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Despite being the largest island in the Bahamas, Andros remains secluded and virtually untouched. The island holds countless adventures for those who would venture there - it offers fantastic scuba diving, deep-sea and fly fishing, national forests, and blue holes.
Much of the Bahamas will seem overly commercialized for some travelers - but that doesn't mean all of the Bahamas is little more than resorts for American tourists. Go island hopping and see how the many islands of the Bahamas differ from each other.
Andros - The Largest Bahaman Island (That's Multiple Islands)
Andros is not just the largest island in the Bahamas; it is larger than the other 700 islands combined. Its relative size notwithstanding, it is home to only around 7,500 of the Bahamas' 400,000 residents.
- Population: 7,500
- Length: 104 Miles or 167 Kilometers
- Width: 40 Miles or 64 Kilometers (at its widest point)
Andros Island has hundreds of small islets and cays. They are connected by tidal swampland and mangrove estuaries. It is actually multiple islands separated by estuaries (but it is treated as a single island). The three main islands are North Andros, Mangrove Cay, and South Andros. Travel between North Andros and South Andros Island is limited to private charter.
Andros Island is considered the eco-tourism capital of the Bahamas (it is also the 5th largest island in the Caribbean).
Development is largely restricted to the east coast of the island.
The Pirate & Troubled History Of Andros Island
When the Europeans arrived, the inhabitants of the island were the Lucayans (a subgroup of the Taino people). It is thought there were around 40,000 Lucayan-Tainos in what is now the Bahamas when the Spanish arrived. In 1520 a Spanish expedition scarcely found anyone on the islands.
For around 130 years, it is said there was no one permanently living on the Andros islands. For 150 years, the Spanish and British vied for control of the islands, with the British eventually gaining control.
1713 the Bahama island became part of the short-lived Republic of Pirates. Some features on North Andros are even named after one of the most famous privateer pirates, Henry Morgan (Morgan's Bluff and Morgan's Cave on North Andros). Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum is also named after the legendary pirate.
The pirates had a settlement on South Andros from which they raided Spanish treasure galleons setting sail from Cuba.
Later on, it was settled by Loyalists fleeing the United States in the wake of independence. More people fled to the island from the United States in the form of some native Seminoles and black American slaves after the United States acquired Florida in 1821 and 1823.
Why Visit Andros & What To Do
Andros is only around 200 miles off the coast of cosmopolitan Miami and yet belongs to another world entirely. It is sparsely populated but has plenty of natural treasures - among which is the third-largest barrier reef in the world (the second largest is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, also in the Caribbean). The Andros Barrier Reef is one of the chief attractions on the island.
The beaches on the island are deserted and are in stark contrast to more familiar beaches in the Bahamas. Discover the ocean-blue holes and be the only one there. There are reasons why the island is referred to as the "sleeping giant." Much of the island is left completely undeveloped.
Andros is a diver's dream boasting plenty of shallow reefs, inland blue holes, and wall diving in the Tongue of the Ocean. It is a diver's and eco-tourists paradise.
How To Get To Andros & Accommodation Options On The Undeveloped Island
The two main ways to get to Andros are by boat and by air. There are daily flights from the main Bahaman city of Nassau and daily international flights from Ft. Lauderdale in Florida.
By boat visitors can come by their own boat, charter boat, or ferry (but most will come by air). It is around 20 miles from Nassau.
Flights:
- Domestic: From Nassau, Bahamas
- International: From Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
While there are no large resorts (like Atlantis on Paradise Island), there are several low-key and homely resort options to choose from on Andros. Browse the accommodation options on Andros Beach Club and Bahamas.com.