The Bahamas has two sites on the tentative list for World Heritage nominations. These are Historic Lighthouses and the Inagua National Park, which were both put forward for consideration by UNESCO in 2015. However, the Bahamas has many other exceptional heritage sites full of rich history. For instance, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism website has identified 25.
Here are Engel & Völkers Bahamas’ top five suggestions for World Heritage in The Bahamas:
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Andros – blue holes national park and barrier reef
There are more than 50 oceanic blue holes and 170 inland blue holes in Andros and among the 40,000-acres of the Blue Holes National Park. There are also freshwater reservoirs and pine forests. Andros is the largest of the Bahamas islands but is sparsely developed. The famous blue holes are said to be home to a large creature called Lusca, described as a multi-headed animal, or a cross between a shark and an octopus. Blues holes are underwater sinkholes or vertical caves. The water appears cobalt blue as light waves of other colours are absorbed by the sea, while blue light is transmitted to the bottom and back again. Andros also features the world’s third-largest fringing barrier reef on its eastern shore. It drops from a depth of 35metres to 1.8kilometres from the Tongue of the Ocean.
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Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park was the first land and sea park in the world. The fantastic park of more than 100,000-acres was created in 1958 by The Bahamas National Trust and was the Caribbean’s first ‘no-take’ reserve, where no fishing is allowed. The ecological conservation area is a refuge for marine wildlife, including queen conch, Nassau grouper, spiny lobster and sea turtles, and on land, including endangered Bahamian iguanas and rare hutia mammals, and is a beautiful environment. In the core protected area, people can sail, swim, snorkel, dive, and hike. The park’s white-sand beaches, reefs, and wildlife attract visitors from around the world.
See all listings in Exuma Cays > Here.
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Downtown Nassau
You will find amazing architecture, rich history, culture, and fantastic food and wine, the Bay Street shopping area and the Straw Market, the port, arts and entertainment, and more packed into in the two square miles of Downtown Nassau, New Providence. The capital of the Bahamas features charming colonial architecture, historic buildings including Government House and Parliament Square, Vendue House and Christ Church Cathedral. Whatever your interests, you are sure to find something to see and do in Downtown Nassau.
See all listings in Nassau, New Providence > Here.
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Dunmore Town, Harbour Island – the country’s first capital
Dunmore Town, on Harbour Island, known locally at Briland, was the first capital of the Bahamas. British Puritans first settled there in the mid-1600s, but in 1717, the island surrendered its rights to the British Crown. Dunmore Town was developed by the Loyalist governor of Virginia. He fled to Briland when the revolutionary war broke out in the United States and was given the title of Lord Dunmore, Governor of the Bahamas. At one time, shipbuilding and farming of citrus, pineapples, and tomatoes were the major industries on the 3.5-mile by 1.5-mile island. Today, it is tourism – boosted by the fact the island has one of the best beaches in the Bahamas, if not the world, appropriately called Pink Sands Beach.
See all listings in Harbour Island > Here.
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Hope Town, Elbow Cay – the only car-free settlement in The Bahamas
Hope Town leads the way when it comes to environmentally-friendliness, as no cars are allowed in the central part of the town. Most residents travel by bicycle or walk. Elsewhere, golf carts are as extensively as cars on Elbow Cay. Hope Town was founded in 1785 and values its history and Loyalist architecture along its narrow streets. At nearby Elbow Reef is a candy-striped lighthouse that dates from the 1860s and is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Bahamas.
See all listings in Elbow Cay > Here.
For property in and around these areas and throughout the Bahamas, talk to Engel & Völkers Bahamas on (+1) 242-328-7777.
