Cat Island Bahamas New Bight
Frequently Asked Questions
At anchor, off New Bight. There is no cruise pier: tenders land passengers near the settlement, whose main street runs along a lagoon-coloured bay.
The climb to the Mount Alvernia Hermitage, about twenty minutes from the road, then a meal at the New Bight Fish Fry and a swim in the bay. That is a full programme for the length of a call.
A miniature monastery built in 1939 by Father Jerome, born John Hawes, a British architect turned missionary, on the summit of the highest point in the whole archipelago. Chapel, cell and bell tower are so small that the ceilings force you to duck.
Less than it looks, but more than the number suggests: 63 metres raises a smile until you start up. Allow about twenty minutes from the road, with closed shoes and water.
The roadside shacks serving grilled fish, cracked conch and peas and rice. It is the island's social gathering point and the best place to take the pulse of local life.
Kilometres of them, and almost always empty. New Bight bay, near the landing, invites a swim with no arrangements at all. Excursions sometimes reach Fernandez Bay or the Port Howe coast, where the sand takes on pink tints.
It is where he grew up. The actor, the first Black man to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, was raised on a tomato farm near Arthur's Town, in the north of the island.
Traditional Bahamian music, played on a carpenter's saw, goatskin drum and accordion. It was born in the island's village celebrations, and the older generation still plays it.
The Bahamian dollar, at par with the US dollar, and English. Cash is essential: bank machines and card terminals are scarce, and mobile coverage remains patchy.
With reservations. There is no organised children's activity, few taxis and few services, so the ship's excursion is the simpler choice. The empty beaches and swimming suit families well; the Mount Alvernia climb asks for legs.
