At a Glance
Grand Bahama sits roughly 75 miles east of Palm Beach — closer to the US coast than any other Bahamian island — and holds Freeport, the country's second city. It is a large island, about 96 miles long, purpose-built for tourism and trade in the 1950s and 60s when a developer named Wallace Groves struck a deal with the Bahamian government for a freeport zone. The planned-city origins give Freeport a different feel from Nassau: broad streets, industrial-adjacent commercial zones, and a layout built for cars rather than pedestrians.
Like the Abacos, Grand Bahama was devastated by Hurricane Dorian in September 2019. The storm's eastern eyewall crossed the island and sat over it for approximately 40 hours. The flooding was severe and the economic recovery has been slower here than in the Abacos. Travelers should verify the operating status of any specific hotel or attraction before planning a trip around it. The island's core natural assets — the reefs, the cave system, the good beaches east of Freeport — are unchanged.
The Diving
Grand Bahama's strongest case as a destination is underwater. UNEXSO, the Underwater Explorer's Society, has been running dive operations from Port Lucaya since the 1960s and is one of the most respected dive centers in the Caribbean. The signature programs are a shark dive at Shark Junction — close-proximity encounters with free-swimming Caribbean reef sharks with no cage — and a dolphin program involving open-ocean swims with semi-wild Atlantic bottlenose dolphins. The reefs off the south coast offer a range of sites from shallow snorkeling to wall dives.†
Lucayan National Park and Gold Rock Beach
East of Freeport, Lucayan National Park contains one of the longest known underwater cave systems in the world, with more than six miles of mapped passages. Ben's Cavern and Burial Mound Cave are two of the accessible entry points. The system is open to certified cave divers and to snorkelers in specific sections.
Above water, the park's Gold Rock Beach is the best reason to drive east of Freeport. A tidal creek separates a dense stand of Caribbean pine from a wide beach facing the Atlantic. The beach is long, frequently empty, and set within a landscape that looks different from any other part of the Bahamas. It requires a drive of about 25 miles from Port Lucaya but the combination of the national park setting and the beach quality makes it worth the trip.
Port Lucaya
The main tourist area sits along the south coast waterfront. Port Lucaya Marketplace is an outdoor complex of shops, restaurants, and a marina, built around a central square where live music plays most evenings. The Lucaya resort area concentrated here before Dorian, with several major hotels operating in the district. Recovery has continued since 2019. Verify the current status of specific properties.†
Value
Grand Bahama is generally more affordable than Nassau and significantly more affordable than Harbour Island or the upper end of the Exumas. Lower hotel rates and lower restaurant prices, combined with direct Florida access, make it a reasonable choice for budget-conscious travelers who want Bahamian water and marine activity without resort-district pricing.
Seeded from general knowledge as of 2026-06-08. Not yet compiled from verified sources. Post-Dorian recovery conditions change — verify current status before travel.