With a beautiful mix of boutique hotels, luxury resorts, gorgeous beaches, championship golf courses, and some of the friendliest people in the world, Grand Bahama Island is one of the most popular islands in The Bahamas. It’s just 55 miles east of Florida, and easy to get there by cruise, flight or even via a ferry from Ft. Lauderdale.
Freeport is the main city of Grand Bahama, it holds the commercial ship harbor and the main airport. Lucaya is a tourist destination on the island, with beaches and hotels. West End is the capital of Grand Bahama. It first achieved notoriety as a rum-running port during the Prohibition.
Grand Bahama is home to some of the Caribbean’s best beaches. If you want to relax on your port day in Freeport, consider one of these beaches:
- Lucaya Beach: One of the most popular tourist beaches on Grand Bahama, it is among the best places for watersports. The beach connects to neighboring Coral and Silver Point beaches, making it a favorite spot for runners and walkers seeking an uninterrupted stretch of coast line. Lucaya Beach is a great option for travelers who want to combine their beach time with plenty of nearby action. This beach is near Port Lucaya Marketplace, with plenty of restaurants, bars, and shops.
- Xanadu Beach: Xanadu Beach is the closest to the Freeport cruise port. This spot is ideal for people who want a quick beach trip with time left over to explore Freeport. It’s also a great family beach because it’s located in a sheltered cove that helps protect visitors from strong winds. The water is shallow, so it’s a good option for parents with young kids. Be sure to bring some snacks and water because you’ll find that very few of the restaurants open since the closing of the Zanadu Hotel.
- Taino Beach: Taino Beach is another easily reached option from downtown Freeport, and you’ll find what seems like an endless stretch of white sand beach here. The beach here is flat, calm & clean. There are water sports available, restaurants & chairs for rent at the beach club. Along Taino Beach West, you’ll find pirates cove waterpark and zipline which is one of the newest attractions on Grand Bahama Island. It sits along 7.5 acres of beachfront property and offers floating bouncy slides, a bar & grill, jet skiing, banana boat rides, ziplining and more.
- Smith’s Point Beach: If combining your beach time with delicious seafood is on your list of things to do, head to Smith’s Point Beach, which is known for great local fishing. You can relax on the beach and then have a locally caught seafood meal. Depending on when you visit, there may be a weekly fish fry or other event taking place. The beach is located in Lucaya, adjacent to Taino Beach.
