Bahamas Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
island sovereign state in the West Indies
About Bahamas
The name of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas is derived from the Spanish for "shallow water". Though country's name is pronounce "bah-HAH-muz", a person from the Bahamas is called "bah-HAY-mee-an" (Bahamian). When Christopher Columbus arrived in the West Indies in 1492, he landed on a Bahamian island he named San Salvador. San Salvador island (formerly Watling Island) has long been thought to be the island where Columbus landed. But in truth, historians do not agree on the exact site of the landing. The possibility narrows between two islands: San Salvador and Samana Cay, about 80mi (130km) southeast. Arawak Indians inhabited the islands when Christopher Columbus first set foot in the New World on San Salvador Island in 1492; seeVoyages of Columbus. British settlement of the islands began i
Bahamas Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 19 sections including: