Only 50,000 people live on the island. Everybody knows everybody, according to locals we meet, and judging from how they wave and speak to passersby, that's probably only a slight exaggeration.
My guess is that such intimacy creates an open, easygoing approach to life, so that when I approach a guy working on a mysterious project on the beach, he naturally takes the time to explain that he's building a pen to keep conch he catches but isn't ready to eat.
A guide points out the lush vegetation on a nature tour of Grand Bahama Island.
(Bahamas Ministry of Tourism)
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And so what if Kathy and I turn up at Veronica Bishop's seaside shack for dinner hours before the music usually starts? After serving us some food and a couple rounds of gin and coconut milk, Veronica decides to sing a couple of songs for us. A few locals soon gather, and Veronica decides to sing some more.
We stick with our plans to turn in early, but buy one of Veronica's two CDs before heading out. For $15, I get a set of songs exuberantly performed, and a great big hug.
Cindy Loose will be online to discuss this story Monday at 2 p.m. during the Travel section's regular weekly chat on www.washingtonpost.com.
Details: Grand Bahama Island
WHERE TO STAY: For convenient lodging steps from beaches, restaurants and shops, choose from among three options in the Lucaya area.
Pelican Bay at Lucaya (800-852-3702, www.pelicanbayhotel.com) is the smallest, and my favorite. The property on the bay is across the road from the beach, and a $5 wristband entitles you to use the beachfront facilities of hotels listed below. Double rooms, elegantly decorated with folk art, start at $130 per night.
The Westin and Sheraton (877-OUR- LUCAYA, www.ourlucaya.com) resorts sit side by side on a great beach, and guests can use the facilities at either property. The Westin is more upscale, with doubles starting at $179 per night. At the Sheraton, doubles start at $159.
If you prefer a clean, modest cottage in a somewhat remote area, with a great beach and snorkeling, consider Paradise Cove (242- 349-2677, www.deadmansreef.com). A car or scooter would be handy. One-bedroom cottages were destroyed by last season's hurricanes but are scheduled to reopen soon. Two-bedroom cottages ready for occupancy are $195 a night.
WHERE TO EAT: Dine at picnic tables on an outdoor deck at one of 26 locally owned restaurants in Sunset Village in Eight Mile Rock. At Veronica Bishop's, a lobster or shrimp platter was $11; chicken, ribs and jerk pork platters, $7.
Gourmet dining in a romantic setting is featured at the Ferry House, on the bay next to Pelican Bay Resort. Entrees begin at about $30.
NATURE TRIPS: Kayak Nature Tours (866-440-4542, www.grandbahamanaturetours.com) specializes in trips within two national parks on the island: Lucayan National Park and Peterson Cay. My kayaking/hiking tour was $79, including lunch, transportation, kayaks and a guide on the five-hour trip. Alternately, for $79, you can kayak to Peterson Cay, which at 1 1/2 acres is one of the world's smallest national parks. The key, or cay, has sandy beaches and is ringed with coral reefs -- ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Bike and birding tours are also offered.
West End Adventures (www.westendadventures.com) recently launched a party boat to take visitors to a deserted offshore island for swimming and snorkeling. The day-long tour, including lunch, is $70 per person. The company has a separate boat for diving excursions.
Explore the island in an open truck, hike and take a motorboat trip to a quaint fishing village with East End Adventures (242-373-6662, www.bahamasecotours.com). Tour with lunch, $120.
UNEXSO (800-992-DIVE, www.unexso.com), best known for scuba diving, also operates a dolphin education and interaction facility, with varied prices.
INFORMATION: Grand Bahama Island Tourist Board, 800-BAHAMAS, www.grand-bahama.com.
-- Cindy Loose
