The city of Lucaya is located on the southwestern coast of the 96-mile long Grand Bahama Island in the Bahamas. As the other half of the Freeport-Lucaya metropolitan area, Lucaya also serves as the island's primary tourism center and it welcomes thousands of visitors a year who arrive in search of relaxation on more than 60 miles of white sands and clear-blue waters.
According to the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board, the island has a long and rich history that begins with the arrival of its original inhabitants: the Lucayan Indians, who several of the island's attractions are named after. It eventually served as the brief stopping point for everyone from Spanish conquistadors to British Loyalists. After Great Britain abolished the slave trade in the early 19th century, many of the former slaves settled on the islands as fishermen and farmers, whose culture has dominated the overall atmosphere of the island.
It was not until 1955, when an American businessman Wallace Grove and British industrialist Sir Charles Hayward initiated a plan to transform the island into a major tourist location. Working with the Bahamian government, their dreams came to fruition with an airport, a port that could handle cruise ships, roads, bridges and the planned city of both Freeport and Lucaya. Today, it is one of the most popular vacation spots in the Bahamas but it is far less crowded than Nassau on New Providence Island, which is approximately 110 miles to the south.
Exploring Lucaya on Grand Bahama Island
Before exploring Lucaya, you have to keep in mind that the busier times will be when the cruise ships come in for their short stays. This is important when making reservations for activities or just getting around. But aside from those periods, Lucaya can be a wonderful oasis for anyone looking to just enjoy the beautiful beaches and feel the laid-back atmosphere. The primary attractions in the city include:
Port Lucaya Marketplace and Marina – This collection of 12 island-themed buildings are located across from the beach on a five-acre peninsula in Lucaya. In addition to the 80 specialty shops (all duty-free) and a choice of 13 indoor or outdoor restaurants, it includes one of the largest straw markets in the Caribbean. There you can find (and haggle) for hand-crafted wood carvings, and souvenirs that range from straw hats and bags to jewelry. For entertainment, there is also Count Basie Square, which features dancing and live entertainment by local bands every night of the week.I
sle of Capri Casino – Located just steps away from the Port Lucaya Marketplace and Lucaya Beach, this casino was established in 2003. It includes rows and rows of slot machines and gaming tables as well as a restaurant and bar. It is open 24 hours-a-day.U
NEXSO Underwater Explorer's Society – Also located steps away from the Port Lucaya Marketplace, it offers guests one of the best diving and snorkeling experiences in the Bahamas. Its most popular tour is the Dolphin Experience, which allows guests to swim and interact with the attraction's dolphins in a protected lagoon. If swimming with dolphins are not your interest, then there are a fleet of seven boats that can take guests on a short 30-minute ride to some incredible snorkeling and diving sites. One of the most popular sites is the "Theo's Wreck" that was sunk by UNEXSO in 1982. Other sites includes the "Sea Star" and "La Rose," which were all sunk to create new coral-reef cities as well as train divers.
Golfing – The Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort includes not one, but two, 18-hole championship golf courses: The Reef and the Lucayan Country Club. The 6,920-yard Reef course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr and it includes wide fairways, huge bunkers with small greens that stress short-game ability. The 13th and 18th holes, in particular, are also designed with treacherous water hazards. The Lucayan was designed by Dick Wilson and the 6,824- yards includes many doglegs, elevated greens and thick tropical foliage. "Links" magazine named the courses the Number One in the Bahamas and The Golfer selected the resort as one of the Top 100 Golf Resorts in the World.
Visiting the Lucayan National Park
Located approximately 16 miles directly east of Lucaya is the 40-acre Lucayan National Park. Established in 1970, the park is managed by the Bahamas National Trust and it includes one of the longest underwater cave systems in the world with more than six miles of charted caves to date. The caves are also home to the Remipedia bats, which have inhabited the caves for millions of years prior to the discovery of the caves. A variety of other attractions within the park include:
Burial Mound – Discovered in 1986, the skeletal remains of indigenous tribes were found on the floor in one of the underwater caves. Other artifacts were also found that show evidence of pre-Columbian settlements in the region.T
rails – An extensive trail and boardwalk travels through the mangroves where visitors can view many of the island's flowers and variety of birds. The trails eventually ends at the secluded Gold Rock Creek Beach, which includes one of the highest coastal dunes on Grand Bahama Island.The city of Lucaya and its nearby coastline includes some of the most beautiful beaches on Grand Bahama Island. They should be the first priority for any visitors to this special island. But for those who crave other activities, there are a wide array of attractions ranging from swimming with trained dolphins to exploring the ancient caves that have been home to a specific breed of bat for more than a million years.
Sources
James Nalley - James Nalley is a full-time travel journalist whose work has been published in more than 100 magazines, journals and websites.
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