Great Harbour Cay Bahamas Berry Islands
Frequently Asked Questions
At anchor. Ships drop the hook offshore and tenders run into the marina, tucked at the head of a natural basin considered one of the best protected in the country. The ride itself sets the tone: narrow cuts, mint-coloured water, pelicans skimming past.
In the Berry Islands, a quiet archipelago 65 km northwest of Nassau. It is the largest island in the group, with fewer than 500 residents.
Sugar Beach above all. Then Shark Creek and Shell Beach, the settlement of Bullocks Harbour a few minutes' walk away, and the ruins of the old clubhouse, explored by golf cart.
A ribbon of sand edging the island's east coast for nearly 11 km, punctuated by low limestone cliffs, coves and caves carved by the swell. Even on busy days, ten minutes' walk is enough to lose sight of everyone.
A shallow channel south of Sugar Beach where young nurse sharks, entirely harmless, come to rest in a few centimetres of warm water. Watching them from the bank is one of the highlights of a day here.
Very few, and that is exactly what makes the place worth the trip. Bullocks Harbour has a grocery, two or three local food counters, a school and a clinic. Bring a hat, water and sunscreen: on the beach there is nothing.
In the late 1960s a development with golf course and clubhouse drew film stars and jet-set royalty; Cary Grant and Brigitte Bardot were among the visitors. The venture died out, but the clubhouse ruins and the overgrown fairways of the old course can still be explored by golf cart.
For its rich shallows, which draw bonefishing enthusiasts to a demanding discipline practised on foot across the flats.
The Bahamian dollar, at par with the US dollar, and English. Bring cash: on an island of fewer than 500 people, card terminals are the exception.
Yes, for families who like a beach with no entertainment. The water shelves gently and shoals of needlefish dart between swimmers' legs. On the other hand, expect no organised activity and no lifeguard service.
