Which Bahamas island to stay on for Christmas/New Years and how do I get there from Nassau island?

December 2, 2012 8:47 AM

Which Bahamas island to stay on for Christmas/New Years and how do I get there from Nassau island? There seems to be no flights to some islands, not sure how ferry works, are there other options? And what's the best island to stay on for "get away from it" kind of vacation?

I've booked a last minute flight to Nassau with my girlfriend from 12/24 to 1/4.

I'm really confused.. how do we get to from island to island? I see some flights from Nassau to other islands (i.e. Grand Bahama), but there are no flights at all to some other islands (i.e. Bimini). I've looked at the ferry website (http://www.bahamasferries.com/) but the site looks very confusing and schedule seems to end on 12/20.

So I guess my questions are:

1) What's the best island to stay on? We'd like for it to be warmer, and more of a "get away from it all" kind of vacation, rather than nightlife
2) How can we easily get there, if we arrive and leave from Nassau?

Thank you so much!

posted by zavulon to travel & transportation around The Bahamas (3 answers total)

The air carriers like Skybahamas that serve the smaller islands don't appear on the major travel websites like Kayak, Travelocity, etc. There are others, so your best bet may be to pick a place first and then see what they recommend for transportation.

Sounds like you'll want to stay at one of the "out islands." Cat Island is pretty far out away from it all and far enough south to be reasonably warm - we enjoyed our stay at Fernandez Bay Village there.
posted by exogenous at 9:11 AM on December 2, 2012 [1 favorite]

You might consider Hope Town on Elbow Cay--it is an Island of primarily single family homes and cottage rentals. It is quiet, beautiful, weather will be good--excellent beaches, water fronts, few to no vehicles. There are daily flights to Marsh Harbor (MHH) and regular ferry service to Elbow cay--Services will/may not be available on Christmas day. This will be an expensive time to rent--There are only two hotels/lodges (Abaco Inn and Hope Town Lodge) but there are self catering. Not a regular tourist destination but very welcoming--swimming, beaches, fishing,diving, small and friendly bars/pubs. Hope things work for you
posted by rmhsinc at 11:09 AM on December 2, 2012

If you do consider Hope Town please note Ferry Schedule Marsh Harbor for Hope Town so a schedule can be coordinated with your flights--there is a limited schedule ob Christmas day. I reread your post and have a hunch you would thoroughly enjoy Hope Town.
posted by rmhsinc at 11:17 AM on December 2, 2012