People sometimes forget the sheer vastness of The Bahamas. You may know there are 700 islands and cays, but you may not realize that The Bahamas covers an expanse of almost 655,000 square kilometers. It is not just a country — it is a turquoise-hued universe, and across its shimmering waters you will find every manner of beach, from tiny coves to pink-sand masterpieces and undiscovered sandbars hidden away in the sea. You could fill an entire list of the best beaches in the region exclusively using Bahamas beaches — they’re that good.
As you can imagine, then, narrowing down a list of our 25 favorites is no small task, but we’ve put together a comprehensive ranking that touches on nearly every accessible land mass in The Bahamas, from popular beach destinations to some out-of-the-way gems.
Here are the 25 best beaches in The Bahamas.
Gold Rock Beach, Grand Bahama The signature stretch of sand on on gorgeous Grand Bahama, this “welcome mat” of the island is one of the most beautiful beaches in all of the wider Caribbean, set on the edge of the Lucayan National Park. It gets its name from the way the sunset can illuminate a small offshore cay in the distance; and when it comes to Bahamas beaches, it’s the gold standard.
Pink Sand Beach, Harbour Island A jaw-dropping pink sand beach, the is the flagship coastline on Uber-chic Harbour Island, endlessly wide and stretching three miles long. It’s also home to some of the most rarefied boutique resorts in The Bahamas.
Lochabar Beach, Long Island Some people call it Lochabar, but it’s really Blue Hole Beach, thanks to the miraculous submarine sinkhole right at the edge of the sand. But the beach itself is a wonder of The Bahamas, with pink sand, shallow water and a palpable, otherworldly energy.
Shark Creek, Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands You’d be lucky to see a single other person in a week spent on this secluded, shallow beach on tucked-away Great Harbour Cay. A short jaunt from the nearby Carriearl Hotel, it’s seemingly ripped out of a commercial, with spectacular turquoise water, so shallow you can walk out for half a mile.
Old Bight Beach, Cat Island Cat Island is increasingly on the radar of Caribbean travel aficionados, and a large part is its surfeit of uncrowded, breathtaking beaches, none more so than this pine-edged stunner.
The Sandbar, Cape Eleuthera Our favorite sandbar In The Bahamas is still something of a closely-guarded secret, set just off the coast of the sprawling Cape Eleuthera resort at the island’s southwestern tip. The resort runs regular shuttles back and forth to the sandbar — just make sure you bring your Kalik with you.
White Bay, Exuma Much of the attention is focused on the Exuma cays to the northwest of Great Exuma; head off the coast of the southwest of the island, though, and you can find some even more remarkable sandbars and cays, led by the almost mystical White Bay, a place you should hire an experienced bonefish guide to take you to.
Musha Cay, Exuma Yes, Musha Cay is best known as the private retreat of David Copperfield, but the two-mile-long sandbar here is open to the public, and it’s, for lack of a better word, pure magic.
Cabbage Beach, Paradise Island This beach puts the “paradise” in Paradise Island, one of the most legendary beaches in The Bahamas. It’s most famous as the home of Atlantis, but if you walk further down the shore you can still find a slice of the island as it once was.
Cable Beach, Nassau Just a short drive outside of downtown Nassau, Cable Beach is a 2.5-mile-long stunner, with sugar-white sand, calm, Bahamas blue water and now a big new amenity: the massive Baha Mar megaresort and casino.
Winding Bay, Abaco Home to the best golf course in The Bahamas, Winding Bay is a two-mile-long crescent of talcum-soft sand, a beach that seems to change its color and its personality every hour of the day. It doesn’t hurt that the exclusive Abaco Club calls it home.
Emerald Bay, Great Exuma This blindingly white, pine-rimmed crescent in Great Exuma is best known as the home of the Sandals Great Exuma and Grand Isle Resorts. More recently, it’s found its way on the map thanks to the launch of the new 23° North Beach Club.
Fortune Beach, Grand Bahama It’s one of the most tranquil spots in all of Grand Bahama, set about five miles from Port Lucaya. And it’s worth the journey every single time.
Chester’s Bay, Acklins Island Acklins is the Bahamian outback, set in the far reaches of The Bahamas and a destination only the most intrepid travelers (and bonefishermen) explore. But if you make it here, you can find magnificent, completely empty beaches like Chester’s in the tiny settlement with the same name.
Deans Blue Hole, Long Island This beach gets its name after what is one of the deepest blue holes on earth, just west of Clarence Town on Long Island. But the beach is just as deserving of the attention, a dramatic, curved white sand beach, almost always free of people.
Small Hope Bay, Andros Andros is the biggest, most mysterious and most adventurous island in The Bahamas — but that doesn’t mean you can’t find some good, old-fashioned white-sand perfection. And that’s precisely what you get at the namesake beach at the country’s leading adventure resort, the Small Hope Bay Lodge.
Lighthouse Beach, Eleuthera The southernmost beach in Eleuthera, a sandy Mecca that entails a long, bumpy ride and a short hike to reach. But when you get here, you begin to understand the siren song of Eleuthera.
Radio Beach, Bimini There’s a reason Hemingway used to come here. It was more than the fishing. You can feel it in the late afternoon on the western coast of North Bimini at Radio Beach, as you listen to the waves and the mesmerizing hum of the pine trees.
Fernandez Bay, Cat Island The home of the beloved, family-run Fernandez Bay Village, the eponymous coastline is home to ultra-calm water and striking golden sand. At twilight, it’s one of the most magical sights in The Bahamas.
Greenwood Beach, Cat Island The rugged eastern coast of Cat Island is a different animal entirely (no pun intended), and that’s particularly true on the pink-sand Greenwood Beach, a popular kitesurfing spot and and the home of the 16-room Greenwood Beach Resort.
Stocking Island, Exuma Just off the coast from “mainland” Great Exuma, Stocking Island is accessed by boat or by regular ferry service. There are two main reasons to come here: the gin-clear water, and the legendary Chat n Chill Beach Bar.
French Leave, Eleuthera One of the select few pink sand beaches in The Bahamas, this is the iconic, mile-long beach of the charming town of Governors Harbour in Eleuthera.
Treasure Cay, Abaco While Treasure Cay is still in the midst of its comeback from Hurricane Dorian, you simply can’t make a list of iconic Bahamas beaches without mentioning Treasure. And while the destination itself is on the mend, the beauty of Treasure Cay Beach has not changed.
Conception Island Part of the 30,000-acre Conception Island National Bark, this uninhabited island north of Rum Cay is one of the birding capitals of The Bahamas, with a marvelous cove and some great snorkeling on offer, too.
Orange Hill, Nassau Nassau is sometimes overlooked as a beach destination, particularly beyond the aforementioned Cable and Cabbage beaches. But venture outside the city and you can find some uncrowded gems, including our favorite, the charming Orange Hill (and don’t miss the nearby, lovely Orange Hill Beach Inn).