The Gulf Stream’s bands of greens, blues and turquoises take on a glowing quality around Bimini that mesmerize visitors, drawing them back to the Bahamas island again and again.
A mere 50 miles from Miami, the short passage to Bimini can be made by private or charter boat, private aircraft or air charter. The quickest way to get to North Bimini’s Alice Town, the location of most resorts, entertainment, diving and fishing charters, is via a Chalk’s Ocean Airway seaplane.
Earnest Hemingway and 'Islands in the Stream'
Author Earnest Hemingway was lured by Bimini’s beauty and big fish. He wrote about the islands in his novel “Islands in the Stream,” which was published after his death. Most of his novel “To Have and Have Not” was written in Bimini during his stays there between 1935 and 1937.
When he wasn’t writing or fishing in Bimini, he was often found in the homey pubs along the King’s Highway in Alice Town. He stayed at the Compleat Angler Hotel along the narrow two-lane “highway.” The small hotel, with a deserved party hardy reputation, now maintains an Earnest Hemingway museum that fans of the writer won’t want to miss.
Bimini Big Game Resort and Bimini Blue Water Resort
For roomier, more upscale accommodations on North Bimini, there are resorts including the Bimini Big Game Resort & Marina and Bimini Blue Water Resort.
Part of Bimini’s charm is that it’s small, relatively undeveloped and mostly rough around the edges. South Bimini has an airstrip and a few hotels but is mostly used for farming.
North Bimini is just seven miles long and a mere 700 feet across at its widest point. The King’s Highway is a narrow two-lane thoroughfare without a sidewalk. Most visitors walk or rent golf carts or bicycles to get around the center of the town, which hosts a handful of restaurants and pubs, including The End of the World. Delightfully upbeat Calypso music is often heard in area establishments until late into the night.
Blue Marlin, Swordfish, Tuna, Wahoo, Amberjack and Shark
But the vast majority of those who visit Bimini wish to partake in its multitude of outdoor adventures. Anglers can take deep-sea fishing trips to hook blue marlin, swordfish, tuna, wahoo, amberjack, shark and barracuda. Because more than 50 world records have been set in the area, Bimini has been called the “deep-sea-fishing capital of the world.”
In addition, bonefish are found in the flats off the coast of Alice Town and there’s plenty of lobster and stonecrabs.
Diving, Snorkeling and Kayaking
Other popular pastimes include kayaking, diving and snorkeling.
Divers will thrill at Bimini’s options, including wrecks of Spanish galleons, black coral and stone formations that have been linked to the lost continent of Atlantis.
Moray Alley, Hawksbill Reef, Rainbow Reef, Victory Reef and the Bimini Road all offer awe-inspiring dives from 25 to 80 feet. For advanced divers there’s the Nodules, a wall dive that starts at 70 feet then drops into the Gulf Stream.
In more shallow waters are the 15-foot Turtle wreck dive and the 18-foot Sapona dive. Snorkelers will love Turtle Rocks, a shallow wall dive allowing them to view tropical fish just a few feet away swimming in nooks and crannies of the gnarly rock wall.
“The snorkeling at Turtle Rocks was amazing. The water is crystal clear,” said Genevieve Brittain, of Denver, who was traveling with her husband Doug Fletcher.
The two said they appreciated the professionalism of their diving operator, Bill & Nowdla Keefe’s Bimini Undersea. Other diving charters in Bimini are K&B EZ Dive and Scuba Bimini Dive Center.
Those who want to swim, sunbathe or read on the sand will want to visit North Bimini’s exquisite beaches. Radio Beach, Bister Beach and Spook Hill lie along the island’s western side.
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