A Pristine Bahamas Without the Glitz

What's my recipe for a relaxing stay in either the Caribbean or the Bahamas?
First, I'll start with some of the things that it shouldn't include:

• No gambling
• No glitzy mega resorts
• No wall-to-wall beachfront development
• No raucous hotel or beach parties
• No shopping malls

• No McDonalds or the equivalent

I could go on, but I won't. You get the idea.

Now, you might say that this sounds like a complete snore. Hardly.
Here's what my idea island trip should have:

• A sense of authenticity
• Restaurants and cafes selling local cuisine
• Pristine beaches with few other footprints
• Beaches where the tallest structures are the trees
• Roads that see little traffic
• Beachfront roads that are bikable
• Lots of nature-based activities, including hiking and kayaking
• Hotels and inns where the owners know know your name
• Shops selling artisanal goods
• Clean waters where the fishing is a real draw
• Hidden coves and swaths of sand

This list could get quite lengthy, and, again, you get the idea.

Now you're probably saying that I'd have a hard time finding a place that fits my criteria. Wrong again. I found my island and it's Long Island, one of the Out Islands of The Bahamas. This video slideshow reflects the laid-back vibe I fell in love with on Long Island:

I stayed at the Stella Maris Resort Club and Marina which, though it's plenty popular, is so expansive that I felt, at times, that I could get plenty of solitude if that's what I wanted. My room, #28, was really a two-room suite in a wee pastel cottage that fronted a fresh-water pool shared by just a few other cottages. I lounged by poolside many a morning and never saw a soul. (And, interestingly, the property has an open door policy -- there are no keys because they're not needed. The island has little in the way of crime.)

Though there were plenty of activities available, including tennis, scuba diving, snorkeling as well as van and boat trips to sandy beaches, my favorite activity was taking one of their bicycles and pedaling to a series of secluded sandy coves appropriately named the Love Beaches.

When I wasn't driving down dirt tracts past whitewashed churches to find yet other beaches where I found myself alone, I had plenty of kayaking options, including in Columbus Harbour that's protected and lined with mangroves. I also went hiking up to the island's apex, Columbus Monument, to check out the panoramic views. (Columbus made landing at this harbor and the monument commemorates this.) One of the island's key activities is bone fishing. And I found that Alvin Smith offered the best half-day and day rates, by far. Many of the island women -- such as Jelelah's Straw Crafts -- make tasteful and creative straw handbags of dried palm fronds. The Long Island Museum is a wee space packed with artifacts that document the island's history, including the original settlers, the Lucayan Indians.

This is just a small sampling of the treasures found on Long Island.

 

Follow Jeanine Barone on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jcreaturetravel

Comments

[kenneth cartwright]

11:48 AM on 06/16/2011

hi jeanine thank u for the compliments of what u said about long island bahamas.when u return to long island please come to my restaurant SEASIDE VILLAGE AT JERRY WELLS in deadmans cay.

[Gasparilla]

10:05 AM on 06/04/2011

You can do something a little cheaper and still get a lot of the same experience. I've taken the Discovery day cruise from Lauderdale and they have overnight packages for nice hotels in Freeport Lucaya. Also the Celebration from port of Palm Beach. Grand Bahama is a fairly large island and once you get east of the built up area, there are very small towns and pristine beaches where you hardly see anyone. I rented a car for a day and went to the towns like High Rock and McLeans Town which is the east end. Don't bother with the West End unless you have the time.

[Jeanine Barone]

10:45 AM on 06/04/2011

Hi Gasparilla, great to hear from you and thanks for your suggestions. But I didn't find Long Island to be expensive at all. Once I took the flight with Bahamasair (which didn't break the bank), I found plenty of inexpensive places to enjoy a great meal as well as some accommodations that could definitely fit within a tight budget.

[artleads]

07:56 PM on 06/03/2011

Pristine is good. Ther entire Caribbean, including Jamaica, was once like this. No more. I hope this paradise will continue unspoiled.

[Jeanine Barone]

10:47 AM on 06/04/2011

Hi artleads, yes, for sure all these islands were once chock full of off-the-beaten-track experiences. I'm also hoping not to return to Long Island in the future to find mega development.

[artleads]

02:08 PM on 06/04/2011

One of my hopes is that, even where there are tourist developments (like hotels), they will be built inland from the road, leaving the original road scene EXACTLY as it was before. When the original roadscape is cleared away to proudly show out-of-context opulence, with manicured lawns that don't conform to the native landscape, it brings the experience down. Instead of making new developments look like California, they should maintain the modest scale and the "grain" of the native landscape.