The Bahamas - It's More Than Just Beaches

While the beaches of the Bahamas are thelimestone just off the coast of the island. Divers
premier tourist attraction, there are many morecan trace the road and have found some
things to do if you travel inland. On Abaco youinteresting relics just 20 feet below the
can visit the Abaco National Park, which is asurface.Grand Bahama Island offers visitors a
20,500-acre national park dedicated toplethora of non-beach related activities. At
preservation of the native plants and animals ofFragrance of the Bahamas you can make and
the Bahamas. It is one of the only places in thebottle your own perfume. This interesting exhibit
Bahamas where you can see the endangeredis housed in a historical English-style mansion that
Bahama Parrots. These beautiful emerald coloredyou can tour. The International Bazaar is a
birds call the park home. Also on Abaco you can10-acre series of shops and restaurants that
see the wild horses of Abaco. These horses arefeature products from around the world. This is a
probably descendants of the horses Columbusgreat place to pick up some trinkets to
brought on his trips to the New World. They arecommemorate your trip.Long Island is home to
housed in a preservation area in the pine foreststhe Columbus Monument, which attributes to the
of Abaco. Also on Abaco you can explore thediscovery of the archipelago by Christopher
Hope Town Lighthouse. This candy-stripedColumbus. Hamilton's Cave is an interesting location
lighthouse was built in the early 1860s. It is still litto explore. Here you can see the cave where
by a kerosene lamp.Andros Island also has aLucayan artifacts were found. St. Mary's Church is
lighthouse on the southern end of the island. Thean interesting location. It does not have stunning
Andros Lighthouse was built in the 1890s. Androsarchitecture like some of the other churches on
is home to many ruins of the sugar canethe islands, but it is thought to be the oldest
plantations of the Bahamas past. You can visit thechurch on the island. The church was built in the
Old Government Administrate Building and Jail1600s by the Spanish.Paradise Island is home to
House, Old School Buildings, the Whyms Plantation,the Ardastra Gardens and Conservation Center.
the Chamberlain Sisal Plantation, several old wells,This miniature zoo houses 300 animals from
the Twin Lakes Farm and more. History lovers willaround the world in beautiful tropical garden
want to spend several days visiting these sitesdisplays. For those who enjoy military history,
from the 1800s and early 1900s. The Star Gatethere are several historic forts to visit on Paradise
Blue Hole dive is famous because in the 1990sIsland, including Fort Charlotte, Fort Fincastle and
several Indian skulls were found here. Andros alsoFort Montagu.As you can see, there is much
has several historic churches for visitors tomore to do on the islands of the Bahamas than
explore.The next island in a tour of the Bahamasjust the beaches. Of course, if you are traveling
is Bimini. Bimini has its own museum, dedicated toto the Bahamas, you are going to want to spend
the history and culture of the people of the island.some time ocean-side. Be sure to schedule some
There is a site that has been nicknamed the "Losttime, however, to explore the many inland
City of Atlantis". This site is several blocks ofactivities of the Bahamas.