Freeport, Bahamas is located on the large island of Grand Bahamas within the Bahamas commonwealth. It’s actually a pretty young city, getting its start in 1955 when a financier interested in lumber from Virginia, Wallace Groves, received 50,000 acres of pineyard, swamp and scrubland from the Bahamian government. Part of his deal mandated that he economically develop the area.
Since then, Freeport has grown to be the second-largest city in the Bahamas (second to Nassau). It is now a 230-square-mile free-trade zone.
Freeport is not as popular a tourist destination as is Nassau. Still, this city (which has the motto “Love is Everything”) is well worth a trip – or two.
Among the places to visit (in addition to the beautiful beaches for which the Bahamas as a whole are known), in or near Freeport is Port Lucaya. This tends to be the “hub” for tourism on the island and so has many great restaurants and shops. You also can catch some great live music and other entertainment every night, although Friday and Saturday nights are the times the city truly comes alive.
You should check out Lucayan National Park. It’s home to Gold Rock Beach, where a good portion of the films Pirates of the Caribbean II and III were filmed. Most of the park is underground. That’s not a typo: much of the park consists of a limestone cave system, one of the largest underwater cave systems in the world.
Make sure you visit Garden of the Groves, the private garden of Freeport founder Groves. It’s here that you can watch many indigenous as well as migratory birds (and butterflys)! You can walk among winding trails that lead to waterfalls and feature fountains and lush vegetation. There’s even a lovely chapel. (Want to get married?)
So many people come to the Bahamas in order to relax on the beach. And who can blame them?! Freeport has a good number of beautiful white-sand beaches (and much of that sand is powder-soft). Many popular beaches near Freeport are located at Our Lucaya. But if you’re willing to travel a bit, you can find a more private beach experience at Coral Beach, Williams Town Beach. Taino Beach, Barbarry Beach, Xanadu Beach, Plane-crash Beach, Gold Rock Beach, and others.
Most of the south side (and we mean most) of Grand Bahama Island is beach. The north side of the island is mostly comprised of mangrove swamps.
Grand Bahama Island also has some pretty good coral reefs for snorkeling and diving. You can expect to see a good number of tropical reef fish. You can explore (aim to get a guide), dive ship wrecks, and caves.
Other outdoor activities in Freeport / Grand Bahama Island include golf, parasailing, jet ski island tour, and glass bottom boat tours. See a full list of our Freeport tours available.
