NOT FOR: People requiring physical assistance.
San Salvador
CLAIM TO FAME: The most likely site of Columbus's first landfall in the New World in October 1492; known for its beautiful lighthouse, one of the oldest in the Bahamas, and its resident iguanas.
Cactus plants cover a cliff on Eleuthera, one of the Bahamas' Out Islands.
(Bahamas Ministry Of Tourism)
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PROS: Superb diving and trophy fishing. Grotto Beach, about 15 miles south of the main settlement of Cockburn (pronounced "Coburn") Town, is the most beautiful stretch of sand and water I've seen in the Bahamas.
CONS: Not easy to get to. There is a Club Med and a private hotel near Cockburn Town, but little else.
BEST FOR: Divers, anglers and people who like small, quiet, out-of-the-way places promising an intense experience.
NOT FOR: People requiring medical attention; families with small children.
Long Island
CLAIM TO FAME: Beautiful beaches; Father Jerome's churches in Clarence Town; the world's deepest Blue Hole(600 feet) near Deadman's Cay; Long Island Museum.
PROS: Great beauty, few tourists. To me, Long Island is the loveliest island in the Bahamas. A steep ridge forms a spine down the middle of the island, both sides sloping down to beaches virtually abandoned and drop-dead gorgeous.
CONS: No shopping, cinema or fancy restaurants. Only two proper resorts -- both superb in their own way -- at Stella Maris and Cape Santa Maria, both at the north end.
BEST FOR: People who love remote places; private pilots, divers, adventurous types.
