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Freeport Travel Guide

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Destination Guidebook for Freeport, Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas
Introduction   |   Must See or Do   |   Geography   |   History   |   Potpourri
  
Freeport and Lucaya are often referred to as if they were one city. Together they make up the development on Grand Bahama Island, but they actually started off as two separate places. Freeport is the landlocked business center of the island, where you'll find offices, banks, shops and hotels. Lucaya is the waterfront development a few miles/kilometers to the east, where the newest hotels, shops and restaurants line a strip of land between the sea and a salt pond.

Visitors who haven't been to Freeport in a few years may have trouble recognizing the city. Those who arrive by ship will be met by the modernized cruise-passenger terminal, the Lucayan Harbour Cruise Facility, and its landscaped retail village. Old Bahama Bay on West End, the island's original tourist site, is now home to a world-class marina, resort and residential community. Large resorts, such as the Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort, and the Pelican Bay Hotel have revitalized Port Lucaya.

Yachters seek out the beautiful ports and outstanding marinas of Freeport and Lucaya. The cities also attract couples, as the scenery is perfect for weddings in a tropical paradise.

 
Must See or DoTop  Back to the top

Sights—The Port Lucaya Marketplace; kayaking in the Lucayan National Park; snorkeling or a picnic at Peterson Cay.

Memorable Meals—The Ferry House for the hot-chocolate cake; trendy La Dolce Vita; Luciano's; Zorba's for breakfast; Sunday brunch at The Harbour Room.

Late Night—Mingling with the crowds at Count Basie Square; the Isle of Capri Casino; dancing at The Prop Club.

Walks—Along Gold Rock Beach (Lucayan National Park); horseback riding on Barbary Beach.

Especially for Kids—Dolphin encounter; tour on a glass-bottomed boat.

 
GeographyTop  Back to the top

Freeport and Lucaya are located on the southwest part of the island between Hawksbill Creek to the west and the man-made Grand Lucayan Waterway to the east. The airport is conveniently situated just north of Freeport.

Freeport was developed several miles/kilometers inland from the ocean. There are several shopping malls along the two-lane East and West Mall drives. The downtown area is not inviting to stroll, because distances are too far to walk. The only point of interest for tourists is the International Bazaar, where the Perfume Factory, the rejuvenated straw market and the modern International Arcade are among the major attractions.

Lucaya was set up as a tourist center. Port Lucaya, the central point of Lucaya, lies on a 0.5-mi-/0.8-km-long rectangular peninsula between the ocean and a bay. Directly across the street, the colorful architecture of Port Lucaya Marketplace offers a picturesque village atmosphere and great shopping.

 
HistoryTop  Back to the top

Despite being the fourth-largest island in the country, Grand Bahama was not settled until 1835. The first inhabitants were mainly descendents of Spanish conquerors and freed slaves who made a living out of fishing and salvaging wrecks.

Thanks to its proximity to the eastern U.S., the western tip of Grand Bahama became a haven for gun-runners during the Civil War and rum-runners during Prohibition. The activities brought some prosperity to the island.

In 1953, U.S. financier Wallace Groves bought a small timber company that flourished under his leadership, making him the largest employer in the country. Groves asked the Bahamian government for 50,000 acres/20,235 hectares of scrubby and swampy land to create a new city, which would become a commercial center (later known as Freeport). As industry grew, Groves focused on tourism: In the early 1960s, a resort and the island's first casino opened in Freeport's sister city Lucaya. More hotels, golf courses and marinas followed, and tourism is still the major industry today.

 
PotpourriTop  Back to the top

Visitors who envision the gently swaying palm trees as a typical image of the Bahamas may be surprised to learn that the Caribbean pine is the most common tree. It covers half of Grand Bahama Island's land mass.

The 1980s discovery of skeletal remains of indigenous people, as well as the artifacts they used, have become proof of early settlements in the area of Lucayan National Park before the arrival of Europeans.