Making the most of Bimini
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Cruise vessels use the new pier at Resorts World Bimini Resort and Marina. The marina forms the activity centre, with an island band, water-sports counter and a large map showing Bimini’s attractions.
Many passengers simply stay nearby and enjoy the resort facilities.
Known as Ernest Hemingway’s favourite retreat, Bimini combines miles of unspoilt beach with numerous landmarks. Some people believe Bimini Road to be a surviving fragment of Atlantis. Places of interest include Bimini Nature Trail; the Healing Hole, a natural freshwater spring said to have restorative properties; and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial at Bimini Craft Center.
Getting around
Taxis are plentiful, but agree the total fare before travelling.
Bimini has no public transport service.
A 10-minute water-taxi ride reaches harbor Island, also called Briland, and Dunmore Town’s 200-year-old architecture: New England-style timber homes with picket fences and fragrant, colourful flowers. Try a Goombay Smash—pineapple, coconut, dark and light rum, pineapple juice, lime, grenadine and bitters—while watching sunset over the harbour.
When hiring a car, remember Bimini petrol prices are $1-2 above those in the U.S. Daily rental rates never include extra fees, and paperwork is often unnecessary. No chain agencies operate here; residents hire out fleets that may be kept in their gardens, sometimes combining rentals with a petrol station or taxi service. Obtain a reliable map and drive on the LEFT-HAND side.
Nearby places
Bimini and the neighbouring islands of Spanish Wells and harbor Island offer outstanding snorkelling and diving around reefs, coral gardens, wrecks and drop-offs. Fishing includes bottom, bone and deep-sea varieties, targeting dolphin fish, wahoo, blue and white marlin, Allison tuna and amberjack. Charter craft depart from Powell Point, Rock Sound, Spanish Wells and harbor Island, while Sunfish, sailboats and Boston Whalers can be hired for reef fishing.
Club Med Beach remains a superb long curve of powdery pink sand near Governor’s Harbour, although the resort itself has disappeared.
In Governor’s Harbour, delicately painted wooden cottages line steep lanes climbing from the water, enclosed by stone walls overflowing with oleander and hibiscus.
Tarpum Bay is a fishing community containing a much-photographed landmark: the whitewashed St Columba’s Anglican Church standing before the sea.
Food and shopping
The Bahamas are also recognised for Androsian batik textiles made by a small producer in Andros Town on a distant Out Island. The factory is interesting to tour, although batik goods are also sold widely in Nassau, Freeport and larger Out Islands such as Abaco and Bimini.
Money
The Bahamian dollar (B$) is the local currency. It has equal value to the US dollar, and both forms of money are accepted nationwide.
Staying connected
English is spoken.
Opening Hours and
Bahamian shops may open on Sunday, but almost none do, so commerce becomes very quiet. On other days, mornings offer the best shopping conditions, with smaller crowds and milder temperatures.