Things to See in Bahamas

Scuba divers flock to Bimini Road - named for the strange underwater formations resembling paving blocks of a giant aqua-highway - off Paradise Point at the north end of Bimini Bay. The enormous limestone blocks are clearly visible in shallow water, resembling the massive hand-hewn building blocks of the Incas.

Locals on several other islands claim brazenly that Christopher Columbus landed on their pieces of turf. But it is Crooked Island that recent evidence suggests was the explorer's second New World landfall. Not that you would know it from this quiet, beautiful place. The island's irregular shoreline is indented with deep inlets and lined by pretty beaches.

Andros is a rough-edged, wild island, covered with vast swathes of palm savannahs, eerie forests of mahogany, pine and palmettos and huge mangrove wetlands. The primeval forest is so imposing that islanders swear they're inhabited by red-eyed elves called chickcharneys. Andros is not geared for tourism but still attracts divers, birdwatchers and beachbums.

This 743 sq km (287 sq mi) national park protects the world's largest breeding colony of West Indian (roseate) flamingos. Dominating the park is Lake Rosa, a shimmering mirror reflecting the antics of roseate spoonbills, reddish-pink egrets, tricolored Louisiana herons, and about 50,000 hot pink flamingos. Visitors must take the informative ranger-led tour.

This 16-hectare (40-acre) park is Grand Bahama's finest treasure. In the north of the park, trails lead onto a limestone plateau riddled with caves that open to the longest underwater cave system in the world. You can walk along the boardwalks that wind through a mangrove swamp and spill out to the beautiful Gold Rock Beach, fringed by soporific dunes.