Andros and Great Exuma are known for excellent bonefishing in crystal clear waters on broad, shallow sandbanks. One of the best venues is The Peace & Plenty Bonefish Lodge on Great Exuma. Phone 345-5555. http://www.ppbonefishlodge.net.

Coral reefs are sprinkled throughout Bahamian waters, which include some of the world's longest barrier reefs and some of its most spectacular wall dives. There are also dozens of wrecks to explore.

The wonderful reefs, drop-offs, blue holes and caves in the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park on Grand Exuma will fascinate experienced divers. The barrier reef near Andros is the third longest in the world; thrilling scuba activities include the "over the wall" dive and blue-hole diving. Several islands offer shark diving, as at Stella Maris on Long Island and at Walker's Cay. On Eleuthera, a unique draw is the train wreck a few fathoms down.

Swimmers of every ability can enjoy snorkeling in the shallows. Many resorts rent snorkeling gear, which can also be bought on most major islands.

Local goods include liquor, handicrafts and art. Androsia batiks, with their vivid colors and striking designs, are great souvenirs—it's fun to visit the Androsia factory on North Andros, where you can buy your blouse, wrap or scarf at the source. In Freeport, the Perfume Factory makes and sells fragrances using local ingredients. Straw markets in Nassau, the Port Lucaya Marketplace and on several other islands sell woven goods and other handicrafts. You'll find everything from hats and handbags to dolls. However, most of the straw items sold at the major markets are actually synthetic Asian imports (don't believe the "Made in the Bahamas" labels). For authentic, locally made straw items, head to Long Island, which still retains its weaving traditions. The straw baskets from Harbour Island are generally of high quality. If you don't see what you want on display, ask for it—sometimes the weaver will make it to order. In Nassau, head to Doongalik Studios for junkanoo masks, finely crafted furniture and fine art made by locals.

Bargaining in the local markets is not as prevalent as in some of the Caribbean countries, but it doesn't hurt to try.

The largest island in the Bahamas, Andros actually comprises three contiguous islands—North Andros, Central Andros and South Andros, and hundreds of other smaller islets. The island group, southwest of New Providence Island and some 105 mi/170 km long by 40 mi/65 km wide, is one of the least populated and most rugged in the Bahamas chain. Only the eastern seaboard is populated, as the interior comprises flooded ironshore (rugged limestone) smothered with scrub, swamp and lakes.

A diver's dream, Andros boasts a very long barrier reef—120 mi/195 km in length—which draws divers from around the world. From the reef, the ocean drops off to a depth of more than 6,000 ft/1,830 m. There are also many blue holes, which were formed when subterranean limestone caverns collapsed to leave large and clear deep-water basins in the shallow flats. They are magnets for all sorts of fish and marine life, as well as divers of every skill level. In one of the blue holes, a Lucayan canoe made more than 500 years ago was found submerged in a cave. Researchers are studying it to learn more about the little-known Lucayans, who died out soon after Columbus arrived.

Of special interest to divers is the old legend that pirate Capt. Henry Morgan's treasure lies buried in one of the underwater caves off Morgan's Bluff at the north end of the island. The legend and several very real shipwrecks provide possibilities for interesting, if not enriching, excursions. Most diving takes place out of Small Hope Bay Lodge near Andros Town. Phone 242-368-2014. http://www.smallhope.com.

Andros is known as one of the world's finest bonefishing areas. Small Hope Bay Lodge offers bonefishing, but the chief centers are around Cargill Creek, which has several dedicated bonefishing lodges, including the Andros Island Bonefishing Club. Phone 242-368-5167. http://www.androsbonefishing.com.

The forest and the mangrove swamp in the south support many species of native wildlife, including nonvenomous Bahamian boa constrictors (locally called "fowl snakes"), Bahama parrots, herons and large iguanas.

There are three main towns on Andros: Nicholl's Town to the north, Fresh Creek in the center of the island and Kemp's Bay to the south. All three are accessible by boat and by plane from Miami and Nassau. Be sure to visit the Androsia Batik Factory in colorfully painted Nicholl's Town for hand-painted fabrics and clothing. It is next to the Lighthouse Club in Fresh Creek. Phone 368-2020. http://www.androsia.com.

The inhabitants of Red Bay, a somewhat smaller village, are purported to be descendants of Seminoles and black slaves who escaped to the island. Today, they live much as their ancestors did in the 19th century, in thatch huts and with few amenities. Some weave straw handicrafts for a living.

Lodging on the island is mostly in simple little guesthouses, but there are also plenty of fishing lodges and a couple of deluxe boutique hotels, but grand all-inclusive resorts are lacking. Divers and anglers will want to stay at least four nights, but nondivers will be hard-pressed to fill a comparative amount of time.

Located northwest of New Providence, just 50 mi/80 km off the east coast of Florida, Bimini is one of the best known of the Out Islands. Most popular with anglers and within easy reach of amateur sailors from the U.S. mainland, Bimini is actually two distinct islands—North Bimini and South Bimini—separated by a narrow ocean passage crossed by water-taxi. A number of minor cays also make up part of its territory.

Ernest Hemingway loved Bimini, as will almost any fishing enthusiast—marlin, sailfish and bluefin tuna are abundant. More than 40 fishing tournaments are held in Bimini each year. The main village, Alice Town, can be seen in less than an hour and has very few sites of appeal. There are several bars and hotels that display Hemingway memorabilia and a colorful church—and that's about it. Tragically, Hemingway's favorite bar (and a popular tourist watering hole), the Compleat Angler, burned down in 2006, killing the owner. Still, the End of the World Saloon, a shack with a sand floor and hundreds of pairs of underwear (mostly female) pinned to the rafters and graffiti-riddled walls, is a popular place.

The Bimini Big Game Resort & Yacht Club (phone 242-347-3391; http://www.biminibiggame.com) arranges sport fishing. The waters off Bimini also have several wrecks plus tremendous snorkeling sites, but are perhaps best known for the many dolphins that frequent the waters.

Besides fishing, diving, snorkeling and relaxation, the only other attraction on the island is the alleged site (on South Bimini) of the Fountain of Youth that Ponce de Leon sought. Locals will take you through the mangroves to its unmarked spot, known as the Healing Hole; plenty of insect repellent should be applied before setting out. All of Bimini can easily be seen in half a day, but we suggest at least two nights for anglers and for divers, and other visitors can make the most of two days lazing around and enjoying the colorful bar life.

Named for a British sea captain, Arthur Catt, remote and little-visited Cat Island is one of the most beautiful islands in the Bahamas: 50 sq mi/130 sq km of tranquil rolling hills and lush green forests. Barely a mile/kilometer wide in places, this 50-mi-/80-km-long isle is a peaceful retreat that offers a quiet, laid-back way of life. Time goes by slowly in the local communities that cling to age-old cultural ways. Electricity and running water are luxuries. You don't need more than a pair of shorts, a bathing suit and some sandals (if you choose to wear shoes at all, that is).

The island's residents make their living farming or fishing, and visitors (many of them sailors yachting through the islands) spend their days swimming (off long, windblown beaches), hiking, diving (try the shoal at Columbus Point), visiting the ruins of colonial plantations or simply contemplating the great natural beauty of the island—that's about it for activities on the island.

Mount Alverina is hardly a mountain (206 ft/62 m tall), but it's the island's highest point. There, you'll find the Hermitage, a miniature abbey built by hand by Father Jerome Hawes as his home in the early 1900s. The stations of the cross are marked along the steep path that snakes up to the ascetic abode where Father Jerome lived a true hermit's life. Explore the Arawak Indian caves and plantation ruins near Port Howe. The tumbledown villages of Old Bight and Arthur's Town are worth a browse for their plantation-era buildings and quaint churches. There are small resorts at Pigeon Cay (http://www.pigeoncay-bahamas.com), Fernandez Bay (http://www.fernandezbayvillage.com) and Hawks Nest (http://www.hawks-nest.com). Beyond the resorts, restaurants are limited to simple seafood options used mainly by locals. Two days is sufficient to explore Cat Island in-depth or to satisfy a beach-lover's craving.

This island group was the first area settled by the British more than 300 years ago. The main island is long and thin: 110 mi/175 km long, averaging only 1.5 mi/2.5 km in width. Because it has three airports—Governor's Harbour, North Eleuthera and Rock Sound—and is visited by daily flights from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Nassau, it's one of the most accessible of the Out Islands. Be sure to find out which airport is the correct one for your hotel before arranging your flight. Get it wrong, and you could find yourself facing a taxi ride of 90 mi/145 km or more—expensive, not to mention inconvenient. Use Governor's Harbour if your destination is in Rainbow Bay, Palmetto Point, Double Bay or Ten Bay; use North Eleuthera if you are headed to Harbour Island or Gregory Town; and use Rock Sound if heading to South Eleuthera, where accommodations are thin.

The coasts of the island are very different: Although waves pound the east side, the sea on the west side is often as smooth as a pond. At Tan Bay Beach, 2 mi/3 km north of Savanna Sound, you can wade 400 ft/125 m out into the ocean at low tide and the waves will still be below your knees.

Because the main island is so long, plan part of your time on the north end and part on the south. When you're on the north end, stay on one of two smaller islands—Harbour Island or St. George's Island. Our favorite is Harbour Island (called "Briland" by locals). Briland's Dunmore Town is one of the oldest and most beautiful towns in the Bahamas. It has real character: Its pastel-colored houses with white picket fences resemble New England cottages (reflecting its British Loyalist heritage), and the hilly streets make for a pleasant place to stroll. The gorgeous pink-sand beach is wide and long (and, at times, home to sand flies—take along repellent). Harbour Island offers fine diving, golf and tennis. Titus Hole, a cave, is also located there.

Another cave of note, back on the north part of the main island, is called Preacher's Cave, where some of the area's 17th-century settlers took shelter when shipwrecked. There's also an underground train wreck to explore (actually, it's the wreck of a barge that contained a load of train cars bound for Cuba). Some of the Bahamas' finest hotels are there, there are several fine-dining restaurants, and the music scene is lively and fun. Harbour Island can be reached by high-speed hydrofoil from Nassau.

St. George's Island has the town of Spanish Wells, whose blond-haired, blue-eyed residents are descended from a few families of English and Scottish fisherfolk. They are among the most affluent in the Bahamas because of the town's crawfish trade. The town, which is the closest thing to an English village in the Bahamas, is now a yachter's haven. While you're there, stop at the quilting shop and visit the Spanish Wells Museum for more information about the history of the settlement. Accommodations there are limited, however, as Spanish Wells isn't established for tourism.

When traveling to the south end of the main island, stop at the Glass Window (a narrow stretch of land that forms a natural bridge between the smooth and rough waters of the ocean) and the Blow Hole (water shoots straight up through eroded rock, when conditions are right). Also en route, near Gregory Town (home of pineapple rum), are the Caves, a series of limestone caverns—it's easy to get lost, so take a guide. Gregory Town has many fine old Georgian buildings, and several beautiful beaches nearby have all-inclusive hotels.

On the south end of Eleuthera are the Ocean Blue Hole (in Rock Sound—go there to feed the fish), Tarpum Bay (a small artists' colony, where fisherfolk go daily at 3 pm to sell their catch) and many resorts. The sights of Eleuthera could be seen in two hectic days, but if fishing, golf, superb diving and lazing on beaches sound appealing, plan to stay a week. Many visitors find that settling down for an entire week in Harbour Island is a perfect lazy holiday.

For a tour of the area, Bahamas Out-Island Adventures specializes in activity tours of Eleuthera. Phone 242-551-9635. http://www.bahamasadventures.com.

From a point just southeast of New Providence, the Exumas—a chain of 365 islands and cays—lie strung out across some 95 mi/150 km of ocean. They are the least inhabited of the Out Islands, and most of the population lives on Great Exuma or Little Exuma, both of which are in the southern part of the island chain.

The Exumas are an area of great natural beauty. Tiny cays, secluded inlets, isolated beaches and some of the best fishing waters in the Bahamas make it the ideal vacation spot for boaters, anglers and beachcombers. The northern end of the island chain and surrounding waters are protected within the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a popular destination for day trips from Nassau by speedboat.

Otherwise, except for independent sailors, most visitors usually stay on the largest island, Great Exuma. The biggest village, George Town, is a great place to rent a boat to explore the other Exumas. The only attraction in George Town itself is the Government Building, but there's splendid fishing, diving and tennis on the island. If you rent a car, you'll be able to drive the length of the island, from Rolleville to Rolletown. (Many Exumans are named "Rolle" after the early British colonist and slave trader who, when Britain abolished slavery in 1865, gave his plantation lands to his former slaves in perpetuity.) The scenery is interesting—you'll pass endless mangroves and overgrown cotton plantations. A highlight in the Bahamas annual calendar, each April the National Family Island Regatta in George Town draws thousands of people (mainly Bahamian natives) for a weeklong celebration and boat race.

Great Exuma is the site of the International Airport at Moss Town, just a few miles/kilometers north of George Town. There are daily flights from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Nassau.

Beautiful Stocking Island lies about 1 mi/1.6 km off Great Exuma and offers good snorkeling. A second resort area is found on Staniel Cay, and there's outstanding scuba diving at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, just north of Sampson Cay (phone 359-1821; http://www.thebahamasnationaltrust.org/parks_exuma.php). Divers at Ocean Rock in the park will see an underwater valley filled with caves of black coral.

The island of Warderick Wells is alleged to be haunted. On moonless nights, people claim they hear spirits singing and conversing. These cays are home to many endangered creatures, including iguanas, hutias (a cat-sized rodent) and marine turtles, which nest there.

Sea kayaking (best in April and May) is a wonderful way to see the Exumas. It's not as strenuous as you might think, and sails are often used. Most one-week tours start at Staniel Cay and end at Norman's Cay. Two-week excursions cover about 100 mi/160 km and go from Great Exuma Island to Allen Cay. The Starfish Exuma Adventure Center in George Town can arrange tours and rentals. A seven-day tour costs US$1,195 per person. Phone 877-398-6222. http://www.kayakbahamas.com.

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.

Located on the island of New Providence, Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas. You'll find the islands' best sightseeing and historic buildings there. Also expect to find a crowd: Nassau is a very busy place, thanks to the high volume of cruise-ship passengers. In addition to the attractions in Nassau proper, there are a number of tourist sites on Paradise Island, a spot of land off Nassau that has been transformed into a high-rise gambling and leisure haven. It's connected to the capital by two arched one-way bridges.

To have a good time in Nassau, approach the port with an open mind. Even though it's an international city and commercial center—and firmly a part of the present—it still maintains its old-world island flavor. Things may take a little longer than you're used to. Slow your pace as you explore Nassau's rich history, tranquil beaches and turquoise waters—one of the best commodities of the Bahamas.

Located on the outer reaches of the Great Bahama Bank, tiny San Salvador may be the place where Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World in 1492. There's a certain amount of evidence to support the theory, but some promote Samana Cay, an island some 65 mi/105 km farther south, as the landing spot—so far, there's no conclusive proof that can decide the issue. Even if you accept San Salvador as the island, there's a certain amount of uncertainty about exactly where the explorer came ashore: There are monuments at four different spots that claim to be the landing site. One, marked with a white cross, seems to be the favorite. You can find more information at the island's New World Museum in Palmetto Grove. Otherwise, there's not much to see on the island, although the diving and sportfishing are excellent.

San Salvador has almost as much water inland as there is terra firma—brackish lakes joined one to the other by narrow, man-made waterways. The island, though hard to get to, will be enjoyed by those who want to swim, snorkel, dive, fish, relax, ride bikes and meet very friendly people. Wall diving and snorkeling opportunities abound. The island's one and only sizable community is Cockburn Town (pronounced CO-burn), which is the capital of both San Salvador and Rum Cay (http://www.rumcay.net), which lies 30 mi/48 km offshore and caters to fly-in divers and anglers. Club Med (http://www.clubmed.us) is still going strong on San Salvador and draws a large European contingent.

On San Salvador, follow the road called the Queen's Highway along the shore. It circles the island, crossing the airfield and passing the remains of old plantations. The ruins of Watling's Castle can be visited at Southwest Point. Local legend holds that the ruins were the home of John Watling, an extraordinarily bloodthirsty—yet pious—English pirate who made the island his base of operations during the late 1600s. (The island was originally named for Watling.) Historians, however, say the site is more likely the ruins of an 18th-century Loyalist plantation. On the northeast tip, near Beckley Hill, is the Dixon Lighthouse, a rare kerosene-powered lighthouse—its hand-operated beacon must be wound four times a night.

The biggest annual event on San Salvador is the Columbus Day celebration, which takes place on the weekend closest to 12 October. It's a good time to visit the island—you'll find lots of food, dancing and other activities to enjoy.

This cluster of islands, islets and rocky outcroppings forms an archipelago that stretches for more than 100 mi/160 km, from tiny Walker's Cay in the north to the Hole in the Wall lighthouse on the southern tip of Great Abaco. The Abacos, to the north of New Providence, form the second-largest grouping of islands in the Bahamas and sit at the north of the chain, just east of Grand Bahama Island. Great Abaco itself, aside from being the most affluent and most visited of the Out Islands, is also the most developed.

But with many islands that are virtually deserted, the Abacos are hardly crowded, and the pace is very slow. The archipelago is a mixture of isolated, dusty settlements and neat little towns and villages that could have been lifted straight out of New England. Many of the early settlers were Tories (British Loyalists) from the U.S. who wanted to remain under British rule after the Revolutionary War. Their pastel-colored clapboard houses and white picket fences found on the offshore "Loyalist" cays that they settled contrast sharply with the islands' dusty, bumpy, deserted roads that seem to go on forever. It can also contrast the rather dour modern concrete architecture throughout the rest of the chain.

More than 50 species of wild and tropical birds inhabit the islands, along with wild boar and several species of lizards. Abaco National Park—20,500 acres/8,296 hectares near Hole in the Wall in southern Great Abaco Island—provides nesting grounds for more than 1,000 endangered Bahama parrots (http://www.thebahamasnationaltrust.org/nationalparks_anp.html).

In the surrounding waters on the west shore, the elusive bonefish draws many an angler. The region is known for shipbuilding and fishing, and most of the residents earn their living from the sea. Visitors can enjoy diving, fishing and notably great sailing in the calm waters of the Sea of Abaco, a reef-protected watery wonderland between Great Abaco and the Loyalist cays.

In addition to the major cays listed below, divers will want to explore Pelican Cay National Park, an underwater preserve offering day and night dives. Phone 393-1317.

Almost anyone will enjoy three or four nights in the Abacos, at a minimum, since the group offers as great a diversity as anywhere in the Bahamas.

By far the largest of the Abacos, Great Abaco's east coast is where many of the settlements in the archipelago are located. The main city is Marsh Harbour, Abaco's largest town and the third-largest city in the Bahamas, with a wide choice of hotels, restaurants, bars and shopping. With ferry service to and from Nassau, it serves as a transportation hub for the area, and yachting is big there, too. Boat charters are big business, but just soaking up the charm of the island is a delightful exercise in serenity, too. Walking along the shore, you may just find your own private inlet to spend a few hours exploring.

If you take Albury's water taxi from Marsh Harbour (phone 367-0290), you can see two nearby cays. Man-o-War Cay is perhaps the most traditional and devoutly religious of the Tory communities (you can't buy alcohol there, but you can take your own). The island is a center for traditional shipbuilding and has beautiful beaches and good shops. You can also scuba dive and snorkel there, but accommodations are limited, and it is best seen on a day trip. Just to the south is Hope Town on Elbow Cay. The lovely, compact village has plenty of gingerbread wooden housing, and quaint hotels and restaurants lining a flask-shaped bay. There are no roads in town, just narrow lanes. It has a much-photographed candy-striped lighthouse (it's on the Bahamian $10 bill) and the Wyannie Malone Historical Museum (phone 366-0293, http://www.hopetownmuseum.com). Gorgeous beaches line the shore south of Hope Town, and the waters there are perfect for swimming. Great Guana Cay, north of Man-o-War, is known for spectacular Seven Mile Beach.

Treasure Cay, north of Marsh Harbour, is not an island but a peninsula that's part of Great Abaco. It has a huge resort complex and a 3.5-mi/5.5-km white-sand beach. Offshore from Treasure Cay, Green Turtle Cay offers peace, relaxation, deep-sea fishing and great diving in offshore coral gardens. The main draw is the village of New Plymouth, for its gingerbread architecture and its cemetery, old jail and model schooner honoring the island's shipbuilding tradition (created by Alton Lower in honor of his father, a noted carver of ship models). The town's Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden has busts of Bahamian historical figures, and the Albert Lowe Museum displays artifacts and paintings pertaining to the Loyalists who settled the area. You can rent a boat or take a water taxi to Great Guana Cay to enjoy its deserted beaches.

Remote and tiny Walker's Cay—a very posh but fairly informal resort island—offers good diving, watersports and deep-sea fishing. Adventurous divers will want to experience the world-famous "Shark Rodeo," which can be seen as part of organized diving excursions from the Walker's Cay Hotel & Marina. Phone 242-359-1414. http://www.walkerscay.com.

All the islands other than New Providence and Grand Bahama are referred to as the Out Islands (also known as the Family Islands). They include Abaco, Andros, Bimini, Cat Island, Eleuthera, the Exumas and San Salvador, but there are oodles more. Life on the islands moves at a leisurely pace and offers a lot of relaxation but little in the way of entertainment, shopping or restaurants. Although the major islands have their own airports, the smaller islands can only be reached by boat or seaplane. Many of the more remote islands have only rudimentary and often vastly overpriced accommodations and services, and getting around can be a challenge because of the lack of available cars to rent and inadequate taxi service.

Among the more remote islands that are most accessible, Acklins and Crooked Island offer bonefishing, scenic beaches, snorkeling and historic sites. The Berry Islands have underwater rock formations, an offshore shipwreck and the Great Stirrup Cay Lighthouse. On Berry, Chub Cay is a private fishing and diving resort that provides isolation, snorkeling and great wall and drop-off diving in very clear water. Diving is also the attraction at Long Island, which has underwater wrecks and shark feeding. Stella Maris Resort specializes in diving, including shark dives. On land, there are limestone caves to explore as well as five lovely whitewashed churches designed by Father Jerome Hawes, and Lochabar Bay has a fabulous blue hole.

Great Inagua contains a national park that functions as a breeding ground for pink flamingos. More than 50,000 flamingos and many other bird species are found there, but access is limited: Arrangements must be made through the National Trust in Nassau, and visitors must be accompanied by a guide. http://www.thebahamasnationaltrust.org.