An Opinionated Guide to the Bahamas

Cactus plants cover a cliff on Eleuthera, one of the Bahamas' Out Islands. (Bahamas Ministry Of Tourism)

NOT FOR: People in poor health.

Andros

CLAIM TO FAME: The largest island in the Bahamas, Andros is flanked on the eastern Atlantic side by the world's third-largest barrier reef system and on the western side by miles of flats, probably the best bonefishing grounds in the world. Vast pine forests and blue holes characterize the interior.

PROS: A paradise for divers, anglers and explorers. Red Bays, the only settlement on thewestern side, was founded by Seminole and Creek Indians fleeing Andrew Jackson's Indian Wars in the 19th century. This is one of the most unusual places in the Bahamas. At the northern tip is lovely Nicholl's Town and Morgan's Bluff, site of a 17th-century pirate base.

CONS: No nightlife, very little shopping.

BEST FOR: Anglers and divers, adventurers and people seeking a retreat amid peace and quiet.

NOT FOR: People who prefer reality television to reality; families with small children.

Bimini

CLAIM TO FAME: The western point of the Bermuda Triangle. The Bimini Road, an underwater stone formation that is reputedly the ruins of the sunken city of Atlantis, is a mandatory destination for divers and snorkelers; Ponce de Leon's "Fountain of Youth" on South Bimini is worth noting. The closest Bahamian island to the United States (50 miles from Florida), Bimini is small and crowded but rich in history, having gained fame as the workplace of bootleggers during Prohibition and drug dealers during the 1970s and '80s. Ernest Hemingway lived here in the 1930s.

PROS: Fishing, boating, snorkeling, diving, drinking and a colorful history. Some shopping and above-average dining.

CONS: Crowds, boorish drunks, aggressive boaters.

BEST FOR: Anglers, divers and boaters seeking the easiest access to the Bahamas from the United States.

NOT FOR: Agoraphobics.