Grand Bahama Island

Beautiful mild weather, deepwater homes and breathtaking ocean make up Grand Bahama Island. The crystal clear water allows for a generous amount of underwater visibility earning the Grand Bahama Island the title of one of the best locations for diving and Caribbean weddings in close proximity to the United States. The turquoise waters are vibrant with life turning fishing and boating into a whole new experience for those who have never been in Caribbean waters. Enduring history, rich in culture, the island hosts events throughout the year that celebrate Bahamian art and heritage. Delectable fresh seafood and laidback island shopping are available throughout the island and at the resorts.  

The island is approximately 530 square miles and 96 miles long from east to west. The island is 17 miles across at its widest point and is divided into three main sections for Grand Bahama Island homes:

• The East End - Secluded Beaches, Less Populated Area
• Freeport - Tourist and Commercial Center of Activity
• The West End - Capital of Grand Bahama

English is the language and the Bahamian Dollar (BSD) is the currency. The BSD is on par with the US Dollar. In or out of the water, a tourist or resident, there is always something going on at the Grand Bahama Island.

GETTING AROUND

Freeport and Lucaya are located on the southwest side of the island, along with Xanadu, Lucayan and Taino Beach side by side. About ten kilometers inlet from the beaches is the International Bazaar, the Grand Bahama International Airport and the Garden of the Groves Botanical Garden. And, just about 20 kilometers east along the coast is Rand Memorial Nature Center and Lucayan National Park. There are numerous options for transportation. The public bus is available from 7am until sunset and cost only a $1 in Lucaya and $2 in the West and East End.  Scooters and bicycles are a great way to travel through the island and are available to rent. Taxicabs are available mostly in tourist locations.  

ARTS & CULTURE 

The Garden of the Groves gallery named THE Gallery showcases native Caribbean Art, Leo’s Art Gallery in Lucaya offers vibrant paintings of island scenes.  The Junkanoo Festival celebrates an important era, pre-emancipation when the slaves were given off fill the streets for two of the three days. And of course, July 10th celebrates the island’s independence from the United Kingdom. Annual events like the Grand Bahama Regatta, High Rock Seafest, Sweetings Cay Heritage Festival are plentiful. Weekly festivals during the summer like Goombay in Taino Beach occur every Thursday displaying Bahamian culture. 

CLIMATE

Mild winters and hot humid summers make up the tropical monsoon weather of the Bahamas.  Typical weather has temperatures in the low to upper 80s, with water varying between 72 and 78 degrees Fahrenheit.  Winters are usually dry and summers are very hot and wet. Hurricanes are the biggest weather threat to the Bahamas and is when to avoid Caribbean weddings.

LIFELONG LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Grand Bahama Island schools comprise all kinds: public, private, vocational training, colleges and universities. Bahamians boast a 92% attendance rate, accompanied by a 95% literacy rate; clearly, education is of great value. The International School of Lucaya prepares students for the international stage offering a well- rounded approach to education that introduces students to a diverse range of students and teachers. Getting in touch with the natural world is an adventure that you will have for the rest of your life.  Parks like the Garden of the Grove, Lucayan National Park and Rand Memorial Nature Center offer many programs to stay adept with island botanical and wildlife natives.

MEDICAL & HEALTHCARE

Grand Bahama Health Service (GBHS) is an institution of the Public Hospitals Authority.  The Rand Memorial Hospital in Freeport whose motto is, “the patient is the reason we are here,” provides services in patient, specialist, and allied care.  here are many high quality clinics: Sunrise Medical, Lucayan Medical Centres East and West, and the Health Holistic World that provide everything and anything from maternity care to mental health facilities, including an internationally recognized immunology cancer clinic.  Grand Bahama Island offers exceptional healthcare with top of the line doctors equipped with available technologies to combat any health issues. Should the islands care not suffice, the southern tip of Florida is only 70 miles away and offers some of the best healthcare worldwide. 

RECREATIONAL SPORTS

Having some of the most interesting looking coral reef around, head over to Deadmans Reef in Paradise Cove on the West End and enjoy reefs in close proximity to the shore. Or travel by boat just west of the island to a tiny island called Peterson Cay National Park known for shallow depths of sand bars and reefs great for scuba diving! Want to swim with dolphins? The Dolphin Experience Lagoon has got you and your family covered at Lucaya Beach where you will have a face-to-face experience with Bottlenose Dolphin.  On the opposite side of the island at the East End, walk the unspoiled Gold Rock Beach at Lucayan National Park, one of the Bahamas most beautiful beaches. Horseback riding, fishing, kayaking and anything else under the sun is available. 

SHOPPING & DINING

Port Lucaya Marketplace located along the waterfront offers an array of beautifully handcrafted art and souvenirs that celebrate Bahamian heritage. Shop at the International Bazaar and get your favorite perfumes, name brand clothing and even electronics, duty free! And of course, if you are going to be a local you must dress like the natives; head on over to the Bahamas Art and Straw Market and get yourself a brightly colored beach bag, hat, or purse and start your permanent vacation lifestyle right! After you’ve experienced the shops of the island enjoy some tasty cuisine! Bahamian food is the most common fare; along the back streets of Freeport find yourself a kidney pie. Taino and Lucaya Beach are plentiful in beach shack cuisine surfing up traditions like conch salad, Grouper of Bahamian Lobster.  Resorts are known for international cuisines and beachfront Caribbean weddings.

HOME AFFORDABILITY

As of, August 2014, here's an idea of Grand Bahama Island home prices:

• 8 Homes for Sale under $100k
• 49 Homes for Sale between $101k-$250k
• 45 Homes for Sale between $251k-$350k
• 36 Homes for Sale between $351k-$450k
• 100 Homes for Sale between $451k-999k
• 41 Homes for Sale between $1 and $2 million
• 40 Homes for Sale over $2 million

​​Property taxes at Grand Bahama Island vary from 0.5% to 1.5% of the declared value of the property.

If you're searching for the best places to live in the Bahamas, there are a number of Grand Bahama Island gated communities and beachfront neighborhoods we find of interest.