As The Bahamas continues its multi-phased tourism reopening, the country is currently requiring a 14-day quarantine for travelers in the destination.
That means travelers are looking for places where they can “quarantine” with all of the amenities they need for prolonged stays.
And it’s also putting a spotlight on one of the best-kept secrets in the Caribbean villa market: the island of Grand Bahama.
Grand Bahama, the beach-laden (there are 43, to be exact), 530-square-mile island just 56 miles from Palm Beach has long been a haven for boaters and shorter-stay visitors — but in recent years, travelers have begun discovering what is a rather enviable portfolio of luxury homes and villas.
“It’s the perfect fit for every type of traveler,” says Jennifer Bohmann of Grand Bahama Villas, which has a broad collection of luxury properties on the island. “Whether you are looking for a beach getaway, fishing trip or the ultimate in luxury pampering.”
And the range of villa options is broad, Bohmann tells Caribbean Journal.
Prices tend to start at $300 and range all the way to $13,500 per night.
That means you can find everything from Nandana, the stunning, fully-staffed private villa compound that is the crown jewel of the island’s villa product, to eco-luxe retreats like the treehouse villa at Grand Bahama Birders’, an eco-retreat near Freeport.
Lately, Grand Bahama’s luxury villas tend to draw a particular kind of luxury traveler: boaters.
“Grand Bahama is a boater’s paradise,” she says.
Indeed, most of Grand Bahama Villas’ properties come with their own private boat docks, fish cleaning stations and grills, an amenity that’s hard to find anywhere else in the Caribbean in similar supply.
But in the age of COVID-19, Grand Bahama has an even greater draw: privacy.
“It’s even more important in today’s social-distancing world,” Bohmann says.
For now, there are two primary ways to reach the island: by private boat or by private aviation on carriers like Tropic Ocean Airways, which operates a fleet of seaplanes out of South Florida.
“West End is just 56 miles from Florida, so it’s an easy hop by boat or plane,” Bohmann said. “There’s even a private airport right in West End.”
You can find The Bahamas’ entry travel protocols, see here.
For more, visit Grand Bahama Villas and the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board.
— CJ