Travel Guides > Florida > Bahamas
Taking advantage of its proximity to the US, the Bahamas has successfully promoted itself as a popular destination for jetsetters and snowbirds fleeing the North American winter. Nassau, the sprawling, crowded capital, has become nearly indistinguishable from many US cities. Yet there are lots of places among the country's 700 islands and 2500 cays to disappear into a mangrove forest, explore a coral reef and escape the high-rise hotels and package-tour hype.
The 18th-century Privateers' Republic has become the 20th-century banker's paradise, at least on New Providence and Grand Bahama. On the other islands - once known as the Out Islands but now euphemistically called the Family Islands - the atmosphere is less oriented toward the North American tourist and more toward the rhythms of West Indian life. You'll certainly be more in tune with the local environment listening to a rake-and-scrape band in a bar on a backwater cay than sunning by the pool at a Paradise Island resort.
The traditional culture of the Bahamas lives away from the American-influenced urban centers of Nassau and Freeport. The islands' folkways stem in large part from the tales, bush medicine, music and religion brought over by African slaves. A popular 'folk' religion is obeah, a system of beliefs governing interactions between the living and the spirit world. It's a less sinister cousin of Haitian voodoo and Cuban santería. The vast majority of Bahamians, however, belong to mainline Christian denominations (though many Anglican priests hedge their bets and mix a little good-willed obeah into their practice). Most islanders are steadfast in their religious beliefs: many taxi drivers and office workers keep a Bible at hand. Church affairs make headline news, while major international events are relegated to the inside pages. The country claims the greatest number of churches per capita in the world.
English, the official language and that of business and daily life, is spoken by everyone but a handful of Haitian immigrants, who speak their own Creole. Most black Bahamians speak both standard English and patois. While the Bahamas has yet to produce a writer of world renown and its visual arts scene has been slow to take shape, the islands have a vibrant musical culture. The country has produced several traditional forms of music, including goombay, a synthesis of calypso, soca and English folk songs; and down-home, working-class 'rake and scrape,' usually featuring guitar, accordion and shakers made from the pods of poinciana trees.
Bahamian kids play basketball with a passion. They live on the basketball court, and most towns have a small court with makeshift stands. Bahamians follow the US basketball (and baseball) leagues with intense fervor.
When to go
The Bahamas are a year-round destination. Incessant trade breezes ensure pleasant temperatures, so unless you're visiting the southern isles, which get infernally hot in summer (June to August), weather isn't a major factor in determining when to go. The best time to come is the warm, breezy summer, when the water is so warm you can linger in it for hours. Mid-winter temperatures in the northerly and westerly isles can be surprisingly cold. In summer, the rainy season extends from May to November, when hurricanes are a slim possibility. The so-called 'peak season' runs from mid-December to mid-April, when hotel prices are highest.Places to Stay in Bahamas
NassauAndros
Grand Bahama
