There are many interesting facts about the Bahamas. From pristine beaches to Hollywood films to Christopher Columbus, there are plenty of fun facts about the Bahamas to keep you entertained. Read on to find out more…

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Fun Facts About The Bahamas

Fun Facts About The Bahamas

Located on the northwestern side of the West Indies, The Bahamas is truly a country that you can call a “tropical heaven”. It has turquoise-coloured water, pink beaches (wow), and lots of flamingos!

It’s also an epic set of islands, found by Christopher Columbus.

So, in this article, I’ll be elaborating more upon the various fun facts about The Bahamas. Let’s get into it!

1. The Bahamas Have More Than 700 Islands

The Bahamas is an archipelago, which has more than 700 islands and 2,400 cays. Out of these islands, only 30 are inhabited, whereas the rest are remote. Also, the total area covered by all the islands and cays is 5,358 square miles or 13,877 square kilometres.

Among all the islands, the largest island in The Bahamas is Andros, with an area of 1,328 square kilometres. After this, the other large islands include Great Inagua (596 square kilometres) and South Andros (559 square kilometres).

2. Many Hollywood Movies Were Filmed in The Bahamas

If you’re a cinephile, you should know these fun facts about The Bahamas!

It’s no surprise that The Bahamas is one of the best places for filming movies, due to its picturesque locations, clear-water beaches, and proximity to the US.

Therefore, some of the blockbuster movies, like Casino Royale, Holiday In the Sun, Fool’s Gold, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest were shot here.

You can also visit the locations where these movies were shot. For instance, Grand Bahama, the northernmost island of The Bahamas, was a filming location for the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

3. You Can Find Friendly Swimming Pigs Across the Islands

This is one of my favourite fun facts about The Bahamas!

Did you know that you’ll find extremely friendly pigs swimming in the fresh waters of The Bahamas? In fact, there is Pig Beach in the Big Major Cay.

Now, the mystery behind the pigs is that nobody knows where they came from. According to some legends, these pigs were dropped off by sailors, who didn’t want to cook them. However, there are some other stories, which suggest that they survived a shipwreck.

Even though their presence is a mystery, their friendly and warm nature is definitely not one. Hence, many people add “swim with the pigs in The Bahamas” to their bucket list! You’ll also find many tours and packages offering this.

4. The Bahamas Has a Pink Beach

All my nature lovers are going to find these fun facts about The Bahamas quite fascinating!

There is a pink beach in The Bahamas, the Pink Sands Beach, located on Harbour Island. This beach stretches for 5 kilometres or 3 miles, with clear blue water, and pink sand!

Now, there are some organisms responsible for the pale pink sand. The beach has some microscopic animals, known as the Foraminifera. These animals have a bright pink shell, with holes in it.

Foraminifera lives in the water, and when it dies, the waves throw it on the shore. Therefore, you’ll see that the pink sand is more towards the water and the wet areas of the beach, rather than the dry areas.

5. The Bahamas Has Some of the Most Beautiful Beaches in the World

Apart from the pink beach, The Bahamas also has some other beautiful beaches. Let’s talk about such beaches in these fun facts about The Bahamas.

One of the most beautiful and accessible beaches in The Bahamas is Love Beach. This beach is known for its striking blue coastline and white sand. Moreover, the visitors can also spot some low-flying aeroplanes here, which elevates the experience.

Another lovely beach in The Bahamas is Cable Beach. This beach has everything that a person desires – excellent views, delicious food spots, and water activities too.

There are other spectacular beaches in The Bahamas, such as Cabbage Beach and Taino Beach.

6. Christopher Columbus Discovered The Bahamas

Here are some historical fun facts about The Bahamas!

When Christopher Columbus, an Italian sailor, and his crew were sailing across the Atlantic Ocean for over 10 weeks, they saw a new island. This island is a part of the current Bahamas.

Christopher Columbus named this island “San Salvador”, and claimed it for the King and Queen of Spain. Note that the island was still populated, and Columbus referred to the locals as “Indians” as he thought he had reached the Indies.

7. Bahamians Cherish and Protect Wildlife

If there’s one thing I love about The Bahamas, it is that they know how to cherish and protect wildlife. These fun facts about The Bahamas will prove that.

The Bahamas has many stunning beaches, coral reefs, and a variety of flora and fauna. To protect these, the Bahamians have put several initiatives in place.

For instance, there is a non-profit organisation, The Bahamas National Trust, which manages the 32 national parks of the region.

In 2011, The Bahamas also started the first shark sanctuary to take care of the sharks and prevent their hunting.

8. The Bahamas Is Just Next to Florida

As I mentioned in these fun facts about The Bahamas, this archipelago is pretty close to the US. However, it is not true for all states. Instead, The Bahamas is mainly close to the eastern side of the US.

Certain states, like Florida, have close proximity to The Bahamas. The distance between The Bahamas and Florida is only around 50 kilometres, as the former is located on the east side of Florida’s Southern coast.

9. The Bahamas Is Every Fisherman’s Heaven

If you love fishing, these fishing-related fun facts about The Bahamas are for you.

The Bahamas has many exciting fishing spots, as it’s a large archipelago in itself. Moreover, it also has many fish species, out of which 248 fish species are endemic to The Bahamas.

Some of the most popular fish for fishing in The Bahamas include tuna, marlin, sailfish, wahoo, cobia, and amberjack. Other varieties available for inshore fishing include kingfish and redfish.

10. There Is an Underwater National Park in The Bahamas

In the above fun facts about The Bahamas, I mentioned how there are 32 national parks in the whole region. Out of these national parks, The Bahamas also has one unique underwater national park.

The Lucayan National Park, a 40-acre park, has the world’s longest network of underwater caves. Visitors can go snorkelling here, and explore the sights like Ben’s Cave, Gold Rock Beach, and Garden of the Groves.

11. The Flamingo Is the National Animal of The Bahamas

If you’ve ever looked at the pictures of The Bahamas, you might’ve come across a picture of flamingos too. Well, it is because the flamingo is the national animal of the country. Let’s discuss some related fun facts about the Bahamas.

A flamingo is a reddish-pink and long-legged bird. Today, there are over 50,000 flamingos in The Bahamas. Moreover, the 2-dollar coin of The Bahamas also has two flamingos facing each other on it!

12. The Bahamas Is Not a Part of the US

Be prepared for some shocking fun facts about The Bahamas, including this one!

Most of us often think that The Bahamas is a part of the US, due to its close proximity to the country. But, that is not the case.

Instead, The Bahamas is an island country, located in the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies, in the Atlantic Ocean.

13. The Name Bahamas Has Spanish Origins (Means Shallow Sea)

Now, here are some naming-related fun facts about The Bahamas.

The word “Bahamas” has origins in the Spanish language. It’s derived from the Spanish word “bajamar”, which translates to “shallow water”. Many believe that it’s because The Bahamas has several coral reefs and shallow banks.

There are some controversies on this topic too, as some people believe that the name is of Lucayan Taino (the natives of The Bahamas) origin.

14. The Bahamas Has the Second Deepest Blue Hole

These fun facts about The Bahamas are related to blue holes, a type of sinkhole or vertical cave. You can spot a blue hole due to its deep blue colour.

The Bahamas has the second deepest Blue Hole, the Dean’s Blue Hole, situated on Long Island. This blue hole is estimated to be at least 663 feet deep, with a diameter of 25 to 35 metres. After 65 feet, the diameter also increases to 100 metres!

In Dean’s Blue Hole, you’ll find a wide variety of marine animals, like tropical fish species, seahorses, turtles, and many more.

15. There’s a Marching Band on The Bahamas’ Currency

Every country’s currency has something unique about it. Similarly, The Bahamas currency also has one-of-a-kind images on it, like the one-dollar note.

The Bahamas’ one-dollar note has a marching band on it, unlike any other currency in the world! The marching band represents the Royal Bahamas Police Force.

16. There Is No Income Tax in The Bahamas

There are only a few countries in the world with no income tax, and The Bahamas is one of them! Therefore, the citizens of The Bahamas don’t have to pay any tax on their income (sounds relieving, doesn’t it?), inheritance, or capital gains.

Due to its tax-free economy, The Bahamas has become a great location for many businesses and entrepreneurs.

Note that even if there’s no income tax, the residents still have to pay other taxes like value-added tax (VAT) and property tax. Customs duties are levied too here.

17. Junkanoo Is the Most Popular Bahamian Festival

The Bahamas isn’t just about pretty places, but tradition and culture too.

Bahamians celebrate various festivals, and Junkanoo is the most popular one here! This festival is celebrated on Boxing Day (26th December) and New Year’s Day (1st January).

Junkanoo is a carnival of everything fun – music, dancing, and colourful clothes. There are street parades, dance and music performances, and competitions. People with the most creative costumes and the best dance routines are also given cash prizes.

18. Conch Is the National Dish of The Bahamas

Now, it is a crime to not talk about the food while discussing the fun facts about The Bahamas!

Like every island country, The Bahamas also has many unique seafood dishes. Out of these, Conch (pronounced as “konk”) is the national dish of the region.

Conch is a type of marine mollusc, known for having a large shell and soft and delicious meat. It is used for preparing many dishes, such as conch salad and cracked conch.

19. The Bahamas Has the Third-Largest Barrier Reef in the World

You may have heard of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia as it’s the largest barrier reef in the world. But, did you know that The Bahamas has the third-largest barrier reef?

The Andros Barrier Reef is 305 kilometres or 190 miles long. It is home to some of the most beautiful corals like the staghorn coral, brain coral, and elkhorn coral.

20. The Bahamas Had Snowfall In The Past!

When you look at a beach country like The Bahamas, you won’t think about snow there. However, The Bahamas has also received snowfall once many decades ago.

In January 1977, cold winds from southern Florida reached The Bahamas. This led to a snowfall in the city of Freeport, in Grand Bahama.

21. The World’s Third-Largest Wine Cellar Is Found in The Bahamas

If you’re a wine connoisseur, you need to know these wine-related fun facts about the Bahamas.

The third-largest wine cellar in the world, Graycliff Wine Cellar, is located in Nassau in The Bahamas. The cellar has over 275,000 wines and also has the world’s oldest drinkable wine in the world.

22. The Bahamas Is One of the 11 Countries With “The” In Its Name

The official name of The Bahamas is the “Commonwealth of the Bahamas”, and it’s one of the few countries that has “The” in its name.

Some of the other 10 countries include – Union of the Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Republic of the Sudan.

23. The Bahamas Is a Great Destination for Diving and Snorkeling

The Bahamas is one of the best destinations for diving and snorkelling, as it has more than 700 big and small islands! It also has around 3,000 coral reefs that offer an unforgettable experience to divers and snorkelers.

Also, scuba divers and snorkelers can get to see unique marine life including tropical fish species, sharks, dolphins, rays, and sea turtles.

24. The Highest Point in The Bahamas Is Pretty Low

The Bahamas doesn’t really have a lot of high points, as it’s made up of flatlands, sandbars, and coral reefs.

Even the highest point here, Mount Alvernia located on Cat Island, is just 207 feet or 63 metres above sea level.

25. The Bahama Mama Cocktail Is a Must-Try

The Bahamas is famous for its special cocktail, The Bahama Mama Cocktail!

This cocktail is a mix of regular rum, coconut-flavoured rum, orange juice, and grenadine. You can guess by its content that it’s definitely a drink that offers a tropical feel.

25 Fun Facts About The Bahamas