6 Best things to see & do in The Bahamas

The Caribbean is the world’s most popular cruise destination, and little wonder. Vibrant cultures, music, gorgeous beaches, watersports galore and tropical sunshine are the ingredients for a dream cruise for many. Because there’s so much to do, the Caribbean suits anyone; families, honeymooners and groups of friends.

You’ll need to choose either a big ship or a small ship – both offer a slightly take.

Arguably the best place in the Americas to swim with dolphins is Bimini, a tiny Bahamian archipelago 80km east of Miami. Waters are always warm, visibility is excellent and you’re guaranteed a swim with spotted, spinner, striped and bottlenose dolphins. Tours run all year round, but December to April is best.

Honeymoon Harbour on the small islet of Gun Cay is home to a friendly population of southern stingrays. In exchange for fish morsels, the rays will obligingly congregate and interact with you, in the shallows just offshore or from the back of the tour boat. Half-day tours, for all ages, depart twice daily from Bimini.

Only recently discovered but readily reached from Bimini, this dive site is arguably the best place to get close to the great hammerhead shark. Accessed is limited to only a few divers each time, who sit on the ocean floor as the sharks circle. It’s a 2-hour dive, min 10 years. Full- or half-day trips available from December to April.

This famous shark diving experience sees group of divers sitting on the ocean floor, as tens, if not, hundreds of hungry Caribbean sharks circle around, gobbling up fish morsels from the bait box of the official feeder. It’s a full day trip, with two dives (the second being a ‘wall’ dive). Visibility is excellent. All year round, min 10 years.

Dean’s Blue Hole off Long Island, Bahamas, is a stunning, submarine sinkhole – a cave that imploded long ago to form a deep and perfectly round depression in the reef.

Plunging 202m into the inky blue darkness, this is the world’s deepest known blue hole, and one of the world’s best dive sites too.