the spot’ treasure’ by pirates that reputedly hid their ill-gotten gains there.

There is a wide variety of self catering vacation rentals in the Bahamas ranging from condos on the beach to luxury vacation homes with swimming pools and some with their own private beaches.

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