The Bahamas
Seven hundred islands, two big airports, and a last hop through Nassau for almost everything else. Drive on the left, US dollars welcome.
Quick read
At a glance
- Gateway
- NAS · FPO
- Last hop
- Domestic flight via Nassau (NAS)
- Drives on
- LEFT
Orientation
Explore The Bahamas
The Exumas. Fly into GGT, nonstop from the US or by short hop from Nassau. The constraint: island flights are small and weather-dependent, so leave a spare day before an international connection home.
Getting there
How you arrive
- Gateway
- NAS · FPO
- Last hop
- Domestic flight via Nassau (NAS)
Most international jets land at NAS (Lynden Pindling International, Nassau) or FPO (Grand Bahama International, Freeport). A few Family Island fields are also ports of entry with international arrivals: GGT (Exuma), MHH (Marsh Harbour, Abaco) and ELH (North Eleuthera).
Everywhere else, the last hop is a domestic flight from Nassau on small aircraft, or a charter where scheduled service is thin. Each island guide lists its own airport code and transfer.
Getting around
Moving around
Drive on the LEFT. Uber and Lyft do not operate anywhere in The Bahamas; taxis are licensed, and a few local ride apps work in Nassau only. On the Family Islands, rent a car or book a taxi by phone ahead of landing. Between islands, fly through Nassau; ferries and mail boats also run from Nassau to many islands but are slow and schedules shift.
Before you go
Know before you land
What to expect
Water: drink bottled or reverse-osmosis water unless your host says the tap is treated. Power: 120V with US plugs. Cash: the Bahamian dollar trades 1:1 with the US dollar, US cash is taken everywhere, and change often comes back in Bahamian notes. Bugs: no-see-ums and mosquitoes at dawn and dusk. Language: English. Quiet: Nassau is busy; on the Family Islands, shops close early and much of the island shuts on Sunday.
What to bring
The main packing list, plus a passport with at least six months left on it at entry, cash for any island outside Nassau and Freeport where ATMs are few and can run dry, and real bug repellent for dusk.
Places & activities
Get off the boat and explore
Useful on the ground
Essentials
Nassau has everything. Each Family Island has one main settlement for groceries, a bank and fuel; supplies arrive by mail boat, so shelves thin out before boat day.
Stay
Where to stay
Search by island, not by country. Pick the island first, then the settlement nearest its airstrip or harbour; each island guide names where to look.
Island living
Staying longer, building, living here
Non-Bahamians can register qualifying owner-occupied purchases, but undeveloped land that would bring the buyer to two or more contiguous acres falls into the permit regime. Purchases outside the qualifying owner-occupied categories may also require a permit. Confirm the current process with the Bahamas Investments Board or Bahamian counsel before relying on it.
Source: International Persons Landholding Act, Ch. 140, s. 2–3 · Government of The Bahamas · checked 2 Oct 2026 · relatively stable
Development
What's changing
Baymahni Resort
Formerly / also known as: Kahari Resort · Lumina Point Resort · Lumina Pointe
Resort and residential development on Stocking Island, Exuma, on the former Kahari / Lumina Point property. Renovated resort rooms plus new two-bedroom villas and estate homes; the developer documents it as an active multi-phase project.
Last verified 2026-09-29