Grand Bahama What Is Known For

BEACHES

Ready for a day away from the water toys and snack shacks of Lucaya? Then head east for a day of quiet beach time. Fortune Bay, about 5 miles from Port Lucaya, is a classic sandy strand that lives up to its name (paying homage to a $2 million find in a shipwreck found here). But for an even better bet, keep on truckin' for another 20 miles to Gold Rock Beach. No, there's no gold, but this secluded beach (part of Lucayan National Park) is spectacular, particularly at low tide.

FISHING

Nearby Bimini basks in the big-game spotlight (it was Ernest Hemingway's favorite fishing haunt), but Grand Bahama gets its fair share of marlin, tuna, and wahoo during the prime season (April through September). Less known is the island's healthy bonefish population. Grand Bahama has played host to the Bonefishing World Championships, and if your flyfishing is up to the task (the fish are skittish, requiring skillful casting), you'll love the flats off Deep Water Cay, just off the east end of the island.

SHOPPING

Serious spenders can go directly (without passing Go) to International Marketplace, a 10-acre collection of "global" theme shops (and restaurants) just east of Freeport, or its close kin, the Port Lucaya Marketplace on the waterfront setting, where the live entertainment evenings in the Count Basie Square is worth a listen. You'll find a lively straw market and arts & crafts stalls near both marketplaces.