Compiled from 9 sources · Updated 1 week ago
At a Glance
The Family Islands, as Bahamians call them, are everything Nassau is not: quiet, unhurried, and largely untouched by mass tourism. The archipelago spreads across more than 700 islands and cays southeast of Florida, and the ones worth knowing about reward visitors who make the extra effort to reach them.
This article covers the islands most relevant to travelers choosing the Out Islands over New Providence: Andros, Bimini, and the broader archipelago context. For accommodation specifics, see accommodation. For cost planning, see budget.
Andros
Andros is the largest of the 30 inhabited Bahamian islands, stretching about 100 miles of coastline and split administratively into North Andros, Mangrove Cay, and South Andros. Most visitors never come here, which is precisely the point.
The island sits on the Andros Barrier Reef, the third-longest barrier reef in the world, and claims more than 180 blue holes. The West Side National Park covers 1.5 million acres. Blue Holes National Park covers another 40,000. Five protected national parks total. The bonefishing is the best in the Bahamas, possibly the world.
North Andros has a Seminole Indian community with a tradition of woodworking and Androsia fabric. St. Mary's Catholic Church in Central Andros has stood for over a century. These are not tourist attractions in the manufactured sense; they are just what is there.
When to Go
Mid-December through April is the reliable window. The All Andros Crab Festival runs in June and the Red Bays Snapper Tournament in May, but those months brush against hurricane season, which runs June through November.
Resorts on Andros
Kamalame Cay is the standout. It sits on a 96-acre private island off Andros, with somewhere between 20 and 27 accommodations depending on which Travel + Leisure survey you consult. The resort has a three-mile beach, the only overwater spa in the Bahamian archipelago, bonefishing, diving, kayaking, and a tiki bar. Nassau is about 40 minutes away by boat. It scored 99.14 in Travel + Leisure's 2026 rankings and took the top resort hotel spot in the region for the second consecutive year.
Conflicting reports: Travel + Leisure (2026-06-04) lists Kamalame Cay at 22 rooms and suites in one source, 27 rooms and 15 villas in another, and 20 accommodations in a third. The property size is also listed as both 96 and 97 acres across sources. Verify current inventory directly with the resort at kamalame.com before planning.
Other options on Andros: Caerula Mar Club (18 rooms and four villas, South Andros), Small Hope Bay Lodge (21 all-inclusive rooms, Central Andros), Tiamo Resort (14 rooms, South Andros, accessible only by seaplane or boat), and Swain's Cay Lodge in Mangrove Cay for dedicated bonefishing trips.
Bimini
Bimini sits about 50 miles off the eastern coast of Florida, making it the closest Bahamian island to the United States. It is two small islands, North and South Bimini, separated by a narrow ocean passageway with ferry service between them. Alice Town on North Bimini holds most of what visitors come for.
The draw is water: shark diving, swimming with wild dolphins, snorkeling the S.S. Sapona shipwreck, and exploring the Bimini Road. The island runs on the boating crowd in winter and spring, and that crowd is the economic engine of the place.
When to Go
Mid-December to mid-April is the sweet spot. The boating crowd thins noticeably in summer, which has knock-on effects on marina services and restaurant operations.
On the Island
Resorts World Bimini dominates the north island physically, covering 750 acres of beachfront, roughly half the island. It has either two or three pools depending on the source, 10 restaurants and bars, and a 10,000-square-foot casino with more than 160 slot machines. The Bimini Big Game Club Resort and Marina opened in 1947, has 51 accommodations, and operates a marina with 75 slips accommodating boats up to 140 feet. Bimini Cove Resort and Marina offers two- and three-bedroom condos for travelers who prefer a self-catering setup.
Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center runs dive tours on a 60-foot glass-bottom vessel. The Dolphin House Museum was built by artist Ashley Saunders starting in 1993. Stuart's Conch Salad Stand has operated for more than 20 years and is as close to a required stop as Bimini gets. Radio Beach is the main public beach, with vendors and facilities.
Golf cart rentals start at $90 per day at Bimini Bay Resort as of mid-2026; verify current rates.
Marina Note
Recent reports indicate marina occupancy at Bimini Big Game Club declined about 30 percent year-over-year, with restaurant and bar revenues down 20 to 30 percent and ship store sales falling about 24 percent. Resorts World Bimini's marina was experiencing a similar slowdown. Weather disruptions accounted for some of the gap. These figures reflect a specific period and may not represent current conditions, but they are worth knowing if you are planning around marina services.†
Archipelago Context
A few landmarks worth knowing as you orient yourself across the Out Islands:
Dean's Blue Hole on Long Island drops 663 feet, making it the third-deepest blue hole in the world. Andros has the largest concentration of blue holes anywhere. Harbour Island ranked second among Bahamian islands in Travel + Leisure's 2026 survey, with its three-mile Pink Sands Beach as the main pull. Andros ranked sixth overall in the same survey.
The Out Islands listed as major destinations by regional travel sources include the Abacos, Berry Islands, Cat Island, Eleuthera, and the Exumas, in addition to Andros and Bimini. Twenty airports serve the Bahamas overall, with ferry service available from Florida.