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Andros

"The Big Yard", "The Sleeping Giant" as it’s called by the locals. Shrouded in dense Pine Forest, the northern parts you’ll find hardwood, Andros Pine, Mahogany (Madeira), Horseflesh, and Lignum Vitae, is the largest and least developed of the Bahama Islands, and the sixth largest island in the West Indies. It is reported that the first inhabitants of the island were the Lucayan Indies, later were slaves and even Seminole Indians from South Florida. This massive island, 104 Miles long by 40 miles wide at its widest point is made up of porous limestone architecture by sea and reef creatures. The main land itself is composed of three major districts, North Andros, where you’ll find Nicoll’s Town (the main district), Mastic Point, Red Bays (home of some of the direct descendents of Seminoles), Conch Sound and San Andros which houses the North Andros Airport with daily flights to the capital; Central Andros, you’ll find the quaint settlements of Small Hope Bay, Cargil Creek and Fresh Creek which is where the Andros Town Airport and AUTEC, the Atlantic Undersea Testing and Evaluation Center are located. Mangrove Cay just a ferry ride from Bhering Point, another small settlement 45 minute by car from Fresh Creek is also located in the Central Part of the island and has its own Airport-The Mangrove Cay Airport, South Andros includes settlements of The Bluff, Long Bay Cays, Kemps Bay and Deep Creek.  When traveling to Andros, it’s very important to make be distinct about where you’re traveling, because some of the districts of Andros are only accessibly by plane or ferry. 

The water is collected from rainwater collected in the many caves in the island's interior and pumped through various pumping houses into reservoirs to a central pumping station for shipping.

Called the Bahamas’ Natural wonder by the Ministry of Tourism, Andros is home to the world’s third-largest barrier reef (after Australia’s Great Barrier and Central America’s Belize Barrier Reef) which lies adjacent to its shore line. A Big Game Fisherman’s paradise, the tongue of the Ocean which lies along the East coast of the island is a mile deep abyss walled with coral and is home to whales, dolphins, marlins, mahi-mahi, tuna, wahoo and big snapper.  Andros is noted as the Bone Fishing capital of the World, giving birth to a host of Lodges and hotels catering to the Fishing enthusiast. On the West Coast are the pristine fishing flats of the Great Bahama Bank. Fly Fishermen are beckoned by the giant maze like Mangroves filled wetlands that covers a large portion of the Island’s terrain leading to into bonefish flats and hidden beaches which serves as a natural habitat for Fish and other Marine life that inhabit the waters around the island. There are several groups on the Island as well as a local tourism office which advocates the protection of both the reef system and the wetlands in and around Andros Island.

Bird watchers flock to the island as it is a stopover for birds on their yearly migrations, joining such local exotics as ibis, spoonbills, flamingos, hummingbirds, woodstars and the rare Bahama parrot. For the more adventurous there are back pack tours or “backabush”, where inland blue holes appear amid the ancient forest and where a local guide will explain all the medicinal uses of the plants – knowledge that’s been handed down for generations.

Myths & Legends: Underwater caves are leading to wondrous blue holes are common on the island and can be found in the middle of the forest, in the flats, inside deep channels, around reefs, have spawned stories of the Lusca, a sea creature that locals say live in these Blue Holes and sometimes lure’s unsuspected victims to the bottomless depth of the ocean.

The Chickcharney is probably the most famous of the mythological creatures of Andros. Said to live in the tops of the tallest pine trees on Andros, the creature resembles a giant owl with flaming red eyes. Legend has it that if you are kind to the creature you are awarded with good luck, if you are unkind or laugh at its ugly appearance it will turn you head backwards.
Talking Pine Trees: called “Espiritu Santo,” by the Lucayan Indians, the pine trees of Andros is said to speak. The Lucayans called the island Espiritu Santo or land of the Holy Spirit because it was believed that the pine forest could speak and that the Island was blessed because of all it natural bounty.

* For more information on the history of this island, see our history page on the main menu.