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A Jaunt To Points South

BY Lisa Lindblad

October 15, 2015

float planing down to Exumas

A floatplane ferried me from Florida to the Exumas, a beautiful flight that left me with two overriding impressions:  just how beautiful the water and sand is in this chain at my doorstep and just how vulnerable these pancake-flat islands are.

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Flying over these cays, large and small, is a bit like taking a tour bus through the Hollywood Hills; the Exumas are settled by a mix of old timers drawn to island life and more recent adventurers with large wealth or famous names (Johnny Depp is one) or, perhaps, both.  Development of the cays, therefore, ranges from the simple fishing shack to cays with wind turbines and solar panels, private marinas, chapels and compound clusters Continue Reading.

All, however, adore the secluded nature of the place, the pristine beaches, the vibrant corals, the turquoise water.  And the swimming pigs!

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I always forget just how beautiful, pristine and naturally rich the Bahamas are.  We travel halfway around the world looking for gorgeous beaches - Indonesia, offshore Southeast Asian islands, the Maldives - and on our own doorstep I believe we have the finest water and beaches found anywhere on earth.  Because the sand is so white, you have that gorgeous play of multi-hued blues ranging from powder to turquoise to deep navy.  Some beaches drop off deep providing great diving; others descend gradually toward a reef, offering children and lazy ones like me a natural pool.  From the Exumas' cays north to Nassau, Abaco and Andros, the Bahamas are the playground for fishermen, divers, snorkelers, vacationers - and naturalists.  Each island has its own natural offering: the Abaco parrot; a Blue Hole like the one above on Long Island; elusive manatees, dolphins, whales, sharks and sea lions, all of whom beckon scuba, free divers and snorkelers.  Over this wide spread of sea and sand there truly is something for everyone. [gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="8353,8352"]" ["post_title"]=> string(17) "Beautiful Bahamas" ["post_excerpt"]=> string(0) "" ["post_status"]=> string(7) "publish" ["comment_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["ping_status"]=> string(4) "open" ["post_password"]=> string(0) "" ["post_name"]=> string(17) "beautiful-bahamas" ["to_ping"]=> string(0) "" ["pinged"]=> string(0) "" ["post_modified"]=> string(19) "2017-08-18 09:14:51" ["post_modified_gmt"]=> string(19) "2017-08-18 13:14:51" ["post_content_filtered"]=> string(0) "" ["post_parent"]=> int(0) ["guid"]=> string(31) "http://lisalindblad.com/?p=8349" ["menu_order"]=> int(0) ["post_type"]=> string(4) "post" ["post_mime_type"]=> string(0) "" ["comment_count"]=> string(1) "0" ["filter"]=> string(3) "raw" } }

Beautiful Bahamas