If your clients are Bimini-bound, there’ll be happy to know that there’s a new way to get to the Bahamian island from Miami. Better yet, it’s also the fastest, so they can go from the boarding gate to the beach in record time.
Earlier this month, I was a passenger on American Airlines 1408, the carrier’s inaugural flight to Bimini. Given that it’s the closest Bahamian island to the U.S.—just 50 or 64 miles away, depending on whether you believe Google or the promotional T-shirts!—the flight was a short one. Just five minutes after the Embraer 175 had taken off, the “prepare for landing” announcement came over the loudspeaker. And in what seemed like the blink of an eye (but was really 18 minutes) we touched down on the airfield at South Bimini Airport (BIM), swapping Miami’s urban sprawl for the Bahamas’ seductive blues.
From the tiny, one-gate airport (expansion work is already underway, scheduled to be complete this summer), it’s just a 20-minute water taxi ride to North Bimini, the more developed of the two islands. It’s where you’ll find the biggest hotel in town, the 305-room Resorts World Bimini, where the room rate includes roundtrip airport water shuttle service.
Visitors to North Bimini may be surprised by how much there is to see and do on an island that’s only seven miles long and home to about 2,500 people. I’ve been visiting Bimini since 2013, and these are my island essentials:
Get A Golf Cart There’s no better way to explore Bimini than behind the wheel of a golf cart, and since there’s basically one main road that rings the island, you needn’t worry about getting lost. Visitors can rent four- or six-seater buggies by the hour or for a half- or full day. Find rental companies at Fisherman’s Wharf.
Taste Bimini Bread “Bimini bread” is a Bahamian staple that originates here. Essentially, it’s a type of sandwich loaf, but softer, sweeter and more buttery than you’d find in your local supermarket. Taste Of Heaven Bakery is where I first sampled (and fell in love with!) it. But you can find it at local grocery stores (and at the breakfast buffet at Resorts World Bimini, where I stayed on this trip). Bimini bread also forms the base of the superb lobster pie sold at Edith’s Pizza, which I also recommend.
Visit Radio Beach It would be a sin to visit the Bahamas and not dunk yourself (or at least dip a toe) in the Windex-blue water for which its famous. My strand of choice is Radio Beach, a popular spot in Alice Town on the island’s southern end where the water is warm, the breezes are cool, and the vibes at beachfront Sherry’s Place are high.
Sample Conch Salad In the Caribbean, conch salad is a flavorful ceviche-type dish, made with raw conch, citrus juices and veggies (including onions, tomatoes and sweet peppers). The Bahamas is one of the world’s biggest producers of conch and Bimini is one of the best places to sample the meaty mollusk, at seaside conch shacks where the meaty mollusks go from the sea to your mouth in record time. Stuart’s, Big Mike’s and Joe’s get my vote.
Craving more Caribbean coverage from Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon? Check out The Ultimate Caribbean Soundtrack and Caribbean Cocktails—And the Best Place to Enjoy Them.
