First settled in 1648, is perhaps the best known of the Out Islands of The
Bahamas. Shaped like a praying mantis, the island is just under five miles wide
and 110 miles long. The magnificent glass window bridge to the north of the
island affords spectacular views of the deep blue Atlantic on one side and the
turquoise Caribbean Sea on the other. Eleuthera attracts those who wish to
explore, either by bicycle or car, the land and nature in its undisturbed state.
The island's scattered settlements, grottos, and hidden caves combine to create
a remote and truly laid back atmosphere.
There are 365 islands and cays strung out across over 120 miles of ocean that
make up The Exumas. From the air, these cays look like jeweled stepping stones
surrounded by a shimmering emerald sea giving them distinction of being one of
the prettiest in The Islands of The Bahamas. The bright white sand of the
deserted beaches is a striking contrast to the deep aquamarine and jade hues of
the water.
Most of Exuma's 3,600 residents live on Great Exuma or Little Exuma, the two
larges islands that are connected by a short bridge. These friendly and outgoing
people are genuinely happy to receive vacationers. Most Exumians make their
living fishing or farming, with the main crops being onions, tomatoes, pigeon
peas, guavas, papayas and mangoes.
Wild cotton also grows on Exuma, a testament to its part in the island's
history. Lord John Rolle, who imported the first cotton seeds in the late 18th
century, had more than 300 slaves. Following the custom of the day, the slaves
adopted their master's surnames. When cotton proved to be a financial failure
for him and emancipation loomed, Lord John Rolle deeded the 2,300 acres of land
to his slave foremen. Those acres have been passed down the generations and can
never be sold to outsiders. Today almost half the residents go by the name of
Rolle and one of the largest settlements is appropriately named Rolleville.
One of The Islands of The Bahamas' most prestigious events, the Annual Family
Island Regatta, is held every April in picturesque Elizabeth Harbor in George
Town. A tribute to tradition, the regatta is a race of Bahamian workboats,
handmade sloops with wooden hulls, canvas sails and tall wooden masts.
George Town is also home to the Government Administration Building, a pink and
white edifice modeled after the Government House in Nassau. A few steps north is
St. Andrew's Anglican Church, a beautiful 150 year old white building with blue
doors and shutters that is an active place of worship today.
Naturally, in the heart of the Exuma Cays, is the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park,
a 176 square mile natural preserve which is home to brilliant coral reefs,
exotic marine life and the rare Bahamian iguana - some of which grow to over two
feet long.
