Bahamas: Diversity on 700 Islands

700, 16, and 2 are key numbers when describing the Bahamas. There are 700 islands in total, of which 16 have been developed for tourism, but only 2 of them (Nassau/Paradise Island and Grand Bahama) are really very well known. The Bahamas is one of those destinations you think you know but turns out to be surprisingly different if you take a closer look. By the way, the first tourist to visit the Bahamas was Christopher Columbus, who landed in San Salvador in 1492 on his journey to the New World; he gave his name to the small easternmost island of the Bahamas. The island world of the Bahamas attracts to this day explorers, even if all the islands have been given names in the meantime.

General Information

  • The Bahamas lie about 80 kilometres southeast of Florida and 100 kilometres north of Cuba. The archipelago covers almost 260,000 square kilometres, which is about the same size as Great Britain.
  • It’s about 650 kilometres North-South and up to 750 kilometres East-West.
  • Of the 700 islands, 30 are inhabited. They are inhabited by slightly more than 300,000 people, which is about the population of Bonn.
  • The Bahamas have been an independent parliamentary democracy since 1973 and is a member of the Commonwealth.
  • The official language is English.
  • The Currency is the Bahamian dollar, tied to the US dollar.
  • It enjoys a subtropical climate with summer temperatures around 28C and winter temperatures rarely below 20C. Thanks to the Gulf Stream the water temperature stays between 24 and 29 degrees all year round. Hurricanes can occur between August and November.
  • Time difference: Central European Time minus six hours.

Arrival / Getting Around in the Bahamas

  • There are daily scheduled flights from London or the USA to the Bahamas. From Frankfurt the Bahamas can be reached via London Heathrow in less than 13 hours.
  • On the Bahamas itself there are 17 international airports and 64 airstrips. The most important islands are connected by direct flights several times a day.
  • Island hopping is also possible with private charter planes, ferries and mailboats.

continue to Nassau/Paradise Island