Go back in time In San Salvador
May 01, 2018
When Christopher Columbus met The Bahamas
Club Med Columbus Isle might be one of the draws to San Salvador Island, but this vacation destination has its own intrinsic appeal, especially for geologists and history connoisseurs. A monument is placed on the floor of the ocean in Long Bay, marking the exact spot where Christopher Columbus dropped anchor and made landfall in 1492. Long Bay was named for Columbus' long boat which came ashore at this point.
Geological Wonders
The Cockburn Town Fossil Reef is a well-preserved, well-exposed fossil reef. It is made of very coarse-grained, aragonite fossiliferous limestone.
The surface bedrock geology of San Salvador consists entirely limestone: a special type called calcarenites. Crystalised in the soft rock, it is possible to find fossilized snail shells and other skeletal forms. Thick and difficult to penetrate vegetation covers most of the island. The interior is scattered with brackish ponds.
Archaeological Sites
Old ruins and other archaeological sites occur in several places on San Salvador Island. The remarkable Watling's Castle is located in the southern region of San Salvador, which is easy to reach. Watling’s Castle (also known as Sandy Point Plantation) was built in the mid-1700s. This plantation holds memories of the plantations system that loyalist established on many of the Bahamian islands during the American Revolution.
