Bimini

Bucket List

• Stuart’s Conch Stand
• Shark Lab
• Dolphin House Museum

Bimini is the true Island in the Stream, perched at the edge of a sheer underwater cliff that falls thousands of feet into the blue abyss. The Gulf Stream rushes north, washing past Bimini, feeding and warming its coral reefs and serving as a watery highway for everything from marlin to manta rays, dolphin to sea turtles. Its unique location coupled with a roguish history makes Bimini the Out Islands’ favorite diving and fishing frontier outpost.

For Ernest Hemingway, it was love at first sight when he docked his boat, Pilar, Bimini back in the 1930’s. He returned often after that, falling into the laid-back Bimini way of life that included swimming off the beach, snorkeling, trolling for monster game fish and yes, tossing back more than a few rums with the locals. Visitors today tend to follow the same routine with a few twists such as the extraordinary chance to interact with wild Atlantic spotted dolphins that gather north of the island, casting flies for bonefish on the flats of The Bahamas Bank, snorkel in the Bimini Vortex, kayaking to the legendary “Fountain of Youth” (a natural spring amid the mangrove mud that pumps lithium and sulfur) and scuba diving on wrecks, reefs, “off the wall” or atop the mysterious Bimini Road that some believe is remnants of a man-made causeway perhaps built by Atlantis’ own civil engineers.

The Biminis – which are actually two small islands, North Bimini and South Bimini, connected by a shallow flat – has a fascinating history. As the closest Bahamian group of islands to the U.S., The Biminis served as a convenient offshore speakeasy and liquor store during prohibition. Rumrunners stored their hooch both ashore and on a concrete Liberty ship called the Sapona that still rests where it grounded during a hurricane – it’s one of the Caribbean’s very best shallow-water wreck sites for snorkelers and divers. Hemingway is of course closely tied to Bimini’s history, leading the way for generations of fishermen, many of whom pilot their own boats the 50 miles across the Gulf Stream from Florida in order to follow in Papa’s bare footsteps and pit themselves against some of the world’s feistiest game fish -- and against each other as they down rum at local watering holes like the famed and funky End of the World Bar.

Beyond fishing, diving, and kayaking, Bimini offers both the quiet escape of luxurious beaches along with the boisterous camaraderie of sportsmen gathering at the marinas after a successful day on the water. Menus at local restaurants like the Bimini Big Game Bar & Grill and The Anchorage are, naturally, heavy on fresh seafood and Bahamian favorites like cracked conch—the better to keep you fueled up for further Bimini adventures. And when on the island, you can choose to stay at a number of wonderful hotels and resorts, including the Hilton at Resorts World Bimini. Offering ocean views from spacious rooms and suites, the resort’s world-class amenities and activities include swimming with dolphins, glass-bottomed boat rides, a spa, and a boutique casino—making for an unforgettable Out Islands vacation.