The blue holes. The beaches (some of the best on earth, in our view). The history. Long Island remains one of the great unexplored destinations in The Bahamas, and it’s about to get even easier to visit. 

Makers Air, which operates the only nonstop flights between the US and Long Island (out of Fort Lauderdale), is adding more flights to Long Island this fall. 

Beginning Nov. 2, the airline will ramp up its service to three roundtrips per week. That will mean flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. 

It’s a “meaningful step forward,” said Bahamas Tourism Director General Latia Duncombe. 

The news comes after Makers announced expanded service to another under-the-radar hotspot, Cat Island., which it also serves out of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The latter is one of my favorite things about flying Makers — it’s a semi-private flight, meaning you drive right up to its private check-in, enjoy yourself in a private lounge then walk right onto the plane. It’s a pretty fantastic experience.

So where exactly is Long Island? It’s about 165 miles southeast of Nassau, and east of the Exumas. It’s proximity to Exuma means parts of the island, particularly in the center, have water that is that unique Exuma kind of blue. There’s actually periodic ferry service that runs between the Long Island Harbour Club called the Sheep Runner. It makes for a very cool island-hopping adventure if you want to augment your vacation.

Long Island is a place I loved visiting. The story really begins with the beach at Cape Santa Maria, one of the best beaches I’ve ever seen (home to the eponymous bungalow-style resort). 

But that’s just the beginning, whether you’re heading to the Columbus monument, journey through church ruins to a mystical cave called the “Shrimp Hole” or heading out to pristine cays. 

And then there’s the world famous Dean’s Blue Hole (more on that here).

Then there’s the stunning climb to the Columbus monument at Cape Santa Maria, where Columbus visited in 1493. It’s a mystical place, where the seclusion, the breezes and the views make for a rather memorable experience — at least I felt that way.

It’s a beautiful place, and the essence of what I love about the Out Islands of The Bahamas: wherever you go, you get that feeling of adventure, of being on the frontier, finding real seclusion, real remoteness, coupled with authentic island charm. It’s an otherworldly combination, deepened by the just immense natural beauty you find.

And now getting to Long Island in particular is a much more seamless proposition.

Heading to Long Island? The premier place to stay is the aforementioned Cape Santa Maria, which has rooms for $348 per night right now. The rooms aren’t brand new, but they’re right on the sand of one of the most spectacular beaches you’ll ever see. That’s not an amenity many hotels can compete with.