Bahamas travel guides

Bahamas travel guides

Browse and explore the best travel guides in Bahamas.

Search in BahamasSep 03 - Sep 042 guests

Bahamas travel facts

The Bahamas is an archipelago of around 700 islands and 2,400 cays scattered across shallow turquoise banks so bright they are visible from orbit. Nassau and Paradise Island hold the resorts, casinos and cruise traffic, but the country really opens up in the Out Islands: the swimming pigs and sandbars of the Exumas, the pink sand of Harbour Island, the diving walls off Andros, and the Abacos for sailing. It is also one of the world's premier destinations for bonefishing and shark diving.

Capital

Nassau (on New Providence)

Population

~410,000

Area

13,878 km² across roughly 700 islands

Time Zone

EST (UTC-5), EDT (UTC-4) in summer

Currency

Bahamian Dollar (BSD), pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, which is accepted everywhere

Languages

English

Main Airports

NAS (Lynden Pindling, Nassau), FPO (Freeport), GGT (Exuma)

Visa

Visa-free for EU, UK, US and Canadian passport holders, typically up to 90 days

Best For

Exuma cays, diving and snorkelling, boating, pink sand beaches

Typical Cost Level

Expensive

Stay in the loop

Get the latest deals, new destinations, and travel tips delivered straight to your inbox.

No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

Do you need a visa for Bahamas?

Entry rules, stay length and passport validity by nationality.

Check entry rules

Climate averages · 1991–2020

When is the best time to visit Bahamas?

The best time to visit Bahamas is between November and April, the most comfortable stretch of the year on these averages.

Best time · November–AprilRainfall

  1. Jan22°
  2. Feb23°
  3. Mar23°
  4. Apr25°
  5. May26°
  6. Jun28°
  7. Jul29°
  8. Aug29°
  9. Sep28°
  10. Oct27°
  11. Nov25°
  12. Dec23°
See Bahamas weather

Bahamas Travel FAQ

EU, UK, US, Canadian and most Commonwealth passport holders can enter visa-free, typically for up to 90 days, though US citizens are usually granted 240 days. You will need a passport valid for the duration of your stay, a return ticket and proof of accommodation. An online immigration and customs card is normally completed before arrival. Note that a passport is required even for US citizens arriving by air.

December to April is the dry season and the peak period, with warm days around 25°C, low humidity and minimal rain, though the sea is at its coolest and northern islands can be breezy. May and June offer good weather before hurricane season builds. June to November is hurricane season, with the greatest risk from August to October, when many visitors stay away and prices fall considerably. Junkanoo, the national street parade, runs on Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

The swimming pigs live on uninhabited Big Major Cay in the Exumas, and most visitors reach them on a full-day boat excursion from Nassau, which takes around two hours each way by fast boat and usually includes sandbars, nurse sharks and iguanas. Alternatively fly directly to Staniel Cay or Great Exuma and take a much shorter local boat trip. Day tours from Nassau are long and can be rough in wind, so consider staying in the Exumas if the cays are your main reason for coming.

Nassau and Paradise Island suit shorter trips, first visits and anyone wanting resorts, restaurants, casinos and easy flight connections, but they are busy with cruise passengers. The Out Islands deliver the postcard version: Harbour Island for pink sand and boutique hotels, the Exumas for boating and sandbars, Andros for diving and bonefishing, the Abacos for sailing. They are quieter and more expensive to reach, usually needing a connecting flight from Nassau.

On trip1, you can book hotels across the Bahamas and pay with over 50 cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC. trip1 covers 3 million+ hotels in 190+ countries, making it easy to find and book accommodation with crypto.